The secret of Zach Britton's unique dominance

[Cumberbundy]

He had no location and no one came close to squaring the ball up, he's got to be enticing in this era of HRs.

[Frobby]

Zach did not look at all sharp tonight.    All his pitches were either belt high or spiked into the dirt.    I'm not encouraged.   

[Chavez Ravine]

36 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Zach did not look at all sharp tonight.    All his pitches were either belt high or spiked into the dirt.    I'm not encouraged.   

I'm not discouraged...exactly. This is still rust shedding time for him. Still, there is the existential fear that his ephemeral window of being a dominant closer has passed. Just our luck that it happens when we could really use his deadline trade value.

[Cumberbundy]

Some people who shall remain nameless think Britton should not work on/use this beautiful pitch

 

 

[weams]

On 7/8/2017 at 0:21 AM, Frobby said:

Zach did not look at all sharp tonight.    All his pitches were either belt high or spiked into the dirt.    I'm not encouraged.   

Better today. Obviously rushing him back would have been a terrible idea.  Terrible.

[OFFNY]

o

 

Zach Britton on Trade Rumors

(By Steve Melewski)

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/07/zach-britton-on-trade-rumors.html

 

o

[Cumberbundy]

How about that slider. What a pitch.

[OFFNY]

o

 

(JULY 24th, 2017)

 

There have been 1,045 blown saves in Major League Baseball since Zach Britton's last blown save, which occurred on September 20th of 2015.

 

https://twitter.com/MLBStatoftheDay/status/889566497038905344

 

o

[Cumberbundy]

 

[jgaro]

I was happy we didn't trade Zach Britton.  You don't trade the best closer in baseball.  That pitch is awesome.  If the O's have any chance this year to make the playoffs they need Zach Britton.

[Cumberbundy]

They should play this when ZB comes in. 

 

[Cumberbundy]

 

[Frobby]

Not a bad way to watch a game!

[Can_of_corn]

Who doesn't like spin rate talk?

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/sunday-notes-vision-and-data-fuel-opportunity-for-tommy-pham/

Quote

Zach Britton is savvy about spin. When it comes to his signature sinker, the Baltimore Orioles closer — battling through an injury-marred season — knows that less is more.

“My two-seam spin rate is higher this year,” Britton told me recently. “It’s gotten closer to normal in August, but for awhile it was around 2,100 and I’d never been above 2,000 before. Last year, when I had the highest ground-ball rate of my career, it was around 1,900. That’s not a huge, glaring difference, but it’s enough to impact movement.”

The forearm strain that landed him on the disabled list has played a role.

“My release point was different when I came back,” explained the southpaw. “What I want is to be on top and driving the ball down, and I was lowering my arm slot and kind of pushing the baseball. The velocity has been about the same, but the spin rate is a little bit higher, and the movement is a little less. That could be from the lack of innings, or it could be the injury.

“One thing about my sinker is that I don’t manipulate it. I just grip it and throw it, so what I have to ask myself is, ‘Why is it spinning more?’ Again, the velocity is the same, so I think it goes back to my delivery. Where is my arm slot? Am I taller in my delivery? Am I lower in my delivery? Whatever happens over the mound affects what happens at the plate.”

 

[eddie83]

1 hour ago, Can_of_corn said:

Who doesn't like spin rate talk?

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/sunday-notes-vision-and-data-fuel-opportunity-for-tommy-pham/

 

I have been wondering how serious this knee issue is and if that is impacting him mentally.