Can the starters just ditch the cutter?

[SilverRocket]

Great game by Kremer today, but two home runs vs his cutter.

[nvpacchi]

48 minutes ago, SilverRocket said:

Great game by Kremer today, but two home runs vs his cutter.

was just about to bump this and reply with that.  That ties him and Lynn (unless he gave up another in a week) for most HRs off the cutter...

[Uli2001]

On 8/3/2023 at 7:50 PM, Jim'sKid26 said:

I was taught that 3 things determine success when trying to get hitters out.

1) start with a consistent release point. If all your pitches start from the same place they are much harder for a hitter to differentiate and much easier for you to locate.

2) change speeds as much or more than you change location. A hitter who sees a pitch in a similar location as the previous pitch is much more likely to swing at it. If the second pitch is at a markedly different velocity it is very difficult to hit.

3) limit or, preferably eliminate, non-competitive pitches. Every pitch thrown should have a purpose.

What pitch or pitches you throw to attain these universal truths is kind of irrelevant, IMHO. 

Mike Flanagan used to say on the broadcast that you don't pitch just left and right, up and down, but also forward and backward (changing speeds). It's really a three-dimensional axis.