Pitches to observe in Pirates Spring Coaching 2024
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#Gameday3D — Brent Honeywell screwball
83 mph / 45″ of drop / 15″ of break pic.twitter.com/zlAo3JgBJz
— David Adler (@_dadler) April 8, 2023
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February eleventh, 2024
This story was excerpted from the Pirates Beat publication. To learn the complete publication, click on right here. And subscribe to get it frequently in your inbox.
Considered one of my favourite components of Spring Coaching is seeing how pitchers proceed to attempt to up their arsenals and the way that performs in opposition to professional hitters. This season, I’m wanting to see how three pitches particularly play: two from pitchers who aren’t on the 40-man roster, and one pitcher who has however didn’t fairly stick in 2023.
Paul Skenes’ fastballSkenes, the Pirates’ No. 1 prospect per MLB Pipeline, has two elite pitches: his fastball and his slider. We may decide both of them for this train, however I believe the 80-grade fastball must be the one we watch essentially the most.
Initially, let’s get the plain out of the best way: It’s a high-velocity fastball. Extraordinarily excessive velocity. However going again to the School World Collection — the final time Skenes made begins of normal size — he additionally confirmed that the rate can endure all through a begin.
For instance, of the 123 pitches he threw vs. Tennessee within the opening spherical of the 2023 School World Collection, 46 have been clocked at 100 mph or better. Just one pitcher in MLB has thrown greater than 46 fastballs of 100 mph or extra in a recreation, and that’s one other participant who entered the professionals with an 80-grade fastball: Hunter Greene of the Reds, who threw 47 such fastballs on Sept. 17, 2022.
However I’m simply as to see how the form of the fastball performs in opposition to Main League hitters in spring camp. There was some Draft-time speak about how Skenes’ fastball form was lower than fascinating as a result of he doesn’t generate a lot rise regardless of the excessive warmth. However two-seam fastballs have come again in a giant method in MLB, partly to fight the homer-heavy hitting focus throughout the league. If a hitter can catch as much as a fast fastball with rise, evidently that it’s going to be lifted, and lifted exhausting and much.
I don’t care what the pitch form knowledge says: Pair velocity with motion on the fastball and extra possible than not you’ve received a recipe for achievement. To not point out that Skenes has a number of the greatest command of a triple-digit fastball that we’ve seen from a prospect in years. Nothing will actually shock a veteran Main League hitter, however let’s see if Skenes’ fastball not less than makes them rethink their approaches.
The Pirates acquired Moreta after the 2022 season for Kevin Newman, and so they unlocked his greatest potential with a easy repair: Moreta threw his slider far more than another providing final season and far more than he had in seasons previous. However it’s not even actually only one slider.
Moreta has a extra typical slider that breaks vertically in a extra anticipated vogue, however he can also throw it in a method that has others calling it a screwball, because it strikes extra to his arm aspect.
Some name it the wrong-way slider. I say it’s good. And if Moreta can dial it on this spring, he must be a lock for a bullpen spot given the outcomes it generated at his peak in 2023.
Brent Honeywell’s screwballHoneywell remains to be not formally a Pirate, however our Jon Morosi was considered one of a number of MLB insiders to report that he has joined Pittsburgh on a Minor League contract with an invite to Spring Coaching. Which implies we’re going to get to see one of many coolest pitches.
Honeywell’s is particular and it’s been efficient when he’s been wholesome, together with for a stretch of final season. For extra informal baseball followers who might not have seen a screwball, it’s just like a changeup, however it has a unique velocity and spin and it provides the batter a unique look. It usually has a sharper break on the finish due to that spin, as seen within the video linked beneath from Honeywell with the Padres final season.
Honeywell threw the pitch for 7.9% of his choices final season, and it had the bottom anticipated slugging proportion of any of his pitches (.304). He’s an fascinating pitcher to observe regardless, however this pitch can be enjoyable to maintain tabs on.
