Ledezma could land roster spot

VIERA, Fla. -- When he arrived at Nationals camp back in February, left-hander Wil Ledezma wasn't on anybody's radar as far as making the 25-man roster. After all, the free agent had been in pro ball for six years, had been in and out of the big leagues since 2003 and had a 5.10 ERA in 155 games with four teams.

But less than two weeks before the regular season starts, Ledezma, 28, has opened a lot of eyes in Spring Training. In seven games, he has a 2.16 ERA with 10 strikeouts. Ledezma now has a legitimate shot at being on the Opening Day roster. In fact, manager Manny Acta went so far as to say that he would not be afraid to have three lefties in the bullpen, which would include Ledezma, Joe Beimel and Michael Hinckley.

"He has bounced around. He is left-handed with a good arm," Acta said. "We got to see that on a more consistent basis. He is one of the few power arms in camp. If we have to leave here with three left-handers, we will not be afraid of it either. If we have a left-hander that is going to be effective against righties because of his arm, we are going to take him, too."

So why has Ledezma been so successful this spring? He has added a second pitch, and he has pitching coach and former Syracuse Chiefs pitcher, Randy St. Claire to thank for it. Ledezma also has better concentration on the mound than he did in the past.

Known for turning careers around, St. Claire taught Ledezma how to grip his curveball differently. Ledezma says the pitch now looks like a slurve.

The new pitch came after Ledezma was hit hard by Team Italy on March 3. Since then, Ledezma has allowed two earned runs in 7 1/3 innings.

"He is throwing the ball really, really good. His fastball has been explosive," St. Claire said. "He has been a nice surprise in camp. He continues to make progress."

Said Ledezma about his turnaround: "I feel more comfortable with the grip. I have more confidence in that breaking pitch. I feel great. I have better control. I'm throwing more strikes because I also have better mechanics.

"I talk to myself and say, 'Take one pitch at a time.' Every time I do that, everything goes well. This is a tough sport. The game is mostly mental. Now, I work on my concentration."

The Nationals scouted Ledezma last season when he was with the Diamondbacks. Washington's front office liked the fact that his fastball was clocked at 94 mph. But it also felt that St. Claire could help Ledezma find that second pitch.

"We always liked his arm strength and his stuff. He struggled with consistency and corralling that stuff," assistant general manager Mike Rizzo said. "We feel comfortable signing those types of guys because Randy is such a good tactician with deliveries, grips on balls and adding a third pitch -- those types of little things that makes a difference in pitchers."

Now that he is with the Nationals, Ledezma would like to call Washington home. He acknowledges that he's tired of being a walking vagabond.

"It's a goal for me to make the team, because I want to be in the big leagues and help the team," Ledezma said. "That's all I can do. I'm tired of being on a lot of teams. I want to be with only one."