Pirates A to Z: Lefty Sam Howard revived his career by thriving in relief 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 Trevor Williams.

Sam Howard

Position: Pitcher

Throws: Left

Age: 27

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 200 pounds

2020 MLB statistics: 2-0, 3.86 ERA/1.238 WHIP, with 27 strikeouts and nine walks in 21 innings over 22 games.

Contract: Not yet eligible for arbitration.

Acquired: Claimed off waivers from Colorado in October 2019.

This past season: After being waived in Colorado, where he was a third-round draft pick in 2014, Howard was hoping to make a positive first impression on the Pirates.

Spring training was a setback.

Howard allowed five earned runs on five hits, including a home run, while walking seven and striking out seven in 5 2/3 innings to go 0-2 with a 7.94 ERA and 2.12 WHIP in six Grapefruit League games.

The Pirates optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis in March, then sent him to the alternate training site in Altoona to start the season. While there, Triple-A Indianapolis pitching coach and former Pirates closer Joel Hanrahan helped Howard rediscover some of his swagger.

“I was having some iffy outings, and I watched some video from last year in Triple-A in Albuquerque, because I was in Triple-A my first year relieving there last year, where I felt probably the best of my career at a certain point, and I wanted to go back to those videos and see that,” Howard said. “And I saw the difference, and I immediately told him, ‘Look, man, I want to go back to this. I believe in this. It felt really good.’ So we agreed, and from that day on, we started making sure I went back to that and I was doing exactly what I was doing last year every day.”

Howard got his chance to join the big league bullpen Aug. 2, when Michael Feliz was placed on the injured list. After allowing two homers per nine innings with a 21.6% strikeout rate and an 11.7% walk rate with the Rockies, Howard showed his curveball and slider could get swing-and-miss action by striking out five in his first three appearances.

Howard noticed the difference right away, especially after earning the victory in a 6-5 win over the Twins on Aug. 6.

“Yeah, there’s definitely a change. I feel it myself,” Howard said. “The biggest change was in spring training. I was trying to do too much too early on in games, and I guess you can say not really trusting my stuff and trying to be too physical, trying to do too much on the mound and getting myself behind in the counts.

“It was just one of those things where I felt it. I just keep reminding myself that I believe that God has me here for a reason, and I believe in myself, so when I go out to the mound, there’s no reason for me to think I have to do more. It’s just believe my stuff is good enough and go right at the hitters.”

After giving up the towering three-run homer to Carlos Santana in the 10th inning of a 6-3 loss to Cleveland on Aug. 18, Howard followed with a 10-game stretch from Aug. 20 through Sept. 12 where he allowed four hits, five walks and no earned runs in 8 2/3 innings as opposing batters hit .138 against him.

The future: Howard established himself as a lefty reliever in the bullpen, even though he still has the propensity to give up too many homers. He allowed four in 21 innings.

That didn’t stop Howard from cracking a joke about the Twins’ Byron Buxton driving a ball to deep left in the ninth inning on Aug. 6.

“I definitely thought that was gone off the bat,” Howard said. “Denver, that would have been in the second deck.”

Walk off! Rookie Tyler Stephenson hits a 2-run HR off of Sam Howard in the B7 to win it for Cincy in 1st game of DH #Reds 3 #Pirates 1 F pic.twitter.com/ChSWpY2hlo

— ??????? ②④Ⓧ⑦ (@B_R_R_D) September 14, 2020

Howard, however, gave up game-winner to Cincinnati Reds rookie Tyler Stephenson in walk-off fashion in the seventh inning of a Sept. 14 doubleheader.

But Howard got the last laugh, reviving a career that was left for dead.

“From the minute I came to the Pirates in October, I was excited because I saw a team with opportunities for a guy like me, in a position where I’ve been to the big leagues but not established in the big leagues,” Howard said. “I think that’s why I was trying to do a little too much in spring training. I was wanting to be a part of this group and pitch in Pittsburgh, and I kind of took it the wrong way and had to figure my stuff out. But I’m just trying to do my part, help win and be the best pitcher I can be every time I get called out there.”

Check out the entire Pirates A to Z series here.