NEW YORK — As Ray Searage watches his pitchers from his perch inside the dugout, Justin Meccage studies them while sitting in a dark video room adjacent to the clubhouse. Meccage, switching through television feeds for different angles, jots down extensive notes on pitch sequences and hitters' tells.
Meccage then submits a report to Searage, bullpen coach Euclides Rojas and Clint Hurdle following each game. His impact goes well beyond those performance reviews, though. Meccage, promoted by the Pirates to assistant pitching coach this past offseason, has used his unique experience to help starters and relievers make in-game and between-start adjustments.
He'll study each game to point out mechanical flaws, offer guidance on how to pitch to certain hitters and utilizes his unobstructed view to help young pitchers transition to the major leagues.
"I tell him every day when we’re getting ready to go out to the game, ‘Get in your hole,’” Steven Brault joked. “He’s always in there. He watches the game super-intensely. He can watch replays immediately when things happen quickly. He’s a good resource to go to when you get out of the game to see what he saw. He’s on top of it. He’s super-focused and detail-oriented.”
To continue reading, log into your account:
