Matusz is mixing it up

[byrdz]

12 K's?! Dayum!

[MarkakisFan21]

Matusz has sick stuff, no one could touch his change up all night, some of the guys that he k'd with it seemed like they were a full second + out in front. It seems like almost all of his hits he gives up are off his fastball, which was only like 88-91. Oh well, he'll probably gain some of that velocity back as the season goes on.

[AVencill]

The stadium gun is a couple mph slow, maybe three mph. He was basically sitting 89-93 all night, mixing in a slider at 84, a curve around 80-81 and his high 70's changeup.

[Lucky Jim]

Because they've had him working mostly Fastball/Curve and getting away from his reliance on his Change. Nice to see him throwing the Slider in there too though.

I knew that you'd just see a dramatic change one game when he finally started mixing in the others a bit. Big difference between a 2-pitch pitcher and a 4-pitch guy.

I think this is backward. No offense. But they want him FB/Change and his CB as his out pitch.

Why would they worry about him throwing the change too much? No real pressure on his arm.

[QSII]

I'll have plenty of reaction from Matusz and the man who caught Matusz behind the plate in Caleb Joseph up on the Prospect Tracker later tonight.

Somebody tell me the secret to accessing that thing?

[Bunker]

what was he using as his out pitch tonight? Was he putting them away with the curve?

The curve and slider made up about 66% of the pitches. Not one of the 14 strike outs came on a fastball.

[bird watcher]

Somebody tell me the secret to accessing that thing?

You have to pay for the plus membership.

Its worth it. Besides if you want to post past 500 posts, you will have to get the plus membership anyway.

[bird watcher]

After reading the prospect tracker, I found it interesting that he took a different approach in this game. When he says he decided to pitch like he used to instead of trying to work on this or that, was this discounting something that coaches have been telling him to do? Was this a rebellion of sorts from him?

I don't mean to stir the pot here but if what he was doing wasn't working and he decided to do what got him first round status in the first place then what in the world are the coaches thinking down there?

[Stotle]

I think this is backward. No offense. But they want him FB/Change and his CB as his out pitch.

Why would they worry about him throwing the change too much? No real pressure on his arm.

Jim is right with regards to the pitch he generally pitched off of in college. However, his change-up is already a very good pitch -- I'd think the emphasis is more on utilizing it than developing it.

[bird watcher]

Jim is right with regards to the pitch he generally pitched off of in college. However, his change-up is already a very good pitch -- I'd think the emphasis is more on utilizing it than developing it.

I think before yesterday the emphasis was on utilizing the fastball which is his worst pitch. I am worried about how that is going to translate at the major league level where guys can hit a curveball if they know its coming.

[QBsILLEST1]

I think before yesterday the emphasis was on utilizing the fastball which is his worst pitch. I am worried about how that is going to translate at the major league level where guys can hit a curveball if they know its coming.

If they think a curve ball is coming, Matusz has 3 other above average to plus offerings he can throw. That is why we drafted him so high, even major league hitters wont be able to guess what he is gonna throw next if he is mixing it up well. I would hate to be a hitter down 0-2 on him, u would not have a clue what pitch is coming next!

[bird watcher]

If they think a curve ball is coming, Matusz has 3 other above average to plus offerings he can throw. That is why we drafted him so high, even major league hitters wont be able to guess what he is gonna throw next if he is mixing it up well. I would hate to be a hitter down 0-2 on him, u would not have a clue what pitch is coming next!

He actually has 2 others not 3. His fastball is not above average from what I have read.

[QBsILLEST1]

He actually has 2 others not 3. His fastball is not above average from what I have read.

When he is sitting in the low 90's topping out at 94, I consider that above average, not plus but above average. His fastball has a bit of movement on it also. If he could gain 2 more MPH and keep the bit of movement he has on it now, it IMO would be a plus pitch.....

[allstar1579]

I think this is backward. No offense. But they want him FB/Change and his CB as his out pitch.

Why would they worry about him throwing the change too much? No real pressure on his arm.

You might be right, both the curve and change are plus pitches, so I get it backwards all the time which one he was dependent on. I just know that they were trying to get him away from his "comfort pitch" and make him work off of his fastball/whichever pitch combo. I think last night was the first time he really mixed in all the pitches and took the reigns off so to speak.

[QSII]

You have to pay for the plus membership.

Its worth it. Besides if you want to post past 500 posts, you will have to get the plus membership anyway.

Got one. I have no problem seeing other plus content, including the newly updated depth chart. I see "zero threads" under prospect tracker.