Folty’s SL still has a spin rate a little above average. This suggests to me the loss in movement is mechanical, causing him to not get as much effective spin as last year.
Someone smart needs to get Folty straightened out.
It's quite possible that he altered his mechanics because he is afraid that his old mechanics, or more the 2018 ones will cause his bone spurs to flare and bother him again. Either way, these mechanics that he has now messed up his best two pitches. He tried a couple different things to try to work around it, but his other pitches just aren't as good (his sinker stinks but the changeup is solid and the curve is good, but the only pitch that might match his top slider/fastball is the curve), so he can't diversify his pitches and just "pitch".
Either way, it's a mess and I don't think we'll be seeing him back for a while unless the pitching continues to not go as planned. It's a matter of he needs to work on getting back to the 2018 mechanics aaaannnnndddddd be given confidence his bone spurs won't flare while pitching that way. The earliest I can see him back is probably mid August.
Aggression with prospects is fine, but being stupid is not. There should be a way to find a happy medium between a Pirates like idea of being overly cautious with prospects and going stupidly fast with prospects.
AerchAngel (06-23-2019), Freshmaker (06-23-2019), jpx7 (06-23-2019)
Additional tidbits about Folty's "emotions"
David O'Brien
Verified account
@DOBrienATL
12h12 hours ago
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#Braves' Snitker on Folty's emotions getting best of him: “I thought he had turned a corner, but I’m seeing signs this year of going right back where he was 2 or 3 years ago. It’s something that he going to have to (fix), because nobody can take care of that other than him."
David O'Brien
Verified account
@DOBrienATL
12m12 minutes ago
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#Braves pitching coach Rick Kranitz on emotions affecting Foltynewicz on mound: "I think it affects anybody, when you get overemotional and you start to overthrow and you do get out of your mechanics. Every pitcher in the game needs to be able to keep emotions in check.”
Freshmaker (06-23-2019)
https://mobile.twitter.com/b_outlier...hread%2Fpage98
Folty slider heat map...
Ivermectin Man
jpx7 (06-23-2019)
jpx7 (06-23-2019), The Chosen One (06-23-2019)
It's pretty much a combo of bad mechanics and attitude with Folty right now. His location was as bad as I've seen it from him. That slider Adams homered was ugly. But his body language was just as disturbing. Tom Verducci really noted it on the broadcast last night. It was apparent to me something was going to happen when reading Snitker's quotes last night. Much like Bobby Cox, Brian mostly talks up his players and is not usually "matter of fact", if you will, like he was in regards to Mike. Folty is a talented pitchers hopefully he takes this assignment in the right fashion and figures it out.
Chopping With The Braves And Rolling With The Tide
rico43 (06-23-2019)
In regards to trade possibility, I think a potential deal for a starter is increasing. I don't think it will happen before the All Star break. After the ASG, I think it's likely. I hope AA has a good plan, because of the new trade deadline timing this year, the time between the ASG and the July 31 deadline will likely be crazy.
Chopping With The Braves And Rolling With The Tide
jpx7 (06-23-2019)
Still, think he is hurt and just not saying. That ruined Steve Avery.
salmagundy (06-23-2019), TomahawkCult (06-23-2019)
He’s mad at himself because he’s not been effective... I don’t see him being ineffective because he’s mad. It doesn’t look like the same emotional issues he dealt with when he was younger and always acting like it was the umps fault. I’m glad he shows emotion, that lets me knows he cares. If he was blaming others, that’s a problem... but he’s put it all on himself. And I don’t think it has anything to do with his emotions right now and has everything to do with his bone spurs. That would explain the sliders ineffectiveness which has been his main problem considering it’s such an elbow intensive pitch.
jpx7 (06-23-2019)