Kyle Wright's Stuff

[Enscheff]

I was going to post this in yesterday's game thread, but the data was so weird I wanted to make a new thread so I could continue to monitor what's going on.

Wright didn't throw enough pitches to make any concrete conclusions on any of them except maybe the FA, but here's what he showed in his 2 inning stint...

FA: 94.6 mph (Grade 56.1), 1.0" XMov (Grade 26.5), 5.2" VMov (Grade 16.9)

I'm afraid this FA is going to be a serious issue moving forward, which is odd because his 2454 RPM on the pitch is 3rd best on the team. Maybe it's an arm slot issue? It's almost like he throws it with side spin...like a football.

If this is the amped up velocity out of the BP, then it's likely average velocity as a SP. Needless to say, if this movement data based on 16 FAs is correct, the 20 grade movement is not something I've ever seen on a FA thrown by a Braves pitcher. This is bottom of the scale horizontal movement. His rise on the FA is so bad it actually profiles as an average SI...problem is if the pitch was classified as a SI the horizontal movement is so bad it wouldn't even be on the scale at all (Grade -10.4).

SL: 80.4 mph (Grade 32.0), 9.0" HMov (Grade 80+), -4.3" VMov (Grade 77.7)

This is a slow slider with absolutely wipe out movement. We saw how it works against Bradley. This has to be graded a plus-plus pitch overall...it's nasty.

FC: 85.0 mph (Grade 32.9), 2.9" XMov (Grade 63.4), -2.1" VMov (Grade 80+)

A slow cutter with crazy movement. I have no other data on a cutter with negative vertical movement. I don't even know how to grade this pitch. It moves like a splitter with cutting glove side action instead of fading arm side action. We probably have to call it plus though, right?

CH: 11.2 mph delta (Grade 66.8), 8.5" XMov (Grade 55.8), 3.2" VMov (Grade 56.9)

Finally, a pitch that fits a normal profile! This is a 60 grade pitch overall.

So we have a guy with a horridly straight fastball on both planes despite a good spin rate, a slow slider with elite movement, a cutter with off the charts sink, and a change that hovers around plus. I've analyzed hundreds of pitches from dozens of pitchers, and I've never seen anything like it. When I started this post the FA movement had me extremely discouraged, but that FA coupled with the crazy movement on everything else might end up being effective.

I have no idea how to view Wright, so all I can do is take a wait and see approach.

[Jaw]

I love it when you make these posts.

[Bravesfannchar]

At first, I thought that read as a 69 grade FA and was like... Niceeee....

Then I read it as actually 16.9 and wooooo boy I was kinda in shock.


Any way, another big thanks for doing this, man. Love these from you.

[CJ9]

Just saw this in Kiley's chat this afternoon --

Dustin: Thoughts on Kyle Wright? Minor league numbers aren’t eye-popping, but the Braves also didn’t waste much time getting him into the upper levels of their system. I certainly liked what little I saw out of him last night.

Kiley McDaniel: I know the Trackman stuff for him is a little less than what scouts report, so the swing and miss may never match the 20-80 grades, but at a lower slot with a mid-90’s sinker, he can still be a mid rotation guy with 7-8 K/9

[The Chosen One]

Can he start for Newcomb the next turn in the rotation? Or Wilson.

[thewupk]

So another guy with better stuff than Julio

[Super]

So another guy with better stuff than Julio

we probably have 10 pitchers with better stuff rn

[atl717]

Just from my eye when I saw his fastball I thought it was terrible. Was displeased.

[Acuña’s Bat Flip]

His stuff is amazing. He made the best team in baseball look bad for two innings.

[striker42]

Either Wright is some kind of freak or the small sample size is screwing with the results a bit. Either way it will be hard to predict anything from the data thus far. If the data is off due to the sample size then it's fairly useless. If he's a freak then it's hard to find others with comparable stuff to help with projections.

One thing's for sure, that slider (it's almost like a horizontal hammer curve) is one NASTY pitch.

[CyYoung31]

Kyle Wright for closer.

[bravesfanMatt]

Kyle Wright for manager.

[AerchAngel]

I love it when you make these posts.

En's is Dr. Jeckyl/Mr. Hyde.

Maddening.

Bar none, he can be the best poster on this board with his insight, attention to details analysis.

Bar none, he can be the biggest prick on this board as well and I get mad at him and let him know it and Cy promptly jump in my butt about it.

But what I find what I do actually like about him when he is in nice mode, he doesn't show any bias in the information he provides, it is cut and dry and he gives us his opinion, some people might not accept but the data is right there and not many would challenge him, I know I wouldn't and look like an idiot.

[AerchAngel]

Oh En's is right, that slider he threw was one of the most nastiest wipe out pitches I have seen all year. If you look at Bradleys bat plane and the ball, it is like someone throwing a 50 footer and you swung early before it even got there. He had no chance of even touching it. He had the correct bat speed, but he was like 4 inches away.

[zbhargrove]

Just from my eye when I saw his fastball I thought it was terrible. Was displeased.

As always... very valuable insight

[Oklahomabrave]

Ensheff did you ever do one for Touki? I remember looking forward to it and wasn’t sure if I missed it.

[BeanieAntics]

I was going to post this in yesterday's game thread, but the data was so weird I wanted to make a new thread so I could continue to monitor what's going on.

Wright didn't throw enough pitches to make any concrete conclusions on any of them except maybe the FA, but here's what he showed in his 2 inning stint...

FA: 94.6 mph (Grade 56.1), 1.0" XMov (Grade 26.5), 5.2" VMov (Grade 16.9)

I'm afraid this FA is going to be a serious issue moving forward, which is odd because his 2454 RPM on the pitch is 3rd best on the team. Maybe it's an arm slot issue? It's almost like he throws it with side spin...like a football.

If this is the amped up velocity out of the BP, then it's likely average velocity as a SP. Needless to say, if this movement data based on 16 FAs is correct, the 20 grade movement is not something I've ever seen on a FA thrown by a Braves pitcher. This is bottom of the scale horizontal movement. His rise on the FA is so bad it actually profiles as an average SI...problem is if the pitch was classified as a SI the horizontal movement is so bad it wouldn't even be on the scale at all (Grade -10.4).

SL: 80.4 mph (Grade 32.0), 9.0" HMov (Grade 80+), -4.3" VMov (Grade 77.7)

This is a slow slider with absolutely wipe out movement. We saw how it works against Bradley. This has to be graded a plus-plus pitch overall...it's nasty.

FC: 85.0 mph (Grade 32.9), 2.9" XMov (Grade 63.4), -2.1" VMov (Grade 80+)

A slow cutter with crazy movement. I have no other data on a cutter with negative vertical movement. I don't even know how to grade this pitch. It moves like a splitter with cutting glove side action instead of fading arm side action. We probably have to call it plus though, right?

CH: 11.2 mph delta (Grade 66.8), 8.5" XMov (Grade 55.8), 3.2" VMov (Grade 56.9)

Finally, a pitch that fits a normal profile! This is a 60 grade pitch overall.

So we have a guy with a horridly straight fastball on both planes despite a good spin rate, a slow slider with elite movement, a cutter with off the charts sink, and a change that hovers around plus. I've analyzed hundreds of pitches from dozens of pitchers, and I've never seen anything like it. When I started this post the FA movement had me extremely discouraged, but that FA coupled with the crazy movement on everything else might end up being effective.

I have no idea how to view Wright, so all I can do is take a wait and see approach.

If he were able to tweak his arm angle to generate more movement, maybe grade 40-45 on each plane, without losing anything on any other pitches where would you put his upside then?

[Enscheff]

If he were able to tweak his arm angle to generate more movement, maybe grade 40-45 on each plane, without losing anything on any other pitches where would you put his upside then?

I have to imagine whatever causes his SL and FC to have that crazy movement is precisely what causes his FA to have such terrible movement. Making a tweak to the FA could very likely make the off speed pitches less nasty.

It's not like he's a flame thrower who would rely on a 94 FA with average movement anyways. I've never seen pitch data anything like Wright's, but my initial reaction is to let him lean more heavily on the SL and FC, while only spotting the FA.

Seriously, nobody else throws a pitch with splitter sink and cutting action like Wright's cutter...I literally don't have any data on an cutter that has negative vertical movement...they simply don't exist at the MLB level. The movement on his slider is typically only achieved by crazy side-armers who throw 88 mph heaters..not 94 like Wright.

Really I think we just need to see more data because the data we have so far is really odd...almost like the radar malfunctioned for a bit.

[Enscheff]

Ensheff did you ever do one for Touki? I remember looking forward to it and wasn’t sure if I missed it.

http://www.chopcountry.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8535&page=16&p=528201&viewfull=1#post528201

It probably needs to be updated now that Touki has thrown quite a few more pitches

[BeanieAntics]

I have to imagine whatever causes his SL and FC to have that crazy movement is precisely what causes his FA to have such terrible movement. Making a tweak to the FA could very likely make the off speed pitches less nasty.

It's not like he's a flame thrower who would rely on a 94 FA with average movement anyways. I've never seen pitch data anything like Wright's, but my initial reaction is to let him lean more heavily on the SL and FC, while only spotting the FA.

Seriously, nobody else throws a pitch with splitter sink and cutting action like Wright's cutter...I literally don't have any data on an cutter that has negative vertical movement...they simply don't exist at the MLB level. The movement on his slider is typically only achieved by crazy side-armers who throw 88 mph heaters..not 94 like Wright.

Really I think we just need to see more data because the data we have so far is really odd...almost like the radar malfunctioned for a bit.

I could be wrong, but I think I remember Kyle Hendricks having something similar to that cutter. I think he called it a "cut-changeup" or something like that. It was a changeup that had opposite movement to a circle change, meaning that it had glove side run on it. I wonder if what Wright is doing is similar to that.

[Enscheff]

I could be wrong, but I think I remember Kyle Hendricks having something similar to that cutter. I think he called it a "cut-changeup" or something like that. It was a changeup that had opposite movement to a circle change, meaning that it had glove side run on it. I wonder if what Wright is doing is similar to that.

The spectrum of breaking balls with glove-side movement in terms of velocity/movement ratio goes cutter -> slider -> curve.

Wright seems to throw a cutter/slider hybrid (I call it a slutter) as well as a slider/curve hybrid (called a slurve). It makes them hard to grade, and I'm not sure how effective either pitch is going to be. I'm guessing the pitches will work just fine though.

The FA movement is very worrisome, but maybe it works after batters see a few of those breaking pitches from Wright early in the game and shows he can locate them.

He will probably need to pitch backwards, meaning establish the slutter and slurve before breaking out the FA. If he pitches like a normal guy and tries to establish the FA first I'm afraid it will get hammered before he has a chance to work in his slutter and slurve. If batters sit on that insanely straight FA early in the count, they will likely be able to do serious damage if Wright obliges and serves it up.

[cajunrevenge]

I love slutters. This needs to be a more commonly used word.

[GeorgiaGirl]

Huh. I've read some secondhand information on TC about him, including the thing that said the Braves forced him to work on things for developmental reasons before loosening it up later on, so that interestingly makes me think they made him work on the fastball and changeup. It seems like the cutter and especially slider were his best pitches as an SEC guy. (I'm not certain though as I was happy about the pick but didn't do much research on him)

[jpack1]

More than likely if his FA is that straight hw will need to develop an average at least sinker to be a quality starter. Become a sinker/slider guy mixing in his other 2 quality pitches and being a good mid rotation guy, perhaps a touch better. That’s the good end of the spectrum. Bad end is not a successful mlb starter without some semblance of a respectful FA.

[smootness]

The good news is, movement is the least important of the fastball characteristics. He will have to have great command of it, along with his velocity remaining where it is, for it to be effective.

We need more data, but I actually like the overall picture here. Command will obviously be key, as it is for most, but he's got some things to work with for sure.

[Enscheff]

The good news is, movement is the least important of the fastball characteristics. He will have to have great command of it, along with his velocity remaining where it is, for it to be effective.

We need more data, but I actually like the overall picture here. Command will obviously be key, as it is for most, but he's got some things to work with for sure.

I'm not sure this is true. We've seen Fried's FA suck at 94, and we've seen Hill's FA be effective at 90...the only difference being movement.

We've also seen Mauricio Cabrera who threw 100+ for the Braves suck because he had terrible rise on his FA.

https://www.fangraphs.com/tht/the-physics-of-a-rising-fastball/

[striker42]

I wonder if Wright has ever been worked with to develop a 2 seamer. With his arm angle and the movement that his slider gets, I have to feel like he'd have a good chance to have a 2 seamer with plus movement. If he could have that wipeout slider paired with a 2 seamer that swings back over the plate (a la Maddux), that would be lights out.

That being said, it's not easy for pitchers to pick up new pitches at this level so it's probably a pipe dream.

[Enscheff]

Whatever Wright does seems to lend itself to natural glove side movement. Trying to develop a pitch with notable armside movement seems like a hopeless attempt at swimming against the current. For all we know, the FA may actually be a SI because it moves vertically more like a SI than a FA.

[striker42]

Whatever Wright does seems to lend itself to natural glove side movement. Trying to develop a pitch with notable armside movement seems like a hopeless attempt at swimming against the current. For all we know, the FA may actually be a SI because it moves vertically more like a SI than a FA.

It could be a sinker. I doubt it considering the velocity but who knows how he's throwing it.

When I see a guy with a slider moving like that, I really want to see a 2 seamer running the opposite direction probably because I grew up watching Maddux. Maddux would draw X's on the strikezone. His slider would break down and away from right handers and his two seamer would go down and in.

Those pitches are why I laugh whenever anyone brings up Maddux when talking about pitchers without good stuff. Maddux's 2 seamer and slider had ridiculous movement on them.

[smootness]

I'm not sure this is true. We've seen Fried's FA suck at 94, and we've seen Hill's FA be effective at 90...the only difference being movement.

We've also seen Mauricio Cabrera who threw 100+ for the Braves suck because he had terrible rise on his FA.

https://www.fangraphs.com/tht/the-physics-of-a-rising-fastball/

You could be right. It's also possible command was a bigger issue than a lack of movement on those pitches. Neither Fried or Cabrera has ever been a pitcher with much command, and Hill jumped way up when his command suddenly improved.

There's no doubt it's true that movement will mitigate command issues, I'm just saying I think it's also probably true that command will mitigate movement issues. Wright hasn't had fantastic command, either, so obviously he needs to improve. But I don't think his fastball is destined to be terrible because of a lack of movement. It certainly won't be plus without it, but I think it can still be a decent pitch with that velocity if he commands it really well.

[Enscheff]

Wright has only thrwon 31 pitches at the MLB level, so we obviously don't have a lot of data to work with yet. However, the 16 FAs he threw were 52% of his pitch count.

There are currently 71 qualified SPs in MLB. If Wright were to maintain something close to his 52% FA%, he would rank somewhere around the middle.

My initial guess is Wright will need to throw that FA less than 50% of the time while displaying average or better control with his other pitches to be effective. I don't think he will succeed if he relies on that FA any more than that.

[Enscheff]

Wright's stuff last year:



FA: 94.6 mph (Grade 56.1), 1.0" XMov (Grade 26.5), 5.2" VMov (Grade 16.9)

SL: 80.4 mph (Grade 32.0), 9.0" HMov (Grade 80+), -4.3" VMov (Grade 77.7)

FC: 85.0 mph (Grade 32.9), 2.9" XMov (Grade 63.4), -2.1" VMov (Grade 80+)

CH: 11.2 mph delta (Grade 66.8), 8.5" XMov (Grade 55.8), 3.2" VMov (Grade 56.9)


Wright's stuff after his first 2019 start (SL reclassified as a CU, FC reclassified as a SL):

FA: 94.2 mph (Grade 54.1), 3.7" XMov (Grade 37.3), 7.6" VMov (Grade 37.3)

Wright maintained the velocity, and increased the movement in both directions. Problem is, while it served almost like a weird SI last year, it acts like a flat FA so far this year. This is not a good development on its own. This is a bad pitch, especially bad if he can't control it. And he threw it way more often than he did in 2018 because he couldn't command anything last night.

CU (previously called a SL): 80.9 mph (Grade 57.7), 9.7" XMov (Grade 80+), -2.9" VMov (Grade 42.9)

Whether you call this a slider or a curve or a slurve, this is a nasty glove side sweeper. It lost some sink from last year though. This is the pitch that gives Wright the potential to be good.

SL (previously called a FC): 84.7 mph (Grade 50.5), 2.5" XMov (Grade 50.0), -0.8" VMov (Grade 61.2)

Same type of movement as last year. Should be an above average pitch, even hogh it also lost some sink from last year (notice a theme?).

CH: 9.1 mph delta (Grade 56.6), 8.6" XMov (Grade 56.6), 5.4 " VMov (Grade 47.9)

Same above average CH we saw last year...also missing some sink.

Overall it looks like Wright lost some sink on every single pitch. Either last year's data wasn't accurate, this year's data isn't accurate, or Wright made changes to reduce the sink he gets on everything. I think that sink is going to be a key to his future success, so I hope to see it return.

[msstate7]

Wright's stuff last year:



Wright's stuff after his first 2019 start (SL reclassified as a CU, FC reclassified as a SL):

FA: 94.2 mph (Grade 54.1), 3.7" XMov (Grade 37.3), 7.6" VMov (Grade 37.3)

Wright maintained the velocity, and increased the movement in both directions. Problem is, while it served almost like a weird SI last year, it acts like a flat FA so far this year. This is not a good development on its own. This is a bad pitch, especially bad if he can't control it. And he threw it way more often than he did in 2018 because he couldn't command anything last night.

CU (previously called a SL): 80.9 mph (Grade 57.7), 9.7" XMov (Grade 80+), -2.9" VMov (Grade 42.9)

Whether you call this a slider or a curve or a slurve, this is a nasty glove side sweeper. It lost some sink from last year though. This is the pitch that gives Wright the potential to be good.

SL (previously called a FC): 84.7 mph (Grade 50.5), 2.5" XMov (Grade 50.0), -0.8" VMov (Grade 61.2)

Same type of movement as last year. Should be an above average pitch, even hogh it also lost some sink from last year (notice a theme?).

CH: 9.1 mph delta (Grade 56.6), 8.6" XMov (Grade 56.6), 5.4 " VMov (Grade 47.9)

Same above average CH we saw last year...also missing some sink.

Overall it looks like Wright lost some sink on every single pitch. Either last year's data wasn't accurate, this year's data isn't accurate, or Wright made changes to reduce the sink he gets on everything. I think that sink is going to be a key to his future success, so I hope to see it return.

Do conditions affect pitch movement?

[Enscheff]

Do conditions affect pitch movement?

No idea, but whatever was making everyone throw the ball all over the place could possibly affect their ability to manipulate spin on the ball.

Either way, Wright wasn't very impressive last night.

[Tapate50]

Might have been tough for those warm weather boys to feel those finger tips last night. Shoulda thrown Soroka.

[50PoundHead]

Did someone say "The Right Stuff?"


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbIEwIwYz-c

Oh, you meant Wright stuff? Totally different.

[bravesfanMatt]

Did someone say "The Right Stuff?"


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbIEwIwYz-c

Oh, you meant Wright stuff? Totally different.

You just lost some cool points for that.

[striker42]

Do conditions affect pitch movement?

Breaking balls had to be tough to throw. The ball is so slick and you can hardly feel your fingers in weather like that. Any pitch reliant on friction from your fingers is probably going to struggle.

[50PoundHead]

You just lost some cool points for that.

Does this get any back?

https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1179487163l/922195.jpg

[bravesfanMatt]

Does this get any back?

https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1179487163l/922195.jpg

Definitely better

[Enscheff]

The early data on Wright's stuff was....weird. That made analyzing his arsenal difficult, and perhaps pointless.

He has now thrown 128 pitches in 2020, and this data appears much more "normal".

FA: 95.0 mph (Grade 55/60), -6.4" XMov (Grade 60), 7.0" ZMov (Grade 30)

A flat 4 seamer with good arm-side fade. He needs to be careful locating this pitch, as if he gets it up it doesn't have the rise to miss bats. He probably needs to work this pitch down, like a bad sinker.

SL: 90.7 mph (Grade 75), 1.2" XMov (Grade 45), 2.5" ZMov (Grade 45)

This is being classified as a Slider, but it's really more of a Cutter...or a very hard Slider...a Slutter. We've seen him back-foot LHB with this thing, and its velocity makes it very effective when paired with average Slider movement.

SI: 93.4 mph (Grade 55), -8.6" XMov (Grade 50), 3.1" ZMov (Grade 60)

This simply appears to be the 2 seam version of his FA, with expected increase in arm-side run and sink. If he keeps it down this can be an effective MLB pitch.

CU: 82.0 mph (Grade 60), 6.5" XMov (Grade 60), -4.6" ZMov (Grade 50)

Folks paying close attention will notice Wright throwing 2 breaking balls. This is the slower one in the low 80s. Another plus pitch.

CH: 7.5 mph delta (Grade 50), -7.7" XMov (Grade 50), 2.7" ZMov (Grade 60)

Yet another good pitch. When coupled with Wright's breaking balls down and in, this pitch breaking away from LHH may turn out to be a very effective compliment.

Overall:

I guess I was expecting to see some wipeout stuff, but what we see is a 5 pitch arsenal of above average or better pitches (the FA may be just average, but will play up if located correctly). Depending on command progression, that's a prototypical 2/3 SP that folks argue about being a TOR guy despite being just below that level. It's very easy to see why Wright is going to get many chances to stick in the rotation while he works on execution.

[Super]

great stuff.
seems everything depends on his command, as right now it doesn't seem too great.
but like you said, he's going to get tons of chances, and with good reason. hopefully he isn't a guy that puts it together once he's gone.

[Super]

also, the fact that Wright's stuff was so "weird" initially lends some credence to the idea that Ian Anderson's CB doesn't actually have such a bad spin rate and the small sample data is just off.

[Tapate50]

Any different data on last night? Seemed the Slider was getting deposited 8 rows deep on the reg.

I really thought that pitch was his calling card coming out.

[Enscheff]

Any different data on last night? Seemed the Slider was getting deposited 8 rows deep on the reg.

I really thought that pitch was his calling card coming out.

I can't find a way to get movement data split by game, but Wright certainly threw a few cement mixers up there in the middle of the plate that got hammered.

It's the same story with Wright as always...until he executes his arsenal of good pitches consistently, he is not going to succeed. The stuff is there, but he's a bit like that guy next door with a nice set of tools he doesn't know how to use, and can't fix anything.

[Mrs. Meta]

Seems like a good time to bump this topiclol

[Enscheff]

The early data on Wright's stuff was....weird. That made analyzing his arsenal difficult, and perhaps pointless.

He has now thrown 128 pitches in 2020, and this data appears much more "normal".

FA: 95.0 mph (Grade 55/60), -6.4" XMov (Grade 60), 7.0" ZMov (Grade 30)

A flat 4 seamer with good arm-side fade. He needs to be careful locating this pitch, as if he gets it up it doesn't have the rise to miss bats. He probably needs to work this pitch down, like a bad sinker.

SL: 90.7 mph (Grade 75), 1.2" XMov (Grade 45), 2.5" ZMov (Grade 45)

This is being classified as a Slider, but it's really more of a Cutter...or a very hard Slider...a Slutter. We've seen him back-foot LHB with this thing, and its velocity makes it very effective when paired with average Slider movement.

SI: 93.4 mph (Grade 55), -8.6" XMov (Grade 50), 3.1" ZMov (Grade 60)

This simply appears to be the 2 seam version of his FA, with expected increase in arm-side run and sink. If he keeps it down this can be an effective MLB pitch.

CU: 82.0 mph (Grade 60), 6.5" XMov (Grade 60), -4.6" ZMov (Grade 50)

Folks paying close attention will notice Wright throwing 2 breaking balls. This is the slower one in the low 80s. Another plus pitch.

CH: 7.5 mph delta (Grade 50), -7.7" XMov (Grade 50), 2.7" ZMov (Grade 60)

Yet another good pitch. When coupled with Wright's breaking balls down and in, this pitch breaking away from LHH may turn out to be a very effective compliment.

Overall:

I guess I was expecting to see some wipeout stuff, but what we see is a 5 pitch arsenal of above average or better pitches (the FA may be just average, but will play up if located correctly). Depending on command progression, that's a prototypical 2/3 SP that folks argue about being a TOR guy despite being just below that level. It's very easy to see why Wright is going to get many chances to stick in the rotation while he works on execution.

So what, if anything has changed with Wright in 2022? He had a flat FA, a good SI, a hard SL, a good CU, and a good CH. We saw him routinely fail to execute this good arsenal, and got destroyed regularly.

In his last start he leaned heavily on the curve, as it was his most thrown pitch.

He threw his sinker much more than his 4 seamer, which is good because it's a better pitch. He also threw it harder at 94.3 mph, so it's a legit offering.

He appeared to use his 4 seamer sparingly, which is good considering it's in that meatball range of 7.1" of rise. That pitch can probably just go away.

His change was used sparingly. He somehow added even more movement to the change, and it could be a real weapon if he learns to execute it.

The slider usage tanked, and I'm not sure why. Perhaps he is phasing it out in favor of the curve. Maybe a good idea for guy who struggled to execute.

Overall, I'm hoping to see him ditch the 4 seamer, go roughly equal parts sinker/curve, and polish that change to the point he can make it an out pitch. That hard slider/cutter might be something to add back in once he establishes some success at the MLB level.