Today, I am going to look at the pitches each of the Royals pitchers throws in different situations. Do they approach left-handed and right-handed hitter differently? Do they change their pitch mix as the count becomes more or less pitcher friendly? Do they differ their approach if a runner is on 3B and could score on a wild pitch? I will break down each pitcher and give a few comments on each.
Notes:
- The count is in order from the most pitcher friendly (0-2) to the most hitter friendly (3-0).
- For the low pitches, I used pitches below the bottom of the rule book strike zone (1.5 ft).
- Pitch Types:
- He stays away from his change on the first pitch of an at bat. Also, he goes away from it as the count gets more and more hitter friendly. The main reason for this adjustment is his change-up is a strike only 31% of the time. If a hitter knows it is a change coming, their best best would be to just lay off of it.
- He rarely throws his fastball has the count goes in his favor.
- He rarely throws a change up to a RHH
- He didn't throw one slider and just a few change ups with the count 3-0.
- He doesn't throw his change up once the batter has a count with 3 balls.
- He moves up in the zone a bit with a runner on 3B.
FF = Four seam fastball
FT = Two seam fastball
FC = Cutter
FS - Split finger fastball
FA = Generic fastball
SI = Sinker
CH = Change up
CU = Curve
SL = Slider
James Shields
Pitch Type | Low Pitch – Man on 3B | High Pitch – Man on 3B | Low Pitch | High Pitch | In Zone% | Total |
CH | 44% | 56% | 46% | 54% | 31% | 997 |
CU | 47% | 53% | 30% | 70% | 43% | 656 |
FC | 8% | 92% | 12% | 88% | 51% | 182 |
FF | 14% | 86% | 14% | 86% | 56% | 755 |
FT | 16% | 84% | 17% | 83% | 44% | 461 |
SL | 17% | 83% | 10% | 90% | 57% | 555s |
Ervin Santana
Pitch Type | Low Pitch – Man on 3B | High Pitch – Man on 3B | Low Pitch | High Pitch | In Zone% | Total |
CH | 36% | 64% | 30% | 70% | 46% | 197 |
FF | 12% | 88% | 13% | 87% | 51% | 1585 |
FT | 100% | 0% | 15% | 85% | 48% | 27 |
SL | 35% | 65% | 32% | 68% | 47% | 1033 |
Jeremy Guthrie
Pitch Type | Low Pitch – Man on 3B | High Pitch – Man on 3B | Low Pitch | High Pitch | In Zone% | Total |
CH | 40% | 60% | 29% | 71% | 44% | 262 |
CU | 8% | 92% | 31% | 69% | 46% | 287 |
FC | 0% | 100% | 11% | 89% | 51% | 212 |
FF | 10% | 90% | 13% | 87% | 54% | 1286 |
SI | 28% | 72% | 24% | 76% | 43% | 286 |
SL | 33% | 67% | 32% | 68% | 44% | 545 |
Wade Davis
As Reliever (2012)
Pitch Type | Low Pitch – Man on 3B | High Pitch – Man on 3B | Low Pitch | High Pitch | In Zone% | Total |
CU | 50% | 50% | 36% | 64% | 45% | 245 |
FF | 4% | 96% | 6% | 94% | 53% | 621 |
FT | 19% | 81% | 16% | 84% | 45% | 201 |
SL | 36% | 64% | 28% | 72% | 38% | 133 |
- His pitch mix is basically the same between when he started and relieved.
- He exclusively goes to his fastball in hitter counts.
- He loves his slider with 2 strikes, but doesn't throw it with 3 balls with the expection of the 3-2 count. He does have problems throwing the slider for strikes with only 34% in the strike zone.
- He doesn't use his change up in the 3-0 count.
Pitch Type | Low Pitch – Man on 3B | High Pitch – Man on 3B | Low Pitch | High Pitch | In Zone% | Total |
CH | 100% | 0% | 15% | 85% | 44% | 201 |
CU | 33% | 67% | 28% | 72% | 50% | 481 |
FF | 2% | 98% | 3% | 97% | 56% | 1489 |
FT | 5% | 95% | 20% | 80% | 43% | 459 |
SL | 30% | 70% | 31% | 69% | 42% | 314 |
Luis Mendoza
Pitch Type | Low Pitch – Man on 3B | High Pitch – Man on 3B | Low Pitch | High Pitch | In Zone% | Total |
CH | 43% | 57% | 27% | 73% | 43% | 243 |
FF | 2% | 98% | 7% | 93% | 45% | 700 |
FT | 13% | 87% | 13% | 87% | 48% | 1006 |
SL | 50% | 50% | 44% | 56% | 34% | 564 |
Bruce Chen
Pitch Type | Low Pitch – Man on 3B | High Pitch – Man on 3B | Low Pitch | High Pitch | In Zone% | Total |
CH | 23% | 77% | 29% | 71% | 48% | 476 |
CU | 4% | 96% | 14% | 86% | 52% | 431 |
FF | 4% | 96% | 4% | 96% | 56% | 592 |
SI | 2% | 98% | 5% | 95% | 58% | 733 |
SL | 9% | 91% | 10% | 90% | 51% | 950 |
- He uses the slider more and more in pitcher friendly counts
Greg Holland
Pitch Type | Low Pitch – Man on 3B | High Pitch – Man on 3B | Low Pitch | High Pitch | In Zone% | Total |
CH | 75% | 25% | 57% | 43% | 24% | 21 |
CU | 36% | 64% | 36% | 64% | 44% | 87 |
FF | 10% | 90% | 17% | 83% | 53% | 617 |
SL | 31% | 69% | 27% | 73% | 42% | 400 |
- He kinda mixes it up like Shields. He doesn't start with the change, but uses it more as the count goes in his favor. If the count is not in his favor, he throws it less.
- Pretty much drops the curve in any hitter friendly count. He does have issues throwing the curve for strikes.
- Moves up in the zone with a runner on 3B.
- He is fairly consistent with his pitch mix, except decreasing his slider usage as the count goes hitter friendly.
- He can't throw his curve for strikes.
- He doesn't throw a change to right-handed hitters.
- He stays away from a low pitch with a runner on 3B and keeps the ball higher in the strike zone. It may have been more hitttable. Looks like a lot more hittable. Here are his BABIPs with a runner on 3B:
Kelvin Herrera
Pitch Type | Low Pitch – Man on 3B | High Pitch – Man on 3B | Low Pitch | High Pitch | In Zone% | Total |
CH | 31% | 69% | 31% | 69% | 41% | 274 |
CU | 0% | 100% | 31% | 69% | 41% | 85 |
FA | 64% | 36% | 36% | 64% | 39% | 77 |
FF | 9% | 91% | 8% | 92% | 56% | 590 |
FT | 14% | 86% | 21% | 79% | 52% | 239 |
Tim Collins
Pitch Type | Low Pitch – Man on 3B | High Pitch – Man on 3B | Low Pitch | High Pitch | In Zone% | Total |
CH | 20.6% | 79.4% | 24.7% | 75.4% | 47.9% | 215 |
CU | 26.0% | 74.0% | 32.5% | 67.5% | 39.2% | 332 |
FF | 6.4% | 93.6% | 10.1% | 90.0% | 57.3% | 647 |
Aaron Crow
Pitch Type | Low Pitch – Man on 3B | High Pitch – Man on 3B | Low Pitch | High Pitch | In Zone% | Total |
CU | 50% | 50% | 34% | 66% | 30% | 53 |
FF | 16% | 84% | 18% | 82% | 51% | 449 |
FT | 20% | 80% | 29% | 71% | 51% | 76 |
SL | 41% | 59% | 32% | 68% | 45% | 373 |
Luke Hochevar
Pitch Type | Low Pitch – Man on 3B | High Pitch – Man on 3B | Low Pitch | High Pitch | In Zone% | Total |
CH | 15% | 85% | 24% | 76% | 46% | 159 |
CU | 19% | 81% | 25% | 75% | 46% | 627 |
FC | 0% | 100% | 14% | 86% | 54% | 299 |
FF | 5% | 95% | 8% | 92% | 53% | 1091 |
SI | 15% | 85% | 13% | 87% | 51% | 432 |
SL | 14% | 86% | 13% | 87% | 55% | 382 |
__3: .344
1_3: .392
_23: .462
123: .371
League values:
__3: .291
1_3: .306
_23: .301
123: .288