Yu Darvish Jokes About PEDs Aiding His Jump in Fastball Velocity

Ironically enough, the long ball, a glaring flaw of Yu Darvish's game last season, victimized the 33-year-old right-hander on the very first pitch of his Spring Training debut for the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.

After that, however, Darvish dazzled, allowing just one more hit and striking out three Milwaukee Brewers in two innings of work. The most telling ingredient of the outing? His fastball clocked out at 98 mph on several occasions.

When asked about his fastball already being in midseason form, Darvish offered up a humorous joke about performance-enhancing drugs.

We honestly wouldn't expect anything less from Yu, whose morphed into one of MLB's most captivating interviewees over the years. Once the Japan native finished cracking wise, however, he dove into a deeper analysis of his first start.

"I tried to throw 100, I tried to hit 100, but only 98," Darvish said. "I was throwing hard last year, but my spin efficiency is not good enough. That's why hitters don't swing and miss. But this year I feel different; that's why there are more swing-and-misses."

That quote should come as music to the ears of Cubs fans.

Putting the home run aside, Darvish impressed on Saturday -- both on the mound and behind the mic -- and is hoping to replicate his spectacular second half from last season, where he recorded a 2.76 ERA across 13 outings, in the new campaign.