Pirates A to Z: After up-down start, Nick Mears makes his move into high-leverage role

During the offseason, the Tribune-Review will offer Pirates A to Z: An alphabetical player-by-player look at the 40-man roster, from outfielder Anthony Alford to pitcher Miguel Yajure.

Player: Nick Mears

Position: Pitcher

Throws: Right

Bats: Right

Age: 25

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 200 pounds

2021 MLB statistics: Mears was 1-0 with a 5.01 ERA and 1.63 WHIP with four blown saves in 23 1/3 innings over 30 games.

Contract: Not eligible for arbitration until 2025.

Acquired: Signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2018.

This past season: Mears started the season with Triple-A Indianapolis and was recalled to the majors three times — May 26, July 4 and July 16 — without making an appearance for the Pirates before being optioned.

In 18 2/3 innings over 17 appearances in Indy, Mears was 2-2 with a 5.30 ERA and 1.34 WHIP and one save. Opponents batted .229 against Mears, who had 25 strikeouts against nine walks.

Finally, on July 20, he got his chance.

Mears proved he could pitch in a late-inning role when he struck out two of the three batters he faced in the eighth inning of an 11-6 loss at Arizona. In four games through July 29, Mears allowed three hits, including a homer, and struck out four while holding hitters to a .168 average.

By the end of the month, the Pirates traded relievers Austin Davis, Clay Holmes and Richard Rodriguez. That’s when Pirates manager Derek Shelton huddled with pitching coach Oscar Marin and bullpen coach Justin Meccage to decide which pitchers to use in the late innings.

“We just sat down and said, ‘Who is going to cover these high-leverage situations and these moments?’” Marin said. “You kind of see what you have, and you’re throwing guys out there in those situations to see if they can handle it or not. And a lot of those guys embrace those types of situations. Mears was one of them.”

Mears got roughed up in a 6-2 loss at Milwaukee on Aug. 2, giving up three runs on two hits and one walk, but opened eyes three days later at Cincinnati. He struck out the side — getting Tyler Naquin and Eugenio Suarez swinging and Aristides Aquino looking — on 15 pitches in the eighth inning of a 7-4 loss to the Reds.

Where Mears really proved himself was in getting out of jams, like getting Paul Goldschmidt to ground out on a 3-1 count with the bases loaded on Aug. 11.

Mears had his meltdowns, too, with four blown saves, but he was able to effectively mix a four-seam fastball that sat at 95.6 mph and touched 98, with a curveball he threw on nearly 36% of his pitches. Where Mears said “adrenaline was a factor” he attributed his work with Marin and Meccage to create an easier delivery to replicate, which allowed Mears to stay aggressive against hitters.

“Instead of having a wider base when I come set and a more bent drive leg, I’m standing up a little bit more so that I can kind of sit down into my back leg and fully drive instead of me just bringing my knee up and just going,” Mears said. “It’s so that I can gain momentum and drive more into my front leg instead of spinning off of it.”

Where David Bednar and Chris Stratton split the closer role, Mears moved into a setup spot by pitching six times in the seventh inning and three times in the eighth in September.

“Mears wasn’t a part of that late, leverage role until the end,” Marin said, “when he got put in different situations (like) bases loaded, two outs, one out, and him getting himself out of those really showed us what he can do.”

One week ago, Nick Mears was left in to work out of his own jam vs. the Reds. Four runs scored.

Today, Nick Mears got another chance vs. the Reds in a bases-loaded jam. No runs scored.

"This is what you work for. You work for those leverage situations as a relief pitcher." pic.twitter.com/j2oQCxeGBE

— Jake Crouse (@JakeCrouseMLB) September 22, 2021

Mears’ biggest moments came in the final two weeks of the season. He got himself into trouble with a one-run lead against the Reds on Sept. 21, issuing two walks and giving up a bloop single to load the bases before inducing pop-ups by Nick Castellanos and Joey Votto and striking out Kyle Farmer. Five days later, he threw 12 of 17 pitches for strikes while whiffing three in the eighth inning of a 6-0 win over Philadelphia.

Shelton credited Mears for showing “severe moxie” against the Reds.

“He really executed pitches,” Shelton said of Mears. “I don’t know if he threw a fastball at that point under 97. Just continued to attack guys and we’ve talked about guys that have pitched themselves into different situations by the opportunity, and Nick Mears I think is a perfect example of that. He’s pitched himself into high-leverage innings near the end of the year, and it was really good to see. It was really cool to see, actually.”

The future: Mears’ ascent to the majors is an incredible story. After being scouted in the Northwoods League and signing for $15,000, Mears spent the 2019 season pitching in Low-A and made his MLB debut in August 2020.

Now, thanks to his fastball and a bullpen blown up by injuries and trade, Mears has an opportunity to pitch in a high-leverage role moving forward. The Pirates have seven years of control over Mears, so he could become a fixture in the future if he continues to impress.

“This is what you work for,” Mears said. “From a kid in Little League, this is what you work for. You work for those leverage situations as a relief pitcher. So for them to have the confidence in me to get out of that situation, it means a lot to me.”