It has been easyto notice the changes in the way Cade Povich carries himself on the mound in his last two starts.
He’s confident. And he’s walking fewer batters, something that evaded him when he first got called up earlier this season.
That’s because this isn’t the work of Cade Povich. No, this is Slim, his alter ego. He steps into the new personality on the day he starts and is more assertive on the mound.
Slim can handle the major league pressure. Slim doesn’t get nervous or overwhelmed. Slim can be the guy the Orioles need to help carry them down the stretch.
“Cade, I feel like I’m just kind of laid-back,” Povich said. “So not really outgoing, talk to some guys but I’m not too vocal. Slim is more aggressive, more not afraid to say things. More of like a game mode.”
This all started thanks to his teammates. He was called up in early June for his MLB debut, and the other starters quickly got to work on giving him a nickname. It was Grayson Rodriguez who came up with Slim, because, well, the reasons are obvious.
“I mean, it wasn’t very hard, you can see him,” Rodriguez said of Povich, who is 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds.
At first, it was just a nickname. But, after Povich pitched to a 6.27 ERA and was optioned after seven starts, it became more.
Back in Triple-A in Norfolk, Povich reached out to Brian Cain, a mental skills coach used by Orioles ace Corbin Burnes. After getting a taste of the majors, Povich realized all the things he could improve. He had coaches for the baseball side, but for the mental, he decided to seek outside help.
“Especially coming up here, the mental side kind of deserves more focus, I would say,” Povich said. “It was finding a way to be able to get that here where it’s every fifth or sixth start, and not get overly stressed out or wasting energy.”
Povich had listened to Cain on podcasts, and though the two had a few conversations , this was this first time they had regular sessions. During one of these, Cain told him how another client, Royals star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., sees himself as a different person on and off the field, allowing him to portray different traits when he’s playing. Cain thought a similar mindset switch could work for Povich, too.
It’s not just his pitching. Slim speaks up in meetings now and isn’t afraid to shake off the call and tell his catcher he doesn’t like how he’s framing pitches.
“I think I’ve grown to be a lot better at that now,” he said.
Povich made his first appearance with this new mindset on Aug. 17, pitching a career-high 6 1/3 innings while allowing just two runs and no walks. He was optioned, but recalled again a few days later as an injury replacement for Zach Eflin. Povich’s next start wasn’t as strong — he gave up five runs in five innings.
His next outing will come Thursday at Dodger Stadium against a team that has one of the toughest lineups in baseball. The Orioles believe Povich — er, Slim — is up for the challenge.
“He’s got really good stuff,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “I like Cade a lot. I think Cade’s got a chance to be a really good starter in this league. I think he’s pitching with confidence.”
