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Phillies pitcher Jerad Eickhoff's best trait: Consistency

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Jerad Eickhoff - like almost every other pitcher across baseball - is working this spring on developing one of his pitches. The righthander is tinkering with the grip of his change-up. He also wants to improve his fastball command. To be able to rely less on his curveball would be an advantage. Wean off a bit on the slider, too.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Jerad Eickhoff - like almost every other pitcher across baseball - is working this spring on developing one of his pitches. The righthander is tinkering with the grip of his change-up. He also wants to improve his fastball command. To be able to rely less on his curveball would be an advantage. Wean off a bit on the slider, too.

There is always work to be done in spring training. But the pitcher seems to be already in possession of his defining trait: consistency.

Eickhoff, who pitched the first two innings of Monday's 7-2 Grapefruit League loss to Tampa, did not miss a start last season. He logged 1971/2 innings over 33 starts. Just one other Phillies pitcher aged 25 or younger - a guy named Cole Hamels - has logged 30 or more starts since 2004 and posted a better ERA than the 3.65 mark Eickhoff had last season.

The Phillies knew what to expect each time Eickhoff pitched. He reached at least the sixth inning in all but four of his starts. The pitcher allowed three runs or fewer in his final eight starts. Manager Pete Mackanin casually said Eickhoff - the pitcher he described last season to be a "bulldog" - will pitch 200 innings this season. No big deal.

"Eickhoff is the kind of guy you can count on," Mackanin said.

Eickhoff's consistency last season was a stabilizer in the second half when the team's young rotation was ravaged by injuries and innings limits. Aaron Nola was shut down with an elbow injury. Zach Eflin had knee surgery. Vince Velasquez and Jake Thompson were shelved before the end of the season.

And there was Eickhoff, finishing his first full major-league season with his finest month of the year. He had a 2.52 ERA in September, finishing the year with eight strikeouts in the season finale. The righthander was consistent all the way to the season's final day.

"I'm always looking to get better," Eickhoff said. "I'm going to continue working, whether it's being Greg Maddux-esque with command or having a good breaking ball, or throwing a change-up like Maddux did and guys like that. There's always something I'm working on and trying to develop and sharpen up."

That change-up grip Eickhoff is working on could bring even more consistency. Eickhoff threw his change-up last season for just 5.17-percent of his pitches, according to Pitchf/X data. He threw his curveball - a pitch Eickhoff rode last season to great success - almost five times as much.

He started throwing the breaking ball in 2014 as a minor-league pitcher without an identity. The curveball saved his career.

Opponents batted just .159 last season against Eickhoff's curveball, but their success increased as the season waned. An improved change-up would make Eickhoff less predictable. Hitters would not be to sit on his best pitch and the pitcher could become even more consistent.

"I think there are only ways to get better from here on out," Eickhoff said. "I think what I did is good, but, I like to just look back and realize it, but put it behind me and continue to work and know that there's nothing more than looking ahead."

mbreen@phillynews.com

@matt_breen www.philly.com/philliesblog