Add new comment

Pineda has one advantage that Felix didn't when it comes to adapting to the league.  Felix.
It's one thing to have managers, coaches, and other pitchers 10 years your senior who never had stuff even close to yours telling you what to do.  But to share the bench with a guy who is already  one of the best pitchers in the game, who is only a couple of years older, who has stuff equal to and even nastier than yours, who recently went through and overcame the same transition while also under huge expectations, and as a bonus speaks the same language as you do?  That's an awesome influence.
Especially if Felix is taking on more of a leadership role as he seems to be.  Pineda has a couple of bad outings against lefties?  Felix just has to slide over to his side of the bench and say, "Yeah, they did that to me too.  Here's what I did do to put them back in their place . . ."
Peers can make a huge difference.  If you were a young hot shot used to success, who would you be more likely to take advice from seriously?  Mike Hargrove?  Or Felix Hernandez?
Won't surprise me one bit if Pineda lives up to his talent much faster than Felix did his.  In part, because he's got a much more influential example immediately available to him.