Chicago Cubs: Trevor Megill continues to embrace his opportunity

Chicago Cubs: A sneaky talent ready for the Show

Megill is a big guy. Like, freakishly large. And for a pitcher that does not always seem to bode well. In Megill’s case, however, he embraces his size and puts it to good use when he toes the rubber. Last season, Megill’s actual sample size came in his 50 1/3 innings at Triple-A. There, the 6’8″ reliever posted a whopping 32.3 percent strikeout rate.

Something even more eye-popping was his lack of walks between the three levels, as his highest walk rate came at Triple-A, yet was still below the ten percent threshold, as Megill walked just 8.6 percent of the batters he faced.

Megill is a guy who is mainly reliant on his fastball, and why wouldn’t he rely on his most reliable pitch? For a guy who sits in the mid-’90s with a large frame, the amount of power Megill generates on his fastball alone is impressive. So far this spring, Megill is beginning to come out of his shell to rely not only on his fastball but his curveball as well.

Through his first couple of outings, Megill has looked relatively sharp. His fastball has touched 97 mph, which is a great sign. He is beginning to utilize pitches that last season were not as frequent, and with the work with pitching coach Tommy Hottovoy, the improvements are slowly starting to blossom.