Q&A: Stroman on getting better by studying Kluber, Sale

Marcus Stroman may have finished his degree from Duke University back in 2015, but he's still got homework.

The Toronto Blue Jays right-hander is in the final stages of the best season of his young career, and the 26-year-old attributes part of that success to studying some of the best arms in the majors.

Stroman tweeted his admiration for American League Cy Young candidates Chris Sale and Corey Kluber on Thursday, and talked to theScore's Brandon Wile about the influence those two starters, and several others, have had on him this season.

Wile: How much have you been able to pick up by watching Kluber?

Stroman: I've learned a lot from watching Kluber this year, secretly. I don't want to give away what exactly I've watched on Kluber, and have learned from him, but I've learned a lot watching video. Watching sequences, catcher positions, watching how he attacks certain hitters, because me and him have similar stuff. We throw the sinker, and we also throw the slider. His slider, he uses three different kind of variations, and he also has a couple different variations with his sinker. I throw sinker, slider, so I try to see how he attacks hitters and uses that combo. I picked up on some things earlier in the season, and I didn't really tell anyone that I picked up watching video on him, and it's helped me dramatically.

Wile: Do you find yourself watching more video now?

Stroman: I've never really been a video guy, honestly. Kluber and Sale are just intriguing. I even watch video on Sale, even though he's a lefty who throws across his body. I still watch how he attacks hitters, his pitch sequence - why is he throwing a slider after the curveball? Changeup, and another changeup? I'm just watching the sequence and watching how hitters are reacting and swinging at them. Those are the two guys I've been watching video on, mostly. They're so good that they're not even appreciated anymore. It's like, 'Oh, this guy is going to get a complete game with 10-11 punchouts.' They've gotten to that point and it's unreal. It gives me something to strive for, something to continue to grind through and get to because I want to be on that exact pedestal.

Wile: You had the opportunity to spend the spring with some of MLB's best players at the WBC. How much did that help with this season?

Stroman: (It helped) a lot. I picked a lot of the hitter's brains (in addition to the pitchers). I talked a lot of pitching with Tanner Roark - just talked about where he stands on the mound, what he's trying to do. You learn so much you don't even realize just being around those guys, and picking up on the smallest little tidbits and hints they might drop. It goes a long way.

Wile: You mention that you want to be elite every fifth day. How do you get to that point?

Stroman: I think I'm getting to there. It's being able to go out there and do what they do even when you don't have your best stuff. (Sale and Kluber) don't have their best stuff every outing, but they're able to manage it, and get through whatever it may be, go deep, and still be dominant. I think they're kind of in a different class. I'd put Kluber, Sale, (Clayton) Kershaw, and (Max) Scherzer in a different class right now. They're extremely elite. I'm always real with myself, I think I'm right on the outside of that. I think as I continue to grow as I have I'll get to that point, but like I said, it's a matter of having all parts of your game come together on every fifth day, and I think those guys are more consistent than everybody else.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)