Nick Pivetta's Fastball Usage. Cole Ragans' Cutter. AJ Puk's Sinker Usage
Nick Pivetta, AJ Puk, Cole Ragans, Mitch Keller, Fernando Cruz, Carlos Rodon, Nathan Eovaldi
Red Sox Nick Pivetta hates his four-seam fastball. Usage is down from 50% in Aug/Sep 2023 to 33% through two starts in 2024. His release height is up 5” compared to last year (a lot), and the pitch has added 1” vertical break. In place of his fastball, he’s tripled his sweeper usage and nearly doubled his cutter usage. Driveline Stuff+ on the fastball is down slightly because of the release height climb, ~120 to 109, still above average. 🎈
Red Sox are on pace to have the lowest fastball usage since pitch tracking began in 2008. The 4 lowest team fastball usages since 2008 are all teams this season: Red Sox, Guardians, Pirates, Royals.
Marlins AJ Puk’s release height is up 6” (a lot). His shapes have changed as a result. Four-seam has 2” more vertical break, sinker has 4” more vertical break. Both pitches are dropping less, which helps the four-seam and hurts the sinker. He’s also throwing the sinker a lot more to righties than last year, 3% to 25%. No real intent in location, sporadic. Driveline Stuff+ likes the sinker more, so an increase in usage feels warranted, but sinkers without more drop than average generally perform poorly to opposite-handedness. 🐠
Royals Cole Ragans is leaning on his cutter to righties. Usage is up from 13% last year to 22%. Pitch is 1 mph harder compared to last year and has 3.5” more vertical break (dropping less) with 2” more arm-side movement. Cutter is pulling from his four-seam usage. Four-seam is down from 41% to 31% to righties. Driveline Stuff+ on the cutter increased from ~104 last year to 110 this year. 👑
Pirates Mitch Keller has changed his fastball approach to righties. He threw 41% sinker last season. Sinker usage is down to 26% this year and he increased four-seam and cutter usage both above 20%. It’s been successful in a tiny sample (more whiffs), but lefties have proven difficult, as they did last year. 🏴☠️
Reds Fernando Cruz has thrown his splitter 53%, up from 32% last season. He holds a 33% swinging strike rate (13% is average) and in the zone 36% (49% is average). Driveline Stuff+ of 120, plus pitch. ✌️
Yankees Carlos Rodon’s cutter looks good. 92 mph with 10” vertical break, 2” sweep. Harder than the average cutter without other distinct characteristics. Using it >10% when both ahead and behind to righties. Driveline Stuff+ of 117, plus pitch. ✂️
Rangers Nathan Eovaldi’s fastball shape is slightly different. It has 1.5” less vertical break and 3” more arm-side movement compared to last year at a slightly lower velocity (dropping more, running more). His release is slightly down compared to last year (1-2”), which could affect his fastball. 🤷♂️