"Colin Rea takes the mound for the second time this spring as he prepares himself for a swing role that could turn into something bigger if the Cubs experience another spate of injuries. Last year was his best in MLB by a fairly wide margin, which is really saying something for a dude who turned 34 near the halfway point of the season."
"Rea has made 32 appearances with 27 starts in each of the last two seasons, and his stats were very similar across both of them. The biggest difference came in his ability to limit home runs, which was not at all a function of pitching at Wrigley Field. Of the 20 longballs he surrendered, 14 came at home."
"He did make a big change by swapping out most of his sinkers for four-seamers and making small improvements to both. The heater gained nearly a full tick of velocity and had slightly more ride than in 2024, and the sinker was likewise thrown a little harder."
Colin Rea prepares for spring training as he enters his second appearance of the season, positioned in a swing role that could expand into a larger role if the Cubs face injuries. At 34 years old, Rea delivered his best MLB season last year, a significant achievement given his career trajectory. Over the last two seasons, he has made 32 appearances with 27 starts each year, maintaining similar statistics. His primary improvement came in limiting home runs, though 14 of his 20 surrendered longballs occurred at home. Rea made notable adjustments by replacing most sinkers with four-seamers, gaining velocity on his fastball while improving its movement and making his sinker harder to hit.
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