“I just went up a little on the ball,” Ryan said “I can put pressure out here [with my middle finger] and just let [my index finger] stay there.”

When Ryan started throwing his new slider, David honed in on three points that convinced him this pitch would be successful. First, the pitch came out of the same slot as Ryan’s fastball and changeup. The slider successfully eliminated the curveball wrap that rendered his pervious breaking ball ineffective. Second, the pitch lacked a red “dot” created by the spin of the baseball’s seams—a visible queue from a hitter’s perspective that the pitch is a slider. The lack of this dot meant a hitter would struggle to notice a difference in spin out of Ryan’s hand. Third, he could mimic his old curveball action through his slider as a slower, get-me-over pitch if needed.

“It’s really consistent and a much easier grip to be able to add and subtract speed,” David said.

Ryan’s old curveball sat in the high 70s, but his new slider ranges from 79 to 86 mph and sits 82-83 mph. While the velocity range of all his pitches is now smaller, how each pitch tunnels from the same release point trumps other particulars.

After facing live hitters in Tennessee and receiving positive feedback, Ryan ventured to Arizona for spring training. The Padres player development staff encouraged his newfound slider, according to Ryan. He threw the pitch throughout spring training and received an added boost of confidence when he faced higher-level hitters live.

“My first start of the year was against Double-A and Triple-A guys, an inter-squad,” Ryan said. “And my slider was working on them and I’m like, these guys are really good hitters and I’m getting strikes with it and bad swings.”

Ryan proceeded through natural growing pains with the offering after immediate success, but during his last two spring starts before heading northeast for the Tin Caps home opener April 4, he found his groove. His roommate and daily throwing partner, Tin Caps right-hander Gabe Mosser, endorsed the pitch after hearing about Ryan’s offseason development.

“It’s good action, it’s late, it’s tight spin,” Mosser said. “It will take a couple starts for sure, to be able to put it where he wants to, really feel the release point.”

After every bullpen and start with the Tin Caps, Ryan talks with his father on the phone, discussing everything from arm health to specific pitch choices from an outing. David checks in regularly on the progress with Ryan’s slider as well. His questions focus on Ryan’s feel for the pitch out of his hand and where he is aiming in relation to where he wants the pitch to finish.

If Ryan is trying to bury a right-handed hitter with the offering, he will aim at the top right shoulder of his catcher and let his slider ride to the hitter’s back foot.