[Kyle Bradish 2021]

14 minutes ago, UMDTerrapins said:

That's the thing that's way over my understanding....how deeply to tinker with mechanics that make any one pitcher special. I recall Brian Matusz having a more pronounced stall/lurch in his mechanics when he first came up. Kinda like driving over a large branch. In his second season it had been smoothed out, though I don't know if it was deliberate or not. But he was never as effective after that. I always thought it was a weird feature, but that it made timing him a little more challenging. I obviously want Bradish to be a great pitcher in our rotation. My worry is that with a 4.7 BB/9 ratio, he'll be better suited as a late inning reliever. With four plus pitches, I'm sure the Orioles won't be tempted to go in that direction. I'm running out the door so I'll lazily link to the article, but the accompanying chart is what I found interesting. https://fantasy.fangraphs.com/when-is-a-walk-rate-too-high/ It's success based on walk rate. Sorry.....shouldn't post half-baked ideas. Gotta run. 

 

The Orioles have made one significant change to his delivery. You'll notice that he always throws from the stretch. I think it takes away a variable which can eventually lead to more consistancy of front foot placement. Compared to what I saw when he pitched at New Mexico State, his delivery looks a bit more compact and explosive.

I think he will develop into a dependable contributor to the starting rotation, but that is up to him and his physical abilities.

Cheers!

[Kyle Bradish 2021]

1 hour ago, UMDTerrapins said:

I agree it was an outing that was slow by comparison to his other outings. My recap was hoping to convey that his outing wasn't as bad as the numbers look, which really wasn't all that disastrous. He had been so dominant this year that this giving up 2 ER in a short outing seemed like a letdown to a lot of people. I'm pretty bullish on him. 

 

However........it is a quirky delivery. He arcs his back, drops down, and comes over the top in very quick succession. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. He's got great stuff and nice velocity on his pitches. Those mechanics make his stuff harder to pick up because they're unique. But my read is they're also going to make it harder to locate his pitches. His walk rates over his young career are high, and I've seen him elevate a lot of fastballs in a short sample size. I've never read his scouting reports, but if that's what they're saying I agree with them. I just don't think of it necessarily as a bad critique, other than the command repercussions. 

I don't disagree with what you are saying at all. The delivery has some challenges and some rewards. My point was that it is just how he throws, not some affectation or attempt at emulation of a throwing style. It appears quirky, but to him it is natural.

I think once Kyle has settled in to the new routine and developed relationships with the new catchers, he will perform better.

BTW, most people don't know that Kyle and Adley were teammates at the Cape.

[Kyle Bradish 2021]

On 5/25/2021 at 7:32 PM, UMDTerrapins said:

He didn't set the world on fire in his AAA debut, but it wasn't quite as bad as his line looks. He continues to have problems controlling his fastball, which he frequently elevates. His delivery has a lot of quirky movement to it. Gives him a different look from most other pitchers, but harder to command. The walks hurt him, and he was victim to both a nubber base hit, and a weak chopper RBI base hit in the 3rd. Gave up good contact less than a handful of times, and generally kept the hitters from squaring up. He wasn't nibbling, he just couldn't locate. Fastball was a little slower today, 92-94, topping out at 96. Probably about 60% fastballs. Curveball is a very nice pitch...81-85. Curve was probably around 30%. Very few sliders, and just a handful of change-ups. Weird that he was so heavy on the fastball when it was apparent early that he wasn't commanding it well. He's got good stuff, but his fastball command looks like a recurring weakness.

He wasn't getting the low slider at the knees call and was generally squeezed at the low end of the zone. I can tell you that he did not seem comfortable at all. When he is in the "groove" his process on the mound is consistent and relatively fast paced. He spent a lot of time Thursday rubbing up balls and pacing.

Definitely not his best outing, but he will figure it out.

As a side note, you  (and others) call his delivery "quirky" but he has thrown the baseball and football that way since he was 8.

Those of us that know Kyle have a to drink a shot for every time an announcer describes Kyle's delivery as having " a lot of moving parts." It's like all they know is what was written on a scouting report from when he was in college. LOL!

[Kyle Bradish 2021]

19 minutes ago, Three Run Homer said:

Does his last name rhyme with "Radish" or with "Ray Dish"?

It rhymes with radish. Rumor is he is moving up.