Inducing swings at pitches outside the strike zone

[Frobby]

We talk a lot about our hitters swinging too much at pitches outside the strike zone, but which of our pitchers are good at getting hitters to do this?

There were 142 pitchers who threw 100+ innings last year.    Here's where the Orioles' starters ranked:

13.  Gausman 34.8%

34.  Miley 32.5%

39.  Bundy 32.2%

124.  Tillman 27.7%

130.  Jimenez 26.8%

136.  Gallardo 25.8%

And of 176 relievers who threw 40+ innings:

14.   Britton 37.0%

30.   Brach 35.0%

86.   Givens 30.9%

157.  Worley 26.7%

O'Day didn't pitch 40 innings, but was 8th among those who pitched 30+, at 38.9%.

Tillman is always very low in this category.   It's interesting that he can be successful when he's not really fooling anyone.   Ubaldo and Gallardo also have been consistently low.    

Britton has been much lower in past years (even 2014-15) than he was last year.    You'd think batters would lay off more, not less, as they see Britton's stuff.    But that wasn't the case in 2016.

[Can_of_corn]

I would have expected Givens' number to be higher.

No surprise at all that Gallardo was that bad.

[mdbdotcom]

Happily surprised to see Miley in the first quadrant. He may be the wild card this season, because if he pitches as well as he is capable, he will be a big plus, but if he pitches as poorly as he did at times last season, he will have no value.

[Frobby]

On the other hand, here's the contact % on pitches outside the zone.    Starters:

74.  Gausman 65.5%

79.  Jimenez 65.9%

99.  Bundy 68.2%

111.  Miley 71.9%

129.   Tillman 72.3%

134.   Gallardo 73.5%

And the relievers:

5.   Britton 42.0%

54.  Brach 56.8%

59.   Givens 57.9%

175.  Worley 87.3%

O'Day was just above Givens at 57.8%.

[Spy Fox]

9 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

I would have expected Givens' number to be higher.

No surprise at all that Gallardo was that bad.

But he was really good at trying to make them swing at pitches outside the zone and then getting a full count instead.