December 2, 2014

Breaking Good

The Hardball Times identifies pitchers who might perform better if they threw their breaking balls more often. The Astros used this kind of analysis to acquire Collin McHugh on waivers. I do wonder, however, that if pitchers start throwing a particular pitch more, if batters get used to it and it becomes less effective.

The other thought that comes to mind is can this work the other way. Can teams identify batters that hit certain types of pitches well, and adjust the lineup to the type of pitcher on the mound? Could we someday see a platoon based on the ability to hit certain pitches, rather than handedness?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *