Fangraphs Q&A with Zach Britton

[Don_Aase_Fan]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index...e-in-progress/

Good read. Zach's really got a good head on his shoulders.

[Frobby]

Wow, that is a fantastic interview. Kudos to David Laurila for asking some very specific questions, and kudos to Zach for answering them in detail rather than a bunch of cliches. And he didn't flinch when Laurila started throwing terms like BABIP and Pitch f/x and various stats into the questions (though of course, Laurila may have cleaned up the Q & A a little bit).

[Can_of_corn]

Great stuff I particularly liked this part

Up here, it’s crucial to stay ahead of hitters. Once they know you’re not going to throw a certain pitch in the strike zone, they’re going to lay off of it. I had to go to my four-seam fastball more often — maybe a four-game stretch — and I got a lot of fly ball outs. Once I fine-tune the command of my sinker, that number should get better.

His knowledge of that fact makes me more optimistic for his future going forward.

Also nice to see that he has been talking to Palmer.

[BarclaySouthway]

Zach sounds like he really gets it. Said he lost the feel for his sinker and threw it a lot less this year than in the minors. Hopefully, he'll get that sinker back over the off-season and be ready for the grind next year. You gotta feel good about him improving after reading that piece.

[OFFNY]

Zach sounds like he really gets it. Said he lost the feel for his sinker and threw it a lot less this year than in the minors. Hopefully, he'll get that sinker back over the off-season and be ready for the grind next year. You gotta feel good about him improving after reading that piece.

He sounds very mature for a guy that has one major league season under his belt. I like the fact that he doesn't shy away from self-critique, and doesn't make excuses.

[NCRaven]

Good read. Zach's really got a good head on his shoulders.

When I first saw the post, I thought it said Matusz, not Britton. And, my first thought was that this was the first time someone said Matusz had a "good head on his shoulders." That should have caused me to immediately realize I'd made a mistake.

I still have high hopes for Britton and Arrieta and moderate hopes for Hunter. I know longer know what to make of Matusz or Tillman. Both clearly have talent, especially Matusz. But what happened to Brian this year and why can't Tillman translate minor league dominance to major league competence?

[Sparkwinder]

Quote from Zach Britton:

Because I pitch to contact. If I get a guy 0-2, I’m not necessarily looking to strike him out; I’m looking to get him to hit a ground ball.

This is part of the reason why I think Andino should be higher on the Depth Chart for 3B than Reynolds. We must give our young pitching decent defense. This is also a reason why signing Prince Fielder makes no sense (on top of several other reasons)

[Can_of_corn]

Quote from Zach Britton:



This is part of the reason why I think Andino should be higher on the Depth Chart for 3B than Reynolds. We must give our young pitching decent defense. This is also a reason why signing Prince Fielder makes no sense (on top of several other reasons)

Then who plays 2nd?

[OFFNY]

Then who plays 2nd?

No. Who's on first.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sShMA85pv8M

[Boston Dave]

That was one of the most encouraging things I have ever read about any current player. Thoughtful, honest, coachable, confident- all four come out in this interview. I like.

[Oriolidae85]

Britton's answer to his BABiP being about league average:

I haven’t stared too much at them, but I’d say that they’re pretty true, for the most part. I’d also say that some them are inflated from two outings. Against New York and Boston, I couldn’t get out of the first inning. If you take away those games, I think I’ve had a pretty solid year. That’s the way I’m looking at it, and I think the staff is as well. You obviously can’t take those two starts out of the equation, but if you do, I’ve been fine.

His ERA outside of those two games (1IP, 13 ER's) was 3.87 on the season....I'd say that is a likely outcome/projection, if he finds some more consistency in 2012. Nice article to read and ZB definitely sounds like he has the right approach and mentality to be successful!

[scOtt]

DL: When a batter steps to the plate, do you know if he’s a high-ball hitter or a low-ball hitter?

ZB: For the most part, I know the guy’s tendencies. I know what they do, but that doesn’t necessarily dictate what I’m going to do. My whole philosophy of pitching is to go to my strengths, rather than thinking too much about their strengths. As a pitcher, you have the odds in your favor. You’re going to beat their strengths 99% of the time if you execute. It all comes back to the execution. But, like I said, in the at bat, if I feel that he’s done a good job of battling the pitches down, I’ll elevate.

Quoted and bolded for Trea's benefit.


Pitching pitching pitching pitching pitching pitching pitching pitching pitching............