Angels’ Sam Bachman Looks For Rebound Season

Sam Bachman‘s velocity appeared to be back in the first few weeks of spring training, fueling optimism that the 6-foot-1, 225-pound righthander will regain the form that made him a first-round pick out of Miami (Ohio) in 2021.

Last season, back spasms and biceps inflammation limited Bachman to just 12 starts at Double-A Rocket City, where he recorded a 3.88 ERA with 30 strikeouts 25 walks in 43.2 innings.

A lively fastball that spiked from the low 90s in his first two years of college to 96-101 mph in his junior year slipped to 91-93 by the end of last season, and the command of his three-pitch mix wavered.

In early bullpen sessions this spring, Bachman’s fastball was sitting at 95-96 mph and touching 98.

“He pitched through some things last year and probably learned a lot about his body,” Angels manager Phil Nevin told reporters in spring training. “I saw him pitch at instructional league in November. I saw his bullpens in January and the first part of the spring. And it’s electric.”

Bachman, the ninth overall pick in 2021, mostly attacks hitters with a two-seam fastball that gets good armside run and sink and induces a lot of weak ground balls and a swing-and-miss, 86-89-mph slider that has late diving action.

To succeed in the big leagues, he knows he’ll have to gain confidence and command of a mid-80s changeup, a pitch he rarely threw in college but began to challenge hitters with at High-A Tri-City in 2021 and Double-A last season.

With a strong full season between Double-A and Triple-A, Bachman could conceivably crack a 2024 Angels rotation that could lose ace Shohei Ohtani to free agency.

“I think the changeup can be a huge weapon against lefthanders as well as righthanders,” said Bachman, who copied Stephen Strasburg’s changeup grip off a YouTube video. 

“The fastball-slider combo has always been my bread-and-butter, so I’m really excited to bring out that changeup. It’s something guys really haven’t seen before, and I’ll attack with it.”