Comments on: The Best Pitcher with a Bad Fastball

By: Matt B.

Matt B. — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:47:40 +0000

Question on taking into account pitch values for one season, does it not suffer at the hands of small sample size-ism?

Let’s say Pitcher X throws 50% fastballs, 100 avg pitches/start, 34 starts a year, 10 seasons.

1700 fastballs in one season, out of a potential 17,000 fastballs. Could it just be a ‘slump’ for a particular pitch? In the above example, It’s only accounting for 10% of his total career fastballs – a blip on the radar.

Now if it were backed up with reduced velo, movement etc maybe it would lend more credence but it seems to have the same limitations for all stats with SSS?

By: Ganry53

Ganry53 — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:45:59 +0000

It is inconsistent with the anatomy and neural control of the human vocal tract. ,

By: Kevin S.

Kevin S. — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:15:52 +0000

94 can be a terrible fastball if it’s dead straight, or it can be an amazing fastball if it has a ton of action on it. Regardless, Dave used a results-oriented analysis of the fastball, and has readily admitted its poor effect could be the result of the vagaries of batted balls over a small sample space.

By: Kevin S.

Kevin S. — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:10:00 +0000

Pitchers often perform better when they’re sent down to the minors.

By: Kyle

Kyle — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:01:29 +0000

Damn, I wish I had seen this article earlier. His average fastball for the year says 91 mph, and he usually tops out at 94 still. As a closer he’d usually throw one 96 mph fastball and then live with his phenomenal curveball or slider.

Since when is 94 mph considered a bad fastball? It’s not like he can’t throw in the mid 90′s when he has to.

This season his fastball on average is faster than both Johan Santana and Cole Hamels. And unlike those two who are showing decline, he’s struck out 212 guys and will get a lot of Cy Young consideration.

By: Pete

Pete — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 04:10:19 +0000

Joe

You’re saying he doesn’t have a big fastball…but I’ll put Wainwright’s breaking stuff up there with anyone’s. It’s not crafty. Glavine, Maddux, Moyer are crafty. Wainwright is nasty, it’s just that his fastball isn’t 96.

By: BS

BS — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:00:37 +0000

Wainwright struck out Inge with a Slider. He does however use an effective changeup this season when his breaking stuff lacks – Not very often

By: CardsFAN

CardsFAN — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:51:46 +0000

Actually Wainwright struck Inge out with the Slider to end the ’06 series further evidence on how effective both his breaking pitches can be.

By: cje

cje — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:32:59 +0000

Has Wainwright been throwing his changeup this year? How effective has it been? He has one (It is the pitch he got Inge to swing on in the WS).

By: Brad

Brad — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:54:06 +0000

Does the pitch data account for the count for when the pitch is thrown? The data you posted above showed that Wainwright does throw his fastball predominantly early or when he is behind in the count–eg. the best hitting counts. This would account for poor success throwing his fastball. You could probably make a good argument that he should mix up his 3-0 and 3-1 pitch selection a little more than just throwing 90% fastballs.