Anthony Solometo tried throwing like everyone else when he was younger.
The left-hander was taught to pick up a ball like everyone, with the intent to throw it overhand. He had an issue with dropping his arm down, which was a problem that expanded to throwing a football. The prized pupil of his father, who also played baseball and football, Solometo had issues controlling his throws that his father couldn’t help with.
“When I dropped my arm down, the ball would sail when I was pitching,” said Solometo. “And then football, the same thing, ball would be not as good of a spiral. And my dad would keep telling me like, keep your arm up, keep your arm up.”
The two would do drills in the house, attempting to keep Anthony’s arm elevated. He eventually chose baseball as his passion, and his father deferred his experience to coaches who knew more about the sport. The lefty was drafted by the Pirates in the second round out of high school in 2021, with his deceptive delivery being a big selling point. His low-flailing arms were not always seen as a positive.
LHP Anthony Solometo picks up two strikeouts in the third inning for Altoona. #Pirates pic.twitter.com/CnIR0DLtLd
— Tim Williams (@TimWilliamsP2) August 25, 2023
“I had pitching coaches who tried to change it,” said Solometo. “Especially when I come all the way behind my back. They would put me up against the wall and try and make me keep it straight.”
Solometo held the mindset that he would eventually fix what was seen as an issue with his delivery when he was older. That changed during his freshman year of high school, when he got in touch with former Cardinals pitcher Ryan Kulik, who was the pitching coach for local Rowan University. The advice from Kulik went against all of the coaches trying to change Solometo.
“Why do you keep trying to put your arm back up?” Kulik asked Solometo. He noted that Solometo was more comfortable with his arm down low, and more comfortable with the release point that stemmed from his delivery.
“Let’s just master that, instead of trying to make you something you’re not,” Kulik advised.
“Those words paid off for the rest of my career,” Solometo recalled.
In his first year with the natural, funky delivery, Solometo threw terribly. His father was stressed, but Kulik insisted on another year with the approach. That’s when things took off, with Solometo riding the rollercoaster to eventually getting drafted. He still works with Kulik to this day.
“He’s a really good guy,” said Solometo. “He’s like basically my second or third dad, really. I got a family of people and all them are like my second parents.”
As a pro, Solometo has worked with Pirates coaches, as well as going to Tread Athletics. The focus at each stop is to maintain his unique delivery.
“The coolest part about it is all these people coming in and seeing me and not thinking about, ‘Oh, let’s change him into everybody else’ but, what do we have that nobody else thought to make you better,” said Solometo. “Just trying to make myself stand out and be as unique as possible and do everything that I can, the Anthony Solometo way, and have success that way.”
The Anthony Solometo Way, In Development
Solometo had enough success in 2023 to finish his season in Double-A, posting a 4.35 ERA in 51.2 innings across 12 starts. Prior to his promotion to Altoona, Solometo worked in Greensboro to settle into his rhythm early in games, and develop a game plan to consistently attack on the mound for the rest of the season. This ended with a 22 inning scoreless streak in High-A, and his promotion to Double-A.
“It didn’t feel as if I had made this crazy change,” said Solometo of his Greensboro adjustments. “It just felt like I had finally put together the missing piece of the puzzle. And everything just kind of felt like I was out there playing the game I’ve always had. Everything just felt really easy.”
Solometo was busy with a lot of adjustments throughout the 2023 season. Some of those were physical changes, aimed at him being more directional to the plate.
“I can tend to leap off the mound,” said Solometo. “Sometimes I tend to hop, hop, hop. Sometimes I get away from it. I really focus on certain drills to make sure I stay planted and use the ground for force and just stay directional.”
He really started to settle in after getting more comfortable with the pro routine, and adjusting his pregame approach to attack the mental side of the game.
“For five out of six days of a series I’m talkative, I’m trying to be out there, make jokes, laugh, be loose,” said Solometo. “And the morning of my game I’m still the same way but once it gets to that like two hours before mark, that’s what I’m kind of just silent. I’m in my mode.”
At that point, Solometo focuses on visualizing his start, picturing himself striking people out and imagining “absurd stat lines” that he thinks he will achieve.
“You hear that stuff, ‘visualize success’ and the first time you hear it, it’s like aw, it’s corny. For me, it really pays dividends,” said Solometo. “Just get myself overconfident, and then take it in there just knowing that everything I’m gonna throw, whether it’s a ball or strike, is what I wanted to do, and I’m going to execute my plan.”
Solometo throws a four seam, sinker, slider, and changeup. The slider developed from an upper 70s slurve to a mid-to-upper 80s slider, giving him a more usable pitch. His four-seam was his bread and butter at the start of the 2023 season, but struggled as the year went on. He eventually found success with a sinker/changeup combo when his four-seam/slider combo wasn’t working.
“The best part about that is kind of splitting myself into two different pitchers, and just trying to figure out what pitch is going to be there that day,” said Solometo of the second set of pitches.
Altoona to Pittsburgh in 2024?
When all four of his pitches are working, Solometo feels like the most complete version of himself.
“I think those are the days where I find, by far, my most success,” the lefty added.
In his debut with Altoona, Solometo experienced some anxiety, seeing a rehabbing Harrison Bader added last minute to the opposing lineup. He still limited the Yankees Double-A affiliate to two earned runs in five innings, with seven strikeouts. That single start was confidence building, allowing him to realize what happens in the upper levels when he relies on his stuff.
“After that, I was like, ‘I belong here, and I belong anywhere else above this.’”
Entering the 2024 season, Solometo will look to take that confidence to the mound in the upper levels, with a chance to pitch his way to the majors by the end of 2024. His funky delivery from the left side will play well at PNC Park, and his four pitch mix will help keep him a starter at the big league level.
THIS WEEK ON PIRATES PROSPECTS
**The History of Anthony Solometo’s Funky Delivery – READING
Read about how Anthony Solometo developed one of the funkiest deliveries in the game and reached the upper levels as one of the top prospects in the Pirates’ system.
**Braxton Ashcraft Returned From Tommy John With MLB Stuff
Braxton Ashcraft is looking like he could help the Pirates in 2024, with the help of three plus offerings.
**Thomas Harrington Emerged as a Top Ten Prospect in His Pro Debut
He’s down with a shoulder issue right now, but Thomas Harrington showed he was a top ten prospect in the system with his 2023 debut.
**J.P. Massey Shows His Future Potential During Eventful 2023 Season
After a trip to the MLB Future’s Game, and a full season in A-ball, J.P. Massey is showing off potential that could lead to a future in Pittsburgh.
**Jackson Wolf’s Elevator Delivery Explained
Solometo isn’t the only lefty with a funky delivery. Read about Jackson Wolf, who the Pirates acquired from the Padres last year at the deadline.
**Aaron Shortridge Progressing Steady As a Turtle
Entering his third year removed from Tommy John surgery, Aaron Shortridge is starting to feel like his former self.
