Spring training | Mark Melancon's cutter discovered in New York, developed in Houston, perfected in Pittsburgh

BRADENTON -- Mark Melancon didn't log many innings on the mound for the New York Yankees in the early part of his career.

But what the Pittsburgh Pirates closer discovered during his time with the Bronx Bombers was a devastating addition to his arsenal of pitches. Melancon witnessed the greatest closer in baseball history, Mariano Rivera, using a cutter to rack up a Hall of Fame-worthy career.

Then when Melancon was traded to the Houston Astros in 2010 and became their closer the following season, the right-hander developed the cut fastball into a reliable weapon.

That cutter, combined with past closer experience, led to Melancon becoming the go-to option in the ninth inning last season after the Bucs dealt Jason Grilli to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in June.

"When I got to Houston is when I really started using it in games, situations (and) understanding how to throw it," said Melancon, who threw a scoreless inning of relief in Wednesday night's 8-7 victory against the Detroit Tigers.

Melancon anchored a dominant bullpen in getting the Pirates into the postseason for a second consecutive season. He posted a 1.91 earned-run average and converted 23 of 24 save opportunities af

ter being named the closer on June 20 following Grilli's fourth blown save.

"I wasn't trying to do too much, which I think going into that role sometimes happens," Melancon said. "I think even year before last, I had some good opportunities. So it's been an ongoing transition for a while."

That transition, though, is aided by a strong bullpen that includes set-up man Tony Watson, who registered 17 holds from the time Melancon was named the closer until the end of the regular season.

Watson said Melancon is one of the most prepared pitchers he has ever been around and is always looking at video and scouting reports.

Of course, that cutter doesn't hurt his chances of getting opposing hitters out.

"It's nasty. He knows exactly what he wants to do with it," Watson said. "He front-doors it. He back-doors it. He gets ground balls with it. He gets swings and misses with it."

Pittsburgh third baseman Josh Harrison agreed that the pitch is nasty.

"It's a reason Mariano Rivera made a living off of it," Harrison said. "I can't speak for Melancon or any other guy that throws a cutter, but it's a reason it's an effective pitch. Especially a guy who has command of it that can throw it in and out, and work it up and down. It's a tough pitch, especially to both lefties and righties."

Melancon also has worked on improving his change-up this past offseason and tweaked some minor mechanical things.

"Just making sure my weight's back, separation of the hands," said Melancon, who also throws a four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball and curveball. "It just gives me better angles. It keeps my body in line."

Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage said what has made Melancon successful at the back end of the bullpen is he attacks hitters.

"He definitely does his homework," Searage said. "He has a good idea of what the hitters are going to try to do against him. ... He watches hitters' swings. He's very prepared."

However, Melancon has gradually become that way, being careful not to make the mistake of overthinking his approach in the way he said he did at the outset of his career.

"Too many pitches can cause you outthink yourself," he said. "... My thing has been simplifying things and doing what works for me."

So far, it's added up to a stopper in the ninth inning for the Pirates.

And with improvements to an already deadly arsenal, Melancon is poised to become a fixture in the Pirates' bullpen for the foreseeable future.

This story was originally published March 19, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Spring training | Mark Melancon's cutter discovered in New York, developed in Houston, perfected in Pittsburgh ."