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Zach McAllister is the beta test, and positive results featuring Rangers' new tech could help revitalize pitching staff

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Every new technological toy needs to go through a little beta testing on a small sample before being released to the general public.

In the Rangers' case, meet Zach McAllister, v2.0.

As the club turns its gears toward the future, incorporating data and technology to build better players and create a competitive edge, McAllister, a veteran reliever signed just over three weeks ago, is at the leading edge. The project required a $1 million investment, relative pennies in seed money if McAllister, 31, returns to effectiveness.

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"I want to get better," McAllister said Thursday before throwing his first bullpen of spring training. "And I want to understand how to improve myself. Sometimes you have to change."

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From 2015-17, McAllister was one of the AL's most reliable middle relievers, relying on a 95-mph fastball and a tight curveball. His 2.71 ERA over 176 innings ranked 13th in the majors among qualifying (at least 125 innings) non-closers.

Last year, the fastball still averaged 95 mph. The curveball spun a hair more than in previous years. His walk rate went down ... and the season was a disaster.

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There was no readily visible reason why hitters better recognized his curveball and didn't even flirt with it. Cleveland released him right after the trade deadline. Embarrassment of embarrassments, Detroit did the same three weeks later.

It was only after signing a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers and reporting to their spring training facility that he was introduced to the Rapsodo analysis tool and the Edgertronic high-speed camera. The Edgertronic camera creates super-slow-motion frames and allows for images to be overlaid on top of one another.

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It helped McAllister, a self-described "visual" learner, see that his curveball looked nothing like his fastball coming out of his hand. Hitters were able to identify it and turn it the other cheek. In 2017, for example, he got swings-and-misses on 30.5 percent of his curveballs down and away to right-handed hitters, and on the balls that were put in play, batters went just 5 for 35. A year ago, the swing-and-miss rate dropped to 19.7 percent and hitters had five hits in 22 at-bats.

Seeing the difference on video and in data allowed him to rebuild the grip, which then changed the release point to better mimic his fastball. The data helped him build better sequences for pitches.

"It was really important for him to get an understanding of who he really was," said manager Chris Woodward, who was a coach with the Dodgers when McAllister signed with Los Angeles. "It was cool for me to hear him explain how the curveball works off his fastball. He's got an unbelievable arm. I think that month [working at the Dodgers facility] really helped him."

The Rangers are incorporating the Rapsodo tool and Edgertronic cameras more into their programs, too. On Thursday, an Edgertronic camera, flanked by another high-speed camera, sat behind one of the mounds in the bullpen. McAllister, waiver claim Luke Farrell and Ariel Jurado all threw their bullpens with the camera recording every pitch. A couple of analysts with iPads stood nearby to show off images if requested. The idea is for everybody to work in front of the cameras this spring.

New pitching coach Julio Rangel, who spent last year as San Francisco's minor league pitching coordinator, had the then-brand-new-to-the-market Edgertronic cameras at every minor league affiliate. He intends to use the cameras for every bullpen session during the season to help pitchers more quickly make adjustments.

"We want to use information and technology we have available to come up with the best plans for guys," Rangel said. "This stuff is very valuable. You see a lot of stuff with the technology that helps you confirm stuff you think your eyes might be seeing, but it takes less time."

Said McAllister: "I feel extremely confident right now. I was able to see the shape of my pitches. I basically went through spring training in September and was able to spend the whole winter working on it. I feel like I've basically created a different pitch."

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And if it works, the new McAllister will be a once-again effective reliever and will give the Rangers' new approach a working model to assure even more buy-in.

Twitter: @Evan_P_Grant