Starter Spotlight: Ring The Bellozo

9-9-24 – By Michael Castrignano – @412DoublePlay on X

After splitting a 4-game set with the Nationals, the Pirates will welcome the Miami Marlins to town. Their rotation has been ravaged by injuries throughout the year with rookie righty, Valente Bellozo, making his 10th start for the Fish, entering with a 3.78 ERA and 2-2 record over his first 47.2 innings of work.

It’s been a mixed start to Bellozo’s MLB career as he’s had 3 starts where he’s allowed 5+ runs in 5 or less innings but also had 4 games where he’s held opponents scoreless in 5+ frames.

He has a lot of blue on his ledger but much of his success rides off the mid-80s cutter, which he throws a quarter of the time and has garnered the best results with an oBA of just .154. 

He mainly leans on the cutter paired with his high-80s 4-seam and adds in a high-70s sweeper when facing righties but pivots to a low-80s changeup and mid-70s curve as main secondaries against lefties.

Bellozo has some stark splits between day and night in a small sample size so far. He has posted a 2.20 ERA in 28.2 innings pitched under the lights but a 6.16 ERA over innings in sunlight.

Bucs bats will want to stay on his low-velocity fastball/cutter but exploit the weaker off-speed stuff.

Don’t let him get comfortable. Bellozo has a 1.45 ERA first time through the order but that sky rockets with subsequent rotations.

He isn’t overpowering and doesn’t locate particularly well but they’ll want to jump early and often to find success and get into the Marlins bullpen.

Let’s Go Bucs!