Padres' Triston McKenzie adds a new pitch that could unlock his ceiling

It's a put up or shut up season for Triston McKenzie. Following a six-year start to his career with the Cleveland Guardians, McKenzie has seen a vast decline in each of the last three seasons.

He was in dire need of new scenery, and he couldn't have landed anywhere better than with San Diego. He's had all offseason, and now all spring, to work and speak with pitching coach Ruben Niebla to help get him back on track.

McKenzie, 28, will be battling for a spot in San Diego's starting rotation with JP Sears and Walker Buehler. His chances of cracking the Opening Day roster aren't terrible, but he is already showing improvement to help his odds.

McKenzie, who is known for over-throwing his fastball, has added a sinker to his arsenal. He's thrown in it in live sessions with batters and he is already pleased with its effectiveness.

"The main thing is trying to provide consistency from myself," McKenzie said.

More from McKenzie's interview with Sammy Levitt of 97.3 The Fan can be found here below.

Padres' Triston McKenzie adds a sinker to his repertoire at spring training

McKenzie threw his fastball over 52 percent of the time in 2024, then 80 percent of the time in 2025. Opponents are batting around .300 across those two seasons against that pitch, so it's clearly time to either move on from that being his main offering, or to add something else to the arsenal to offset his predictability.

Not only has McKenzie gotten roughed up with his fastball, he also struggles with command. His walk rate has been among the worst in MLB the last few seasons. When you put these two things together, it spells major trouble.

The good news for McKenzie is that he is now under proper guidance. If he can continue to throw the sinker well, and for strikes, that could open up a whole new world for him. A sinker looks like a fastball coming out of the pitcher's hand, but then drops off the table at the last second when thrown correctly. That's a perfect pairing for a pitcher who loves using their fastball.

If he can show signs of progression in spring games against other teams, then McKenzie has a strong chance to crack the Opening Day roster. It sounds like the new-found sinker could be his ticket to a promising back-half of his MLB career.