Page 23 - ARUBA TODAY

A23
SPORTS Thursday 21 June 2018
The Fastball Paradox: With velocity up, fastballs on decline

By JAKE SEINER first approach.
AP Sports Writer "The baseline of hitting is
NEW YORK (AP) — Over five the fastball," Mets team-
seasons as ace of the Pitts- mate Jay Bruce said. "You
burgh Pirates, Gerrit Cole have to stay on the fastball.
threw one of the game's For me personally, that's
hardest, heaviest fastballs, what my timing of the at-
and he threw it often. The bat works off of."
pitch helped him make Bauer has hypothesized
millions of dollars. It put for years that as velocities
him in contention for ma- climb, pitchers may ben-
jor awards. Hitters swung efit from throwing fewer
through it again and again, fastballs, but he didn't fully
and Cole seemed content embrace the shift himself
not to mess with a good until this year. After a 2017
thing. postseason in which Hous-
But when Cole was traded ton's Lance McCullers Jr.
to the Houston Astros this (40 percent fastball rate
offseason, a funny thing in 2017) and the Yankees'
happened. He became Masahiro Tanka (26.4 per-
more frugal with his fastball cent) thrived with low fast-
and ended up more over- ball rates, Bauer has finally
powering than ever. followed suit.
Cole has joined some of In this May 31, 2018, file photo, Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw throws to a It's no coincidence to him
the game's best pitchers — Philadelphia Phillies batter during the third inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles. that he's having the best
including Cleveland's Co- season of his life.
rey Kluber and the Dodg- in 2011 by Pittsburgh. Un- Kluber and Kershaw have a fastball around 94 mph — Bauer has thrown his four-
ers' Clayton Kershaw — in der the guidance of Pirates made similar adjustments in told Bauer that if he could and two-seam fastballs
benefiting from a puzzling pitching coach Ray Sear- the past couple years. Both throw hard like Betances, less than 40 percent of the
baseball paradox: In an era age, Cole pounded the Cy Young winners rank he wouldn't even bother time this year — about a
when pitchers are throwing bottom of the strike zone among the league leaders with a breaking ball. 10-point drop from his ca-
harder than ever, they're with that heater, and for in fewest fastballs thrown "No," Bauer recalled tell- reer average — and filled
maximizing success by us- years, it worked. He was an this season. ing Allen. "He should never that gap mostly with sliders.
ing fewer fastballs. All-Star and finished fourth "Guys are geared up to throw a fastball." He's baffling hitters like nev-
Pitchers — even ones with in NL Cy Young Award vot- swing for a fastball," Klu- Bauer's theory is that the er before, ranking among
blazing fastballs like Luis ing in 2015, and was con- ber said. "I guess it's almost threat of a 100 mph fastball the league leaders with a
Severino and Chris Archer sidered among the game's rare now to see somebody might be more dangerous 2.50 ERA and 129 strikeouts
— are using more offspeed most overpowering starting actually, like, go the other to hitters than the fastballs — second only to Cole in
than ever recorded, and pitchers. way with the breaking ball." themselves. the AL.
while many aces think the Then baseball's flyball Kluber has set a career "As guys throw harder, guys That 40-percent clip puts
downturn is a trend, some revolution took flight — a low with a fastball rate of have less and less time Bauer among the most
believe baseball could be movement of hitters using 41.8 percent this season. to hit that offering," Bau- infrequent fastball throw-
entering a new age domi- upper-cut swings designed Same for Kershaw, who has er said. "So they have to ers, but he thinks the rest
nated not by 100 mph to crush exactly the kinds dropped from a 72-percent speed up in order to catch of the league may soon
heaters, but by a steady of sinking fastballs Cole was fastball clip in 2010 all the up to it, which, that makes catch up by slowing down.
stream of breaking balls delivering. After never al- way to 42.8 percent in an the breaking ball more ef- Since pitch-type data was
and changeups. lowing more than 11 home injury-hampered 2018. fective." first recorded in 2002, the
So why is the hardest-throw- runs in a season, Cole was "The hitters tell you what Hitters are left picking be- rate of four- and two-seam
ing generation of pitchers tagged for 31 last year. you need to do," Kershaw tween two nasty poisons fastballs has shrunk steadily
ever going the way of the So it was time to change said. "And for me, I guess it's — risk being behind on tri- from 64.4 percent to 55.4
junk-baller? things up. been throwing a lot more ple-digit fastballs, or jeop- percent, according to
Depends who you ask, but From 2013-17, Cole threw breaking balls." ardize taking ugly swings data logged by Fangraphs.
one culprit stands out to his fastball 65 percent of Cole, Kluber and Kershaw on breaking pitches as they Meanwhile, average fast-
Cole, Kluber and Kershaw: the time — well above the suspect the tide will turn dart out of the strike zone. ball velocity has risen from
baseball's swing-changing league average. But this back, perhaps soon, once Veteran slugger Todd Fra- 89 mph to 92.6.
batters. year, he's cut that fastball hitters recalibrate to the zier was with the Yankees If the heat keeps getting
"You can call it launch rate by about 10 points, re- number of four-seam fast- last year when New York's hotter, Bauer thinks pitch-
angle, or you can call it placing those heaters with balls pitchers are throwing hard-throwing bullpen led ers will cool it further on
the upper cuts," Cole said. sliders and curveballs. The up in the strike zone. by Betances, Aroldis Chap- the fastballs. After all, other
"There are a lot of swings new look is working. Cole is But Trevor Bauer, Kluber's man and Chad Green hurlers are going to no-
that are dictating breaking 8-1 with a 2.59 ERA through analytically-minded team- overpowered hitters while tice the success that Cole
balls." 15 starts and leads the mate in Cleveland, thinks also posting the lowest fast- and Bauer — former UCLA
Cole's move away from American League with 138 the offspeed uptick is only ball rate in the majors. teammates — are having
a fastball-first approach is strikeouts. going to spread. "I have to set my feet for with the adjustment this
striking given the reputa- "I think you're just continual- Two years ago, Bauer and 98 mph, and understand I season. Bauer suspects the
tion of his hardest pitch. He ly trying to mess timing up, Indians closer Cody Allen might get 84-88 mph slider," league-wide fastball rate
topped out at 99 mph as an especially when guys are watched as 6-foot-8 Yan- said Frazier, now with the could drop as low as 40-45
ace at UCLA, and his fast- trying to slug," Cole said. kees fireballer Dellin Be- New York Mets. "It makes it percent before hitters final-
ball was the headliner on "When they're trying to hit it tances carved up Cleve- tougher on you." ly adjust.
a resume that earned him out of the park every time, land's hitters with a fastball And yet, Frazier and his fel- "You trap the hitters, basi-
an $8 million signing bonus you have an easier time that averaged 98 mph. Al- low hitters aren't close to cally, if you take that ap-
as the first overall draft pick changing speeds." len — no slouch himself with jumping off their fastball- proach," Bauer said.q