Corbin's fastball velocity this spring is up over three mph compared to his final Grapefruit League start of 2020, Maria Torres of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

It's a very encouraging sign for the veteran left-hander after he struggled last season to a 4.66 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and mediocre 20.3 strikeout rate, more than 10 points below the mark he posted in 2018. Corbin has also been learning a cutter from Max Scherzer and is trying to grow more comfortable with his changeup in an effort to broaden his repertoire, but the key pitch for the southpaw remains his slider, which generated a 51.4 percent whiff rate in 2019 but tumbled to 38.1 percent last year. Corbin's ability to bounce back will be a big factor in determining whether the Nats can take a run at the NL East title.