Albert Suárez found his power source in his legs. He just needs to remember to use them.

Albert Suárez has always been strong, but it’s never translated to power in his pitching.

When he started training with the Orioles after signing a minor league contract last fall, they went on a quest to figure out why that was. They used technology to get to the root of the problem.

They discovered he wasn’t using his full body, specifically his legs, and therefore couldn’t generate the power. Every pitch was max effort for him, but it wasn’t producing the velocity they all knew he could hit. He didn’t need to add strength — he already does plenty of box jumps and strength exercises that give him a solid foundation. He just needed to work on his mind-body connection.

“As a pitcher, you need to learn how to use power from the ground,” Suárez said. “I’ve always been strong, but I didn’t know how to use it.”

They didn’t adjust his mechanics. It’s as simple for him as remembering that he has legs and he needs to use them.

It’s taken weeks of work, but the results are coming through. In 2016 and 2017, during his first go-around in the majors before he went overseas, his fastball was averaging between 92 and 93 mph. Now, at 34, he’s throwing harder than ever, averaging 95 mph and hitting as high as 97.8. It’s also sped up his recovery — he gets less sore because he’s taken some of the pressure off his arm and spread it out.

“Sometimes when you are throwing you don’t think about that,” Suárez said. “When you practice it, and make it muscle memory, it’s just easier. But for me I have to work on it. Some people do it naturally, but I have to learn how to do it.”

His breakthrough has come when the Orioles couldn’t need him more. Suárez has become a key part of the rotation, something that not even manager Brandon Hyde predicted back in spring training. He has a 3.18 ERA, lower than even ace Corbin Burnes, and eight scoreless starts, the most in MLB.

On Saturday, when he takes the mound against the Astros, he’ll be doing so having not allowed a run in his last 17 2/3 innings.

A year ago, Suárez had a calf injury and his spot on the Samsung Lions of the KBO League in South Korea was gone. Now, he is one of the Orioles’ best pitchers.

“You need great stories, you need cool things to happen, and Albert is one of those great stories,” Hyde said. “A guy who’s been a journeyman and has been a huge, huge part of why we have the record we have.”