FSL1 Clearwater Threshers

Threshers Spotlight: Cody Forsythe

Published on August 4, 2014 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Clearwater Threshers News Release


Cody Forsythe may not come with a 97 mph fastball or an imposing figure.

At 6'0", 170-pounds, the 23-year old lefty keeps hitters off balance by changing speeds and commanding all three of his pitches - an upper-80's fastball, change up, and slider.

He does so quite effectively.

"He commands his fastball very well to both sides of the plate, and that change up makes that fastball look a few miles an hour harder, " says Threshers' pitching coach Bob Milacki. "It's fun to watch. He's done a really nice job for us."

In 10 of his 14 outings with Clearwater, Forsythe has not permitted a run. In fact, he has allowed more than one earned run in only three appearances all year, encompassing 37 games between Lakewood and Clearwater.

Futhermore, Forsythe's nine saves with Lakewood remain the most for a Blue Claws' relief man in 2014.

Forsythe hails from Calvert City, Kentucky. A product of Southern Illinois University, he played alongside current Threshers teammate Chris Serritella in his college ball days with the Salukis.

Serritella became a fourth-round draft pick by the Phillies in 2012 after batting .389 for the Salukis, and the following year Forsythe would be welcomed into the Philadelphia organization as well after he was drafted in the 25th round.

"There's definitely a comfort level when I got picked by the Phillies and I knew that (Serritella) was here," Forsythe says. "It was a cool feeling to be able to get a chance to play with him again, and I'm pretty good friends with Chris so it made it a lot easier to make the transition."

The lefty made 15 starts and finished with a 3.03 ERA during his senior year in 2013, setting Saluki records for career starts (49) and innings pitched (346.2) while finishing fifth on the all-time SIU list with 246 career strikeouts.

Forsythe served as a starter through the latter three years of his college career.

In Lakewood this season, his role flipped to the opposite end of the game when he became the team's primary closer.

Forsythe says that while one's mentality generally remains the same regardless of role, there is often less room for error upon entering as a reliever.

"You have to come in the game and immediately perform, whereas when I was a starter I had a little time to kind of ease into it," he says. "So there was a little bit of a learning curve that went along with it, but it wasn't too difficult to learn how to come in, control your emotions and stuff like that, and just get into the game immediately and pick up where the last guy left off."

Forsythe's game lies in accuracy.

"I just try to throw a lot of strikes, force the hitters to make contact," Forsythe says. "Just pound the strike zone and make them get themselves out."

The lefty has had little trouble painting the plate.

Forsythe gets ahead consistently, and has issued a total of just three free passes compared to 28 strikeouts over 20.1 innings with the Threshers.

In one particularly impressive relief appearance at McKechnie Field in Bradenton on July 17, Forsythe was virtually flawless. He retired all three Marauders he faced in short order, throwing 11 pitches - only one of which missed the strike zone.

The next day the lefty was summoned once again, this time with the bases loaded and nobody out, the Threshers leading 7-2.

He proceeded to strike out Barrett Barnes swinging, and followed that up by throwing just three pitches to Jose Osuna and inducing a chase of a high fastball for out number two.

After a fly out ended the inning, stranding all three runners, Forsythe came back out for the eighth. He promptly struck out the side.

"He's a guy that can get lefties and righties out," Milacki says. "He can be a long guy or a set-up guy."

"I like his mentality. He goes right after guys."

Forsythe is a competitor, composed and in control on the mound.

"From the first day he came here and pitched, it seemed like he's been here all year. And his comfort zone is good."Milacki says.

"He's really confident in what he does, and when he goes out there he competes very well, and he does a good job for us."

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Florida State League Stories from August 4, 2014


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