Bednar Basking In The Bullpen
AMARILLO, Texas — David Bednar was placed on the 7-day injured list in early May.
“It was precautionary ... just a little tightness in the arm,” the Mars graduate and Amarillo Sod Poodles' right-handed pitcher said. “They wanted to make sure it didn't develop into something worse.”
It's all worked out for the better for Bednar — at least, so far.
The 24-year-old reliever has converted five saves in six opportunities for Amarillo, the Class AA affiliate of the San Diego Padres. He has an 0-5 record and 4.05 earned run average, but also has 46 strikeouts and 15 walks in 33.1 innings pitched.
Bednar also participated in the Texas League All-Star Game recently, joining Butler graduate and Corpus Christi relief ace Colin McKee there.
“It's cool when two guys from Western Pennsylvania cross paths with each other at an event like that,” Bednar said. “Colin's doing great and I'm excited for him.”
Bednar's not doing so badly himself.
His fastball has been clocked as fast as 97 miles per hour this year. His average fastball is 95 or 96.
Not bad for a guy drafted in the 35th round by San Diego out of Lafayette College in 2016. Bednar has 267 strikeouts in 195 innings pitched in his minor league career.
He's walked 68 as a professional.
“I can't say that walks go hand-in-hand with strikeouts, but I am the type of pitcher who tries to get a lot of swings-and-misses,” Bednar said. “At times, those pitches will be out of the zone.
“Right now, I'm just trying to be more consistent in that sense.”
A dominant pitcher at Mars High School and Lafayette, Bednar has since developed a splitter at the professional level.
“I'm throwing my fastball harder, a stronger release and more velocity,” he said. “As you get older, everything becomes more and more refined.
“I'm still learning as I go and I'm gaining more and more confidence.”
A starting pitcher throughout his amateur career, Bednar has always been a bullpen guy as a pro.
Despite his five saves, he is not Amarillo's designated closer.
“It's not that way at this level,” Bednar said. “I get my opportunities to close games, sure, but so do other guys. No one has any specific roles. We're all used differently in the bullpen.
“Starting games all my life, it was a little difficult transitioning to the bullpen. I've come to enjoy it, though. Being able to pitch every day, keeping the team in games, is pretty exciting.”
Putting up solid numbers at the AA level could push Bednar closer to every minor leaguer's goal of reaching the big leagues.
He's not looking at it that way, however.
“I just go day to day,” he said. “I don't put a timetable on anything like that. Hopefully, I'll make it to Triple-A. Hopefully, I'll make it all the way up. When and if that happens isn't in my control.
“Playing in the Texas League ... The weather is hot and the competition is better. It's also great exposure, pitching in this league.
“Anything can happen to my career at this point. All I can do is keep working on getting better,” Bednar added.
