Cayden Suchy had a variety of options when he went in the transfer portal. The Big East pitcher of the year felt Florida State offered the best chance for the left-hander to develop.
FSU pitching coach Micah Posey has cultivated an impressive group of left-handers that became MLB Draft picks, including Carson Dorsey (2024), Jamie Arnold and Joey Volini (2025), and Wes Mendes and Trey Beard (2026).
“It’s been awesome,” Suchy said. “The relationship with coach Posey is something I was looking for when I went in the portal. We work on a lot of mechanical stuff, pitch stuff, anything that we need. He’s a good mentor on the pitching side of things. Helping with the mental side, not just the pitching stuff.”
Suchy started in 15 games this spring, earning a 5-3 record with a 2.72 ERA. In 89.2 innings, Suchy allowed just 77 hits and gave up 23 walks with 105 strikeouts.
Neither FSU coach Link Jarrett nor Posey will declare any pitcher an ace in fall ball. They’ve often been reluctant to put a pitcher in a defined role and would prefer to see how they compete on the mound or look in exhibitions, beginning Friday against Jacksonville at 5 p.m. and Saturday vs. North Florida at 1 p.m. (Tickets are available for $10.)
It will be the fans’ first look at a large number of new Seminoles on the mound and at the plate. Suchy was perhaps the biggest acquisition. FSU will play a pair of six-inning games on Friday, and Suchy is slated to start the first game.
“If you look at college baseball, not many people can say they threw 90 innings in a Division I baseball setting,” Posey said. “Especially at the level and league that he threw it in. He’s a left-hander that has 90 innings. He seems to be a very mature, calming, steady presence. Kind of a quiet, confident kid.
“He’s certainly going to be more on the introverted side as far as competitor goes. But there’s a fire in him and he wants to be great. I’ve enjoyed the short amount of time we’ve been able to be around each other.”
Portal pitching philosophy
FSU lost its weekend rotation when Mendes, Beard and Bryson Moore were drafted in July. It’s no surprise the Seminoles went big on pitchers with experience in the portal.
The coaches added Suchy as well as right-hander Otto Espinoza, Sebastian Lippman and Isaiah Shayter.
Espinoza pitched in 15 games, including six starts, and had a 3.69 ERA. He had 49 strikeouts and 27 walks in 46.1 innings, allowing opposing batters a .212 average at Cal. Lippman pitched six games (two starts) and had a 3.38 ERA at FGCU, with 50 strikeouts and 28 walks in 40 innings. Shayter pitched 48 innings at Penn State.
What were the Seminoles seeking in the transfer portal?
“Our biggest thing is we’re tying to identify what we have coming back and what do we need,” Posey said. “Do we need left-handed pitching? Do we need right-handed pitching? Do we need starters, relievers? Do we need swing and miss? So the things that we identified in this portal class is we wanted guys with starter experience.
“We hunted stuff. Three to four starters, the three right-handers that we brought in from the portal all throw 95 plus. Lippman had a 70 percent whiff rate on the slider last year, Espinoza had a 50 percent whiff rate on the slider. Shayter at Penn State had 14 starts in a really good league, has been up to 96 out here. There’s still some things that we’re working on with him.”
Returning pitchers
FSU also has a large number of returning arms. Among them are right-hander John Abraham, who was used mostly as a reliever in 2026, and left-hander Payton Manca.
Abraham was nominated by the coaches as a finalist for stopper of the year and named an All-American by D1baseball.com and the coaches. In 19 games (one start), Abraham had a 1-3 record with six saves and a 1.91 ERA. He allowed just 32 hits and 24 walks with 58 strikeouts in 47 innings.
“Johnny, it’s a different animal being a starter and a reliever,” Posey said. “As a reliever, you’re hunting the swing and miss. the efficiency is not as important. When you’re a starter, the fastball is a little bit more important. For Johnny, the fastball usage is going to have to go up. Using the fastball to multiple sides of the plate. You can’t just favor one side of the plate. ... Being able to move his breaking ball around, his change-up.”
Abraham said earlier in fall ball that he felt disrespected by MLB teams that talked with him during the draft process. While he didn’t say what contract figures he was offered, it helps FSU to have Abraham back in the mix for 2027 (regardless of whether he’s a starter, reliever, or perhaps both).
Manca battled tenderness in his pitching arm for a chunk of the season, appearing in six games, with a 2-1 record and a save at Clemson. He had an impressive six strikeouts in 2.1 innings against North Florida in February and then, returning from injury, pitched well in May before tossing three shutout innings against St. John’s in the regional on June 1 (three strikeouts, two walks and a hit).
“The slider is certainly pretty consistent,” Posey said. “Looking for him to build off that, refine the change-up and the curveball. If he can dial up those outings once a week for 14 starts, we would definitely take that. For him working on the consistency on and off the field and what it takes to be consistent.”
Format for fall exhibitions
FSU will play a pair of six-inning games against Jacksonville on Friday. The first six innings will stream live on ACC Network Extra. Abraham will start the second game.
The Seminoles and North Florida will play a pair of games on Saturday at 1 p.m. There won’t be a live stream. Cade O’Leary and Penn State transfer Isaiah Shayter will start those games.
Coaches have said these aren’t defined starters for the spring, just four pitchers who will be used this weekend.
FSU enjoying ABS challenge
Fans will get their first look at the Automated Balls and Strikes (ABS) system in use at Howser on Friday and Saturday. ABS will be used in all ACC games in 2027.
FSU coach Link Jarrett praised FSU’s catchers for feeling out the strike zone and in practices they’ve been able to challenge as often as they want. But on Friday and Saturday, the coaches will stick with three challenges per six-inning game.
“It’s really cool to be able to do this,” Jarrett said. “Our IT crew, to be able to onboard this for us from the start of fall practice, it’s not easy. This is new. I told our guys, ‘Challenge everything.’ We have to learn what this is like. I told the umpires that come out and help, ‘We’re not trying to make a mockery of it. But we need to learn if we think this thing is close, are we right?’
“Eventually, we’re going to get to a point where we have to have some guardrails to it.”
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