Pittsburgh – Jordan Hicks can't explain where the gas comes from. If he's being honest, the St. Louis Cardinals rookie flamethrower doesn't really want to. Best not to overthink it.
So the 21-year-old reliever steps on the rubber and lets his mind go blank before beginning a delivery that looks like it could fit in a phone booth. No exaggerated windup. Just stuff that makes the readout from the radar gun look like a misprint: 101. 102. 103. 104. 105.
It's the kind of speed that sends a jolt through crowds and the opposing dugouts alike. The kind that allowed Hicks to bypass Double-A and Triple-A on his way to The Show.
Even the heir apparent to New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman as the hardest-throwing arm in the majors peeks at times.
"I like to see because I know I just put that much effort into it, what did I get out of it?" Hicks said. "What was the final outcome?"
Typically, outs. Relying on a two-seam fastball that frequently reaching triple digits, Hicks is 2-1 with a 1.75 ERA in 24 games this season for the Cardinals, one of the constants in a bullpen that's been erratic at best. The learning curve is still in progress; Hicks has 16 walks against 11 strikeouts in 24⅔ innings.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
