Padres starting pitcher Odrisamer Despaigne has been pretty solid through his first two MLB starts, which has been an interesting turnaround after he went 1-3 with a 7.61 ERA in five starts for Triple-A El Paso.
"The feedback we got was that there were a number of at-bats that looked like big-league pitching, a number of innings that looked like big-league pitching," Padres manager Bud Black said, per U-T San Diego. "Where this guy is in his career, where he's come from -- not that he wasn't challenged in Double-A or Triple-A -- but maybe he needed that bigger stage to totally focus."
Teammate Cameron Maybin also offered his explanation for the rookie's success.
"What he really does well is he changes speeds with his fastball," Maybin said. "He's got a few different arm angles. It seems like he never throws two fastballs in a row at the same speed. One may cut, one may sink, and he's got a four-seamer that can get up to 93, 94. He pitches in and out really well. He and (catcher Yasmani Grandal) have been on a really good pace the last two times out. It's been fun to watch from centerfield. The guy really has a clue about what he's doing out there."