Which current O's pitcher has the best command?

[AZRon]

Here are the pitchers on the current active roster:

Shawn Armstrong     Paul Fry                 John Means
Richard Bleier            Mychal Givens      Dan Straily
Dylan Bundy              David Hess            Gabriel Ynoa
Andrew Cashner       Branden Kline    
Miguel Castro           Josh Lucas    

Command is the ability to throw to specific spots into or out of the strike zone.

Assuming that he has fully recovered from his surgery and subsequent injury, I believe it is Richard Bleier.

If so, he will again prove to be the most effective pitcher on the Orioles' staff.

 

 

[Moose Milligan]

This is like wondering which Wal-Mart cashier is the hottest.

Uhhh...Means?  Sure, why not.

[AZRon]

5 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

This is like wondering which Wal-Mart cashier is the hottest.

Uhhh...Means?  Sure, why not.

Does your analogy suggest that you believe the Orioles to be one of the (or the) worst teams in the MLB and Wal-Mart to be one of the (or the) most ethically bereft and morally bankrupt businesses based in the U.S.? 

For the season to date, I agree that John Means has demonstrated the best command and is the O's most effective pitcher.  Here's his zone chart from BrooksBaseball:
http://www.brooksbaseball.net/profile.php?player=607644&pFilt=FA|SI|FC|CU|SL|CS|KN|CH|FS|SB&time=month&minmax=ci&var=count&s_type=2&startDate=01/01/2019&endDate=01/01/2020&gFilt=regular

Here's Bleier's chart from last year:
http://www.brooksbaseball.net/profile.php?player=542947&balls=-1&strikes=-1&b_hand=-1&time=month&minmax=ci&var=count&s_type=2&gFilt=regular&pFilt=FA|SI|FC|CU|SL|CS|KN|CH|FS|SB&startDate=01/01/2018&endDate=01/01/2019

[Moose Milligan]

55 minutes ago, AZRon said:

Does your analogy suggest that you believe the Orioles to be one of the (or the) worst teams in the MLB and Wal-Mart to be one of the (or the) most ethically bereft and morally bankrupt businesses based in the U.S.? 

 

Nah, just not a lot of good looking women that work at Wal-Mart.  

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, AZRon said:

Does your analogy suggest that you believe the Orioles to be one of the (or the) worst teams in the MLB and Wal-Mart to be one of the (or the) most ethically bereft and morally bankrupt businesses based in the U.S.? 

For the season to date, I agree that John Means has demonstrated the best command and is the O's most effective pitcher.  Here's his zone chart from BrooksBaseball:
http://www.brooksbaseball.net/profile.php?player=607644&pFilt=FA|SI|FC|CU|SL|CS|KN|CH|FS|SB&time=month&minmax=ci&var=count&s_type=2&startDate=01/01/2019&endDate=01/01/2020&gFilt=regular

Here's Bleier's chart from last year:
http://www.brooksbaseball.net/profile.php?player=542947&balls=-1&strikes=-1&b_hand=-1&time=month&minmax=ci&var=count&s_type=2&gFilt=regular&pFilt=FA|SI|FC|CU|SL|CS|KN|CH|FS|SB&startDate=01/01/2018&endDate=01/01/2019

I think the way these boxes break down don’t tell much of a story about command.   First, they don’t distinguish a pitch that is 2-3 inches out of the strike zone (often a desirable result) from a pitch 18” out of the strike zone.   Second, they don’t distinguish a strike that is 3” from the dead center of the plate from a strike that is 8” from the center of the plate.  (The border of the center block is 2.83” from the center of the plate on either side.; the edge of the plate is 8.5” from the center.)

[AZRon]

15 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I think the way these boxes break down don’t tell much of a story about command.   First, they don’t distinguish a pitch that is 2-3 inches out of the strike zone (often a desirable result) from a pitch 18” out of the strike zone.   Second, they don’t distinguish a strike that is 3” from the dead center of the plate from a strike that is 8” from the center of the plate.  (The border of the center block is 2.83” from the center of the plate on either side.; the edge of the plate is 8.5” from the center.)

That's all true and a point well-made, but I will point out that the charts do show the percentage of pitches in the middle/middle, middle up and middle down of the plate. Staying out of those locations while throwing strikes and near-strikes to the 4 corners is the essence of command and essential to pitcher effectiveness.

[baltfan]

Dylan Bundy - I have never seen anyone who can throw. it down the middle better.     Fastball - easy.  Change - piece of cake.  Curve - hang in there for it.  Cutter - so glad they let him throw it now. 

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, baltfan said:

Dylan Bundy - I have never seen anyone who can through it down the middle better.     Fastball - easy.  Change - piece of cake.  Curve - hang in there for it.  Cutter - so glad they let him throw it now. 

You never saw a Gausman 0-2 pitch?

[Frobby]

13 minutes ago, AZRon said:

That's all true and a point well-made, but I will point out that the charts do show the percentage of pitches in the middle/middle, middle up and middle down of the plate. Staying out of those locations while throwing strikes and near-strikes to the 4 corners is the essence of command and essential to pitcher effectiveness.

Even there, it can depend how far up and how far down.    A pitch at the knees is a lot different from a pitch 3” below the center of the zone.    But I take your point, as well.  What I’d really like to see is a grid that’s 10 by 10 instead of 5 by 5.    Then you’d really be able to distinguish the borderline pitches from the fat ones.    

Of course, a grid can’t really capture some of the breaking pitches that are intentionally buried in the dirt or 6” outside because the pitcher thinks the batter will go for them.    

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

8 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

This is like wondering which Wal-Mart cashier is the hottest.

Uhhh...Means?  Sure, why not.

Don't be so quick to judge...or it's what inside that counts.

[AZRon]

1 hour ago, baltfan said:

Dylan Bundy - I have never seen anyone who can through it down the middle better.     Fastball - easy.  Change - piece of cake.  Curve - hang in there for it.  Cutter - so glad they let him throw it now. 

Are you being facetious?
or
like most of the current Oriole pitching staff, mistakenly conflating control with command?

[Enjoy Terror]

3 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

Nah, just not a lot of good looking women that work at Wal-Mart.  

 

 

[baltfan]

43 minutes ago, AZRon said:

Are you being facetious?
or
like most of the current Oriole pitching staff, mistakenly conflating control with command?

Facetious.  Thought it was clear. 

[HowAboutThat]

11 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

This is like wondering which Wal-Mart cashier is the hottest.

You don’t Like ‘em Big an’ bulky?