Walker Buehler seems to be pitching his way onto the Padres Opening Day roster come March 26. The veteran right-hander notched his second Cactus League victory of the spring on Tuesday, striking out two batters in 3 2/3 innings against the Los Angeles Angels.
As San Diego's bats backed the pitching staff in a 10-run outburst, it was Buehler's pitch mix that had everyone's attention. It seemed different. Among the 68 total pitches he threw, Buehler used his four-seam fastball just six times while throwing 16 sweepers. The changes is his repertoire are most probably due to the dip in velocity he's seen since undergoing a second Tommy John surgery in August 2022.
However, the 31-year-old is learning to embrace the hurler he is now, rather than trying to be the one he was in L.A.
“It’s kind of like the ex-girlfriend that you fell in love with and always will want her back,” Buehler said of his velocity. “I want to throw 100, and I want it to jump. I want to kind of stand and throw. But the reality is that probably won’t happen. We’ve just got to be really good on the execution of it and keep working through."
Walker Buehler reacts to his 3.2 innings against the Angels today in Tempe. pic.twitter.com/LeOiRrwYab
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) March 10, 2026
In his Cy Young contending years, Buehler's fastball sat in the high 90s. In a world where velocity is the name of the game, he'll have to adapt to finesse over force.
Recently, the two-time World Series champion revealed that his throwing elbow was pain-free for the first time in over two years. It's been well noted that Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla is aiding Buehler in perhaps regaining some fashion of his former self. The results above are signs of positive progress.
Buehler, along with former Rockies All-Star righty Germán Márquez, lead the way in securing San Diego's final starting rotation spot.
