Having pitched for the Atlanta Braves in 2021, Orioles reliever Jacob Webb knows what a World Series winner looks like.
And even though he has only been with Baltimore since early August, he sees some similarities between this Orioles team and that Braves squad.
“I would say the biggest thing for any winning team, really, is the camaraderie and the chemistry in a clubhouse. That can be a huge game-changer,” Webb said on Glenn Clark Radio Aug. 25. “I feel like being on any team that wins, everyone’s on the same page, everyone’s rowing the same boat, that type of deal. That’s kind of the vibe I got as soon as I got here. Everyone’s playing very loosely, playing hard baseball and it’s fun to even watch, just sitting in the bullpen.”
That togetherness will be needed more than ever after All-Star closer Félix Bautista went down with a UCL injury. Bautista has posted a 1.48 ERA and 33 saves, piling up 110 strikeouts in 61 innings. The 6-foot-8, 285-pound right-hander’s Win Probably Added mark is the best among pitchers in 2023, according to Baseball Reference.
As such, the rest of the bullpen will have to step up. That includes Webb, who was claimed off waivers by the Orioles on Aug. 7. Manager Brandon Hyde threw him into the fire almost immediately, and Webb has responded in a big way. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound right-hander has allowed just two runs on four hits in 10.2 innings with the Orioles, striking out 14 along the way.
“Everyone in the clubhouse has made me feel very comfortable, all the coaches, the staff,” Webb said. “This team’s really great, man. It’s also about the opportunity, too. It’s pretty exciting when a first-place team claims you off waivers. That doesn’t happen very often. Very blessed to be able to do what I do every day, just love going out there and competing. I’m excited to help the team whatever way they see fit. I’m just here to help.”
Webb, 30, was drafted by the Braves in the 18th round of the 2014 MLB Draft and made his major league debut in 2019. He made 34 regular-season appearances for the Braves in 2021 before pitching in two playoff games, both in the NLCS, during the team’s World Series run.
Webb was claimed off of waivers by the Arizona Diamondbacks in April 2022 before being reacquired by the Braves in June of the same year. The Los Angeles Angels signed him to a minor league deal in November, and he ended up posting a 3.98 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 31.2 innings before being designated for assignment and claimed by Baltimore.
Once Webb reported to the Orioles, the coaching staff suggested using his changeup more. That makes sense, considering it’s his best pitch:
“They’ve wanted me to throw it more,” Webb said. “Personally, I’ve always wanted to throw it more. It’s always been one of my better pitches. For a little bit, I just sort of lost feel for it. That kind of happens over the course of a season, you lose feel for some stuff sometimes. You’ve just got to keep throwing it, keep working on it. It’ll come back to what it does.”
Particularly with Bautista down, Webb will continue seeing high-leverage work. He’ll be ready to roll whenever that bullpen phone rings … so much so that fans at Camden Yards should take a peek into the bullpen whenever Webb starts warming up.
“I go complete psycho. It’s usually a buildup for me when I’m in the bullpen, but I’m usually pissing myself off pretty much the whole entire time I’m warming up,” Webb said. “… I’ve just been doing it for some time now, so I kind of developed a way I do it, but I don’t know. It’s just kind of like a trigger. Once I hear that phone call and I hear my name, it’s like a switch just flips in my head. It’s time to go.”
For more from Webb, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Baltimore Orioles