Stats for Pitchers

What is the most important stat for pitchers?

Pitching stats are very important in interpreting a pitcher’s performance on the mound. There has been much debate over which pitching stats are best at grading a pitcher. The big three candidates are ERA (earned run average), k/bb (strikeout to walk ratio), and WHIP (Walks, Hits, per innings pitched)

What are the stats for a pitcher?

The basic pitching statistics for a pitcher are strikeouts, hits, base on balls, wins, losses, earned run average, complete games, shutouts, saves, quality starts, hlds and number of innings pitched.

However there are many advanced stats like ground ball percentage, wins above replacement, ERA+, and more that can be used to decide a pitcher’s performance. These metrics are often harder to interpret and calculate.

What stats make a good pitcher?

The stats that make a good pitcher are generally a high k/9 and k/bb and a low Earned run average while accounting for innings pitched. Mixing in stats like a high Fangraphs Wins Above Replacement and a low ERA+ will also give you a very good pitching statistical overview.

What is the average pitching velocity?

The average Major League pitching velocity in the year 2021 was 93.5 Miles Per Hour. However, younger age groups will have a much slower average. For example, the average sixteen year old will throw 76 MPH.

How do pitchers get their stats?

Pitchers usually get their stats by way of the scorekeeper keeping track of all the plays throughout a baseball game. This usually gets entered into a computer program which helps to calculate all of the team’s stats.

What is the average Earned Run Average?

In 2021, the league average ERA for starting pitchers was 4.26. This has fluctuated as the game of baseball changes and offenses become more or less prevelant.

What is the fastest fastball thrown in MLB history?

The fastest pitch recognized by MLB was on September 25, 2010, at Petco Park in San Diego by then Cincinnati Reds left-handed relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman. It was clocked at 105.1 miles per hour. Aroldis Chapman also threw the fastest pitch of 2021 with a 103.4 MPH fastball as a reliever for the Yankees.

What is a four-seam fastball?

A four seam fastball is a pitch in the fastball family of pitches. The name “four-seam fastball” comes from the fact that the batter can see all four seams with every rotation. It has little to no break and its use mainly comes from its speed. It is thrown with two fingers on top of the seams sideways and the thumb underneath the bottom of the ball. It is common to see multiple four-seam fastballs in an at bat.

What is a two-seam fastball?

A two seam fastball is a pitch in the fastball family of pitches. The name “two-seam fastball” comes from the fact that the hitter can see only two seams as the ball heads towards home plate. It has more break that the average four-seamer and a little less velocity. It is thrown with two fingers along the seams and thumb underneath the bottom of the ball.

What is a rising fastball?

Because of backspin, some fastballs will fall slower than others. This creates an optical illusion to the batter that the ball is actually rising. This is known as a rising fastball, although it should be known that it is impossible for pitchers to throw a ball that rises.

What is a split-finger fastball?

A split finger fastball is in the offspeed family of pitches. However, it is called a “fastball” because it appears to be a fastball to batters until it suddenly drops out of the zone. It is known as a “split-finger” because the pitcher splits all four fingers in each corner of the ball.

What is a cutter?

A cutter is a pitch in the fastball family of pitches. It’s a type of fastball that cuts in towards the batter as it moves towards home plate. It is very similar to a slider but is thrown much faster than a slider and with less movement. It can be thrown by using a fastball grip and closing your top two fingers.

What is a slider?

A slider is a pitch in the breaking ball family of pitches. It is thrown similar to a cutter but with a velocity and break closer to a curveball. The pitch features both lateral and a hard downward movement as it travels forward.

What is a curve ball?

A curve ball is a pitch that features the most movement out of all pitch types. It is thrown with enough top spin that it dives as it approaches home plate. The curve ball has a variety of trajectories that vary from pitcher to pitcher. The average curveball is gripped with two fingers on a long seam and the thumb on the seam diagonal from the chosen seam.

What is a change up?

A change up is a pitch in the off speed family of pitches. It is thrown to look like a fastball but it arrives 8 to fifteen miles per hour slower than a fastball. It is known as a change up because it is a change of pace from other balls thrown with a fastball grip. This is achieved by a special grip with one finger on top of the ball, two fingers to the side and two on the bottom of the ball. The grip should look like a star and the delivery must be slower in order to achieve the intended effect.

What is a breaking ball?

A breaking ball is any pitch that does not travel straight as it approaches the hitter. They are much slower and require more finesse than the typical fastball. Due to the pitches lack of velocity, base runners might find it easier to steal a base on breaking balls. Any misplacement of a breaking ball can lead to long fly balls that can turn into home runs.

What is Trevor Bauer's pitching arsenal?

In 2021, he relied primarily on his Fourseam Fastball (94mph) and Cutter (85mph), also mixing in a Slider (81mph), Curve (80mph) and Sinker (94mph). He also rarely threw a Change (88mph).

What is the Rarest pitch in baseball?

A screwball, a breaking ball designed to move in the opposite direction of a slider or curveball.

What is a strike?

A strike is any ball that passes in the strike zone that does not result in a hit. A strike can also occur when a batter swings at a ball out of the strike zone and misses. Foul balls also count as strikes unless there are two strikes. A strike is divided into two categories: swinging, when a hitter misses a ball, and called, when a batter does not swing at a strike. Called strikes are up to umpire discretion.

What is a strikeout?

A strikeout occurs when an a plate appearance results in three strikes. A strikeout is symbolized with the letter K. The K will appear forwards if the batter swung and missed or backwards if it is a called strike.

What pitcher has the most strike-outs?

The pitcher with the most career strike-outs is former pitcher and Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. He has accumulated 5,714 career strike-outs over his 27 year career. Among active pitchers, Max Scherzer leads the MLB with 3,030. Justin Verlander sits in second with 3,013 as of 2022.

What is a ball?

A ball is any pitch that is not in the strike zone and not swung at by a batter. Whether a pitch is a ball or not is at the discretion of the umpire.

What is a base on balls (bb)?

A base on balls, or walk, occurs when a pitcher throws four balls in a plate appearance. The batter is then awarded a free base. While many walks are unintentional, some aren’t. Pitchers can signal for an intentional base on balls, or IBB, which awards a walk with no pitches being thrown. Walks do not count as official at-bats so they do not affect a batter’s batting average.

What pitcher has the most base on balls?

The pitcher with the most career base on balls is former pitcher and Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. He has accumulated 2,795 career walks over his 27 year career.

What is ERA? And why is it important?

Earned run average, or ERA, is the average number of earned runs given up by a pitcher over the course of their innings thrown. An earned run is a run caused by a pitcher. Runs scored by a batter who reached base on an error or by way of another pitcher do not count as earned runs to the pitcher throwing. In 2021, the average ERA for starting pitchers was 4.26.

Walks plus hits per inning pitched - what is WHIP?

WHIP is the calculation of walks plus hits per inning pitched. It’s a pretty important and pretty straight forward statistic. You get WHIP by adding a pitcher’s walks and hits and divide it by innings pitched.

What is FIP?

FIP is Field Independent Pitching. It is like ERA but only focuses on strikes, walks, hit by pitches, and home runs. This removes fielding from the equation and is considered more accurate than ERA.