As Oscar Marin spoke to reporters yesterday at Pirate City, he foreshadowed what David Bednar might be like this season: "If you guys haven't talked to David just yet... you're going to feel something different."

The two-time All-Star showcased what Marin meant this afternoon at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla. He stepped onto Honus Wagner Field as "Renegade" by Styx blared over the speaker system and looked strong in his first live batting practice of spring training.

Bednar used an array of pitches to get a "sample" and make sure they were right where he wanted them. He also caught a few hitters, including Bryan Reynolds, who flashed him a wry smile after one pitch in particular, off guard and drew a few swings and misses. 

I mean, just look at the smile on his face after this last pitch: 

After a year in which he struggled with his fastball command, blew seven saves and dealt with a right lat strain and a left oblique strain at different points in the season, Bednar looked like his old self. and he feels that way too.

"Coming into this year, once the new year hit, it was ‘Okay, clean slate’ and I know the pitcher that I am," Bednar said. "I know the guy I’m capable of being and I’m becoming very confident that I’ll be able to show that this year."

He looked the part today as his curveball looked sharp and he was around the zone throughout the afternoon. But, for Bednar, getting his fastball back to where it was during his All-Star seasons in 2022 and 2023 is where it starts.

Bednar threw his fastball 55.5% of the time last season and produced a 24.1% whiff rate and a 16.7% put away rate, the lowest marks of his career outside of his rookie season. His fastball was also worth a -6 run value according to Baseball Savant, which was again the lowest mark of his career.

"Whenever I’m over the plate and I’m able to execute my fastball, everything else plays off of that. When my fastball direction is good, the other two are good too," Bednar said. "I’m just kinda getting those good reps in and repeatability and just building confidence in that as time goes on. Now, I feel like I’m in a really good spot with that and just kinda continue to roll with it."

At times, Bednar said that he was "getting a little glove side happy" with his body last season and had a little "yank" in his delivery, which caused the location inconsistency with his fastball. He said he's ironed that out and has focused on it throughout his first two bullpens and the live batting practice today.

However, there are still areas that he's focusing on, such as staying in his arm lanes and continuing to load up the zone. He was in the zone 50.9% of the time last season but hitters made contact with those pitches 77.7% of the time, according to Baseball Savant.

"The biggest thing for me right now is just staying in lanes and keeping good direction and just filling up the zone," Bednar said. "I know with my stuff, when I compete in the zone, I’m able to have success. So, just wanted to, especially that first one, just make sure that I’m competing in the zone and keeping that good direction."

Since arriving in Pittsburgh in 2021, the Mars, Pa. native has been a important piece of the Pirates' bullpen. Before last season, he registered three straight sub-2.61 ERA seasons and was coming off a year in which he led Major League Baseball in saves (39) and produced a 2.00 ERA with 80 strikeouts in 67 1/3 innings. 

But, while Bednar was at the lowest part of his career, the organization still expressed confidence in him as they put him in high-leverage situations. At one point, he recorded 19 straight save attempts in the middle of the year before his struggles remerged toward the end of the season. That confidence from the organization still remains as Bednar ramps up for a bounce-back season.

"I think he needed the offseason to reset, but I think one of the things we have to go back to is this guy's a two-time All-Star and was one of the most dominant closers in the game," Derek Shelton said today. "Our full expectation is he's going to bounce back. And really, just the overall attitude and the way the ball's coming out for him." 

Bednar's 2024 season started with a right lat strain in spring training and while he only threw two innings in Florida, he didn't take a rehab stint before joining the team and making his first appearance on March 30, the Pirates' third game of the season.

That injury was followed up by the left oblique strain in June that forced him to take a trip to the IL and miss about three weeks. In hindsight, Bednar said "you can maybe say" that the injuries might have bothered him last season, but added that he's a competitor and wanted to be on the field.

Heading into this season, Bednar is feeling healthy, he's lost a little weight and is ready to return to form and lock down the backside of the bullpen.

"I felt like I was ready to go and I was ready to compete and I just want to be out there with the guys," Bednar said of last season's injuries. "But, ultimately, this year, I’m just focused on letting it rip and getting after it again."

Cue "Renegade."