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ORLANDO — The Miami Marlins beat writers were joking with left-handed pitcher Wade LeBlanc about his spring training prowess after a near flawless two innings of work on Monday at ESPN's Wide World of Sports.
LeBlanc made his spring debut, setting down all six Atlanta Braves he faced, earning praise for yet another stellar spring performance. He had become so well known for his spring success that former Marlins' manager Ozzie Guillen even referred to him as the "Cy Young of Spring Training," last year.
"Yeah, and where'd that get me?" LeBlanc laughed. "It got me three months in New Orleans, that's what it got me. We'll see how it works this year."
LeBlanc had somewhat solidified himself last season as the Marlins' utility man of the pitching staff. He was a part-time starter as the fifth man in the rotation, as well as the designated long reliever of choice among left-handers.
He started nine games last season and saw action out of the bullpen 16 times. He finished with a 3.87 ERA, 43 strikeouts and a record of 2-5 overall.
"Just getting out there and getting those early jitters out … it's starting to feel like baseball again," said LeBlanc, who seems to be the favorite to win the spot of fifth starter.
He enters spring knowing he has to, once again, earn his stripes and he has do so this time under a new manager with Mike Redmond in charge. Fighting for a position, however, is something that doesn't bother the 28-year-old LeBlanc.
"That's how it should be. That's how I want it," LeBlanc said. "I feel like the minute somebody gives something to me, I'm not going to appreciate it when I get it. So, if I were to perform this spring and end up in that spot, I would appreciate it because I know that I earned it. … I don't want anything given to me."
He got started in a good way Monday, throwing 21 pitches, 15 of them strikes, against the meat of the Atlanta Braves lineup, coaxing them into two ground-ball outs, two fly outs and two strikeouts.
"That's how I want it. I want to face those guys," LeBlanc said of going against some of the Braves top hitters like B.J. Upton, Jayson Heyward and Freddie Freeman. "That's one of the fun things about the game of baseball."
LeBlanc said the prospect of bouncing around between occasional starts and relief appearances isn't necessarily a problem for him and he said he has the right mentality to make quick transitions.
"If anybody tells you they like bouncing around, they're lying to you," LeBlanc said of going from bullpen to starter. "I am the kind of guy who doesn't need a full day to get into game mode, though, and that allows me to bounce back and forth from the rotation to the bullpen fairly easily.
And if it's bouncing around that gets him back to Miami, that's fine. He's started all but two of his seven professional seasons in the minor leagues.
"I prefer one of the 25 spots. It doesn't matter to me," LeBlanc said. "Trying to avoid New Orleans."
LeBlanc made his spring debut, setting down all six Atlanta Braves he faced, earning praise for yet another stellar spring performance. He had become so well known for his spring success that former Marlins' manager Ozzie Guillen even referred to him as the "Cy Young of Spring Training," last year.
"Yeah, and where'd that get me?" LeBlanc laughed. "It got me three months in New Orleans, that's what it got me. We'll see how it works this year."
LeBlanc had somewhat solidified himself last season as the Marlins' utility man of the pitching staff. He was a part-time starter as the fifth man in the rotation, as well as the designated long reliever of choice among left-handers.
He started nine games last season and saw action out of the bullpen 16 times. He finished with a 3.87 ERA, 43 strikeouts and a record of 2-5 overall.
"Just getting out there and getting those early jitters out … it's starting to feel like baseball again," said LeBlanc, who seems to be the favorite to win the spot of fifth starter.
He enters spring knowing he has to, once again, earn his stripes and he has do so this time under a new manager with Mike Redmond in charge. Fighting for a position, however, is something that doesn't bother the 28-year-old LeBlanc.
"That's how it should be. That's how I want it," LeBlanc said. "I feel like the minute somebody gives something to me, I'm not going to appreciate it when I get it. So, if I were to perform this spring and end up in that spot, I would appreciate it because I know that I earned it. … I don't want anything given to me."
He got started in a good way Monday, throwing 21 pitches, 15 of them strikes, against the meat of the Atlanta Braves lineup, coaxing them into two ground-ball outs, two fly outs and two strikeouts.
"That's how I want it. I want to face those guys," LeBlanc said of going against some of the Braves top hitters like B.J. Upton, Jayson Heyward and Freddie Freeman. "That's one of the fun things about the game of baseball."
LeBlanc said the prospect of bouncing around between occasional starts and relief appearances isn't necessarily a problem for him and he said he has the right mentality to make quick transitions.
"If anybody tells you they like bouncing around, they're lying to you," LeBlanc said of going from bullpen to starter. "I am the kind of guy who doesn't need a full day to get into game mode, though, and that allows me to bounce back and forth from the rotation to the bullpen fairly easily.
And if it's bouncing around that gets him back to Miami, that's fine. He's started all but two of his seven professional seasons in the minor leagues.
"I prefer one of the 25 spots. It doesn't matter to me," LeBlanc said. "Trying to avoid New Orleans."
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