Taijuan Walker's speed in the first spring start to Strenger offseason plan – NBC Sports Philadelphia

Sunday was a day with a split squad for the Phillies, one of two during spring training. Half of the team stayed with Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm and JT Realo in the line -up and Cristopher Sanchez.

However, the larger offer was over in Dunedin, where manager Rob Thomson Taijuan Walker's first appearance of spring looked at. This is a crucial warehouse for Walker, since despite two years and $ 36 million, he will not play a role in the 26-man service plan for his contract without earning it. The rotation of the Phillies is filled with five starters and there is only one place in her bullpen that may go to a long man or not.

Walker allowed a leadoff single to Bo Bichette and a solo homerun to Daulton Varsho in the first inn, but the most important sign was that his fastball and his sinker were 93-94 miles per hour.

His four -seater were clocked at 93.7, 93.9, 92.6, 93.2, 92.4, 92.1 and 92.2.

His sinks were clocked at 93.5, 92.8, 92.4, 92.5 and 93.0.

This is far from spring 2024, when Walker's four-sea painter and sinker both achieved an average of 89 miles per hour, a problem that stayed into the regular season and led to the worst year of his career. It is only March 2 and there are only two in ours, but the speed on Sunday was more like Walker's desired 2023.

Walker's second inning was 1-2-3 with a George Springer Lineout, Andres Gimenez Tapper back to the hill and Alejandro Kirk Strikeout.

The Phillies are not as desperate in 2025 as in 2024 so that Walker had a productive season because they started better with the start of the start. Apart from their five, they have the experienced Swingman Joe Ross and more quantity in the upper minors such as Tyler Phillips, Kyle Tyler, Alan Rangel, Seth Johnson, Mick Abel and finally Andrew Painter. Nevertheless, Walker would probably be the first or second man of Ross to start a place at the beginning of the season when a need arises.

The Phillie's Walker owe so much money that it never made a big business sense to publish it last summer or in the low season, even if the performance justified this. The team would have won nothing. Instead, the organization and walker came to a strict plan outside the season, which started just a few weeks after the end of the playoffs to hopefully strengthen its speed. He already threw maximum efforts in mid -December.

So far it seems to work.

“I'm so proud of him, the work he invested,” said manager Rob Thomson last week. “I mean, he looks better than in the year when he won 15 games (2023) at that time. Only physically his movements, sportiness. The ball comes hot and the splinter is fantastic.

Walker's competition for last place in the Pitching employees of the Phillie season opening includes Max Lazar and non-squad invitations such as Nabil Crismatt in Offspeed, the side weapon-Jose Cuas, the hard-facing John McMillon and the Japanese right-handed Koyo Aoyagi, to name just.

There is always the possibility of a spring trade. If another team needs a starting jug, thinks enough of what he sees this month from Walker and is willing to pay off a small part of his remaining contract, this could be sufficient to seduce the Phillies.

Spring training doesn't matter for many players, but Walker is none of them.