Pitching at sea level has brought out best in Estévez

This story was excerpted from Rhett Bollinger’s Angels Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ANAHEIM -- Carlos Estévez has quietly been one of the best closers in baseball so far this season, and he believes pitching at hitter-friendly Coors Field for six seasons helped prepare him for his role with the Angels.

Estévez posted a respectable 4.59 ERA with 312 strikeouts in 302 innings during his time with Colorado, but has a 1.23 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 22 innings this year. He's already set a career high with 12 saves, which is also the third-highest total in the Majors entering Thursday.

“Colorado prepares you for anything,” Estévez said. “Every time I came into a game at Coors Field and we had the lead, it was that feeling where I can’t let anything happen. They can score three, four, five runs at Coors Field really quick and easy. I think that prepared me to close. I’m a lot more relaxed now. But yeah, if you pitch at Coors, you’re ready for anything.”

Estévez, 30, believes that not pitching in a high-altitude environment has also helped his stuff become more consistent, while also helping the movement of his pitches. His four-seam fastball velocity is slightly down from last year, but it’s been more effective because it has more ride.

“Even with the fastball, it’s different,” Estévez said. “Like the metrics, it’s hard to get those consistently at Coors Field because it changes so much with the weather and altitude. But I think I’m getting three more inches of rise on my fastball, which is a lot. You’re missing [far more] bats now. And my slider is biting harder and has more movement. So, I think that’s been a big difference.”

Estévez also noted that not playing in Colorado has helped him with his energy levels as well because it can be harder to breathe and recover at a high altitude. He said he didn’t think playing elsewhere would be so different, but the 6-foot-6, 277-pound righty has been pleasantly surprised by how he’s felt physically.

“Body-wise, I feel a lot better,” Estévez said. “Up there, it's hard to recover. A lot of people don't realize it or pay attention to that. But that's really rough, too. I was always amazed by the guys who could play 150-155 games because I’d pitch in 60-70 games and be really tired. So I feel like that’s a big key, too.”

Angels manager Phil Nevin has been impressed by Estévez, who signed a two-year deal worth $13.5 million in the offseason. Estévez shared closing duties with lefty José Quijada early in the season before Quijada sustained a torn ulnar collateral ligament that required Tommy John surgery. But since Quijada was injured on April 27, Estévez has posted a 0.87 ERA with eight saves and a win in 11 appearances.

“He’s got his opportunity, and he’s run with it,” Nevin said. “He talked in Spring Training and said he didn’t care what role he pitched in, but you could kind of read between the lines. He wants the ball with the lead, and he’s earned that right. I think right now, we’re just seeing his confidence building.”

Estévez has been enjoying his time as closer but has been in the Majors long enough to know that it’s a role that can come with plenty of scrutiny too, so he’s constantly working to get better.

“It feels really good,” Estévez said. “Every time I'm going out there, it's like I know I can help my team win and that's one of the things I enjoy the most. The atmosphere here is just great, and I feel like I'm in a really good spot. I just like enjoying the little things because this is baseball and you know things change quick. It is what it is. You've just got to deal with it and keep doing good and getting better.”