Brian Fuentes is the funky closer.
He can’t match the pure heat of the Mets’ Billy Wagner. He doesn’t have the effortless, classic delivery of the Yankees’ Mariano Rivera. He doesn’t have the guile of the Padres’ Trevor Hoffman.
What Fuentes possesses is a style all his own, one that produces deceptive power, strikeouts and saves.
Last season, the Rockies’ lanky left-hander converted 31 of 34 saves after taking over as closer in May. His 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings is the highest ratio of any pitcher in franchise history.
“It’s funny, I don’t go out there trying to strike guys out,” Fuentes said. “I just try to locate my pitches. That gives me a lot of foul balls, and that gives me favorable counts and that’s what allows me to get strikeouts.”
When he punches into fifth gear, Fuentes’ fastball can hit 95 mph. But that’s rare. Most of the time he cruises around 90 to 91 mph. In his mind, that doesn’t make him a true power pitcher. His results say otherwise.
“I guess if you are going to call someone who gets a lot of strikeouts a power pitcher, then yeah, I would be,” Fuentes said.
He has been nicknamed “T-Rex” by opponents because of his funky, short-arm, Frisbee-like delivery. Fuentes laughs at the dinosaur description, but as long as his motion works, he’s cool with it.
“My power comes from my lower half because that’s where most of my strength comes from,” the 6-foot-4, 230-pounder said. “That’s just how I’m built. Bigger in the lower half and longer and lankier up top, which gives me a little bit more whip on the ball.”
Fuentes, the Rockies’ lone representative in last year’s All-Star Game, is not a pitcher batters enjoy facing because his delivery can be unsettling.
“You see a few guys around the league who throw down there, but never really with that velocity,” St. Louis outfielder Jim Edmonds said. “That’s pretty special.”
Fuentes said his delivery creates the illusion that he’s throwing heat all the time.
“I think I’m more deceptive than I am a hard thrower,” he said. “But with a little bit of deception and coming from the side like I do, batters feel like the ball gets on them a little quicker.”
Power pitchers
Original Rockies general manager Bob Gebhard envisioned a team that wedded power arms with power bats. Hitters stepped up early and often, but Rockies flamethrowers have been few and far between. Here are four with some controlled heat:
STARTERS
Pedro Astacio: Holds franchise career record with 749 strikeouts (1997-2001) and the franchise season record with 210 (1999).
John Thomson: Before his 1999 shoulder surgery, could fire his fastball at 96 mph. Twice threw double-figure strikeout games.
RELIEVERS
Bruce Ruffin: In the franchise’s early days, Ruffin’s 95-mph fastball and wicked slider were a bright spot for a struggling team. Struck out nine in one game as a reliever.
Brian Fuentes: “T-Rex” averages 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings, the best of any pitcher in franchise history. Converted 31 of 34 saves last season.
