Kyle Bradish's ineffective fastball

[Tony-OH]

4 minutes ago, interloper said:

He's gonna be fine. Gonna take awhile though. 

This is the Hangout and you know better than to come up with this BS response after everything I've posted. Why do you think he'll be fine with this very straight fastball? Or did your Magic 8 ball tell you?

I have zero, and mean zero issue with someone saying he's going to be fine by showing show data of pitchers like him having success. But just saying, He's going to be fine, like "Forget all of the data and analysis" is just not quality Hangout level response. Very disappointing.

[Emory Eagle]

It looks like he tries to throw it almost like a cutter, or at least that is the type of movement I’ve perhaps noticed watching on TV (could be wrong of course).  Presumably he could try a more traditional two seam FB that runs into the hands of a RH hitter… but then again if so why doesn’t he do it?  Maybe something to do with arm slot?

[RZNJ]

1 hour ago, Tony-OH said:

This is the Hangout and you know better than to come up with this BS response after everything I've posted. Why do you think he'll be fine with this very straight fastball? Or did your Magic 8 ball tell you?

I have zero, and mean zero issue with someone saying he's going to be fine by showing show data of pitchers like him having success. But just saying, He's going to be fine, like "Forget all of the data and analysis" is just not quality Hangout level response. Very disappointing.

 

I'm new at this so be gentle.   His swing and miss % on his fastball is 16.9% and his fastball does have better than average spin rate and better than average velocity so it seems as though a lot of his problems are location as well has what you've pointed out as a "straight fastball".    Bradish also has pretty good number on his changeup (.250 AVG & 28% whiff) and slider (.250 AVG 40% Whiff but 4 homers).  Perhaps he should be throwing the changeup  more often.  Tyler Wells who's looked more like a major league pitcher only has a 16.8% swing and miss rate on his fastball.    So, why his Wells looking so much better?   Location.  Location. Location.

 

Again, I'm new at this but I see that Josh Hader (admittedly a very different arm slot has vertical movement of 14.7 and horizontal movement of 1.3.     Those numbers are comparable to Bradish (13.9) and 1.0.    Hader's average FB velocity is 95.7 and Bradish is 94.9.   The numbers seem pretty comparable but of course Hader has a very effective fastball and Bradish does not.    Why?

[Tony-OH]

1 hour ago, RZNJ said:

 

I'm new at this so be gentle.   His swing and miss % on his fastball is 16.9% and his fastball does have better than average spin rate and better than average velocity so it seems as though a lot of his problems are location as well has what you've pointed out as a "straight fastball".    Bradish also has pretty good number on his changeup (.250 AVG & 28% whiff) and slider (.250 AVG 40% Whiff but 4 homers).  Perhaps he should be throwing the changeup  more often.  Tyler Wells who's looked more like a major league pitcher only has a 16.8% swing and miss rate on his fastball.    So, why his Wells looking so much better?   Location.  Location. Location.

 

Again, I'm new at this but I see that Josh Hader (admittedly a very different arm slot has vertical movement of 14.7 and horizontal movement of 1.3.     Those numbers are comparable to Bradish (13.9) and 1.0.    Hader's average FB velocity is 95.7 and Bradish is 94.9.   The numbers seem pretty comparable but of course Hader has a very effective fastball and Bradish does not.    Why?

Hader throws a 97 MPH sinker 65.4 % of the time. He threw one pitch that registered as a 4-seamer with the numbers you mentioned. 

I mentioned in a previous post that location is a problem, especially against right-handers. when you look at your contour of his fastballs against righthanders. way too many are in the middle of the plate. Location can be an issue for him for sure, but with the lack of movement of his fastball without the big time vertical movement (or lack of drop) he's gotta be way better with his command of the pitch. He rarely shows that kind of command which is why he's rarely had success at the big league level.

A 95 MPH with average vertical (it a little below avg but pretty close) can have success up and above the strikezone at times. That's where he's get his swings and misses.

 

[jdwilde1]

Problem solved. 

 

[jdwilde1]

There’s no question his fastball is very hitable, especially when he’s behind in the count.  If cannot improve his FB movement, he really needs to work ahead and increase the percentage of sliders and changes if he’s going to remain in the rotation.  If he moves to the pen and adds some velocity, its a different story.  Then, he can work up in the zone at 97-98 with a hammer slider.

[Tony-OH]

2 hours ago, jdwilde1 said:

There’s no question his fastball is very hitable, especially when he’s behind in the count.  If cannot improve his FB movement, he really needs to work ahead and increase the percentage of sliders and changes if he’s going to remain in the rotation.  If he moves to the pen and adds some velocity, its a different story.  Then, he can work up in the zone at 97-98 with a hammer slider.

Which is honestly where I think he'll end up. The question will be does the added velocity make up for the lack of movement and command? 

[Legend_Of_Joey]

2 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

Which is honestly where I think he'll end up. The question will be does the added velocity make up for the lack of movement and command? 

I’m sure someone out there has checked into this, but I wonder if adding velocity will increase the movement of this pitches due to more force and drag? 

[Chelsea_Phil]

Damn, I feel like I am back in my ‘Rate Distortion Theory’ Electrical Engineering graduate school class that I took at U.of MD in the early 80s, in which I just nodded my head in class while not understanding one bit of what the lecturer was saying.

Edited June 15, 2022 by Chelsea_Phil
Added detail

[sportsfan8703]

Do pitchers scrap their 4 seamers for 2 seamers or sinkers anymore?  That doesn’t seem like it’s en vogue, but moving to the bullpen and throwing harder, sounds like he would just be Jim Hoey 2.0. 

[bobmc]

1 hour ago, Chelsea_Phil said:

Damn, I feel like I am back in my ‘Rate Distortion Theory’ Electrical Engineering graduate school class that I took at U.of MD in the early 80s, in which I just nodded my head in class while not understanding one bit of what the lecturer was saying.

But at least you were awake!  Bradish is participating in class but only getting a hook (C ).

[TommyPickles]

https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1532143569498152967 

His slider is filthy, at least.

But, yea, these fastball numbers are not super promising.

[Just Regular]

Savant this morning has his mix at 53 fastball, 26 slider, 12 change, 9 curve.     If/when he goes into the pen, slider usage going sky high seems like would be in play for one-inning dominator mode.

Hopefully the next few turns improve, it'll be an interesting game of chicken of How bad will the Org let it get.   I believe they want and need him to practice his craft 90 pitches at a time to help drag 2022 towards 1450, but think if ERA hits the sevens even Matt Blood may have to re-evaluate what was likely a settled strategic plan.

vs. Tampa, at White Sox, at Seattle (getaway day), vs. Texas, vs Angels, at Tampa to the All-Star break has nary an AL East monster in the slate.

[wildcard]

19 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

If it is something he's capable of doing it why hasn't he already done it?

 

Probably because they didn't need to address his fastball until now.  Bradish was a fast mover through the O's minors after he was acquired from the Angels.   Barely played at Bowie before being moved to Norfolk in 2021.   The biggest priority was to improve his breaking pitches.   Which late in 2021 he did.  He looked very good in ST. 

We are just over 2 months into the season and the fastball appears to not be effective as it needs to be.   Changing the grip to get more movement and have command of the pitch may be hard to do during the season without increasing the risk of an arm injury.   Its may be something Holt and Bradish address in the off season and in ST next spring.  JMG.

[Can_of_corn]

5 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Probably because they didn't need to address his fastball until now.  Bradish was a fast mover through the O's minors after he was acquired from the Angels.   Barely played at Bowie before being moved to Norfolk in 2021.   The biggest priority was to improve his breaking pitches.   Which late in 2021 he did.  He looked very good in ST. 

We are just over 2 months into the season and the fastball appears to not be effective as it needs to be.   Changing the grip to get more movement and have command of the pitch may be hard to do during the season without increasing the risk of an arm injury.   Its may be something Holt and Bradish address in the off season and in ST next spring.  JMG.

That would be a very poor approach toward development.