'Caps' Weathers opens with career highs

The 2019 season opener couldn't have gone much better for Ryan Weathers.
MLB.com's No. 91 overall prospect struck out nine over five innings -- both career highs -- in Class A Fort Wayne's 3-0 victory over Lansing on Thursday. Weathers scattered six hits and didn't issue any walks in his first outing of the year.

"It feels great. It is definitely positive going out and first pitch [is] strike one," he said. "Even in the cold weather, [my] arm felt really good, all the pitches felt good. I can't really take any negatives from this outing."
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San Diego's No. 10 prospect continually pounded the strike zone, throwing 55 of his 75 pitches for strikes. Getting ahead of the batter, Weathers said, was key and helped out when it came to his other pitches.
"That 0-1 [count] is a big difference," he said. "I definitely hit spots on the inside and outside and that just opens up the zone more for me with my off-speed stuff."
Although Weathers' fastball only averages 90 to 93 mph, the 19-year-old left-hander mixes in a curveball and changeup to keep hitters off-tbalance.
The son of former big league pitcher David Weathers was a 2018 first-round Draft pick out of Loretto High School in Tennessee. He made three appearances for the TinCaps last season, allowing three earned runs with nine strikeouts over nine innings after moving up from the Rookie-level Arizona League.
The season is just getting started for Weathers, and his health is a major focus for him going into the season.

"Keeping my overall body healthy, getting on a good [workout] program and keeping my arm in shape," he said. "Just trying to control what I can control and do the best I can do where I'm at."
San Diego's No. 14 prospect Xavier Edwards, No. 30 Blake Hunt and designated hitter Agustin Ruiz provided the offense, each driving in a run.
Weathers didn't factor into the decision. Right-hander Jose Quezada picked up the win after giving up a walk and striking out two in his lone frame. Righty Carlos Belen notched the save with one walk and one strikeout in the ninth.