Cubs Spring Training Notebook: Swanson's winning mentality, Lester's mark on Steele, Cubs make some spring history. We tilt the axis of rotation of the ball to a diagonal axis, which will result in angled downward movement a mix of both arm-side lateral movement (run) and sink. A combination of arm-side movement, known as run, and sinking movement. When the batter is ahead in count - 1-0, 2-1, or 2-0, When a hitter is trying to pull or is out in front of the pitches. Online baseball performance training programs for youth and advanced players! Still, it is something to think about going forward for Pineda. Just email elitebaseballpodcast@gmail.com. 10? Not so much. Kyle Hendricks is proving he's an above-average strikeout pitcher. How much should I be concerned. Switching grips could save Michael Pinedaschangeup, Yankees 3, Tigers 5: Michael King is back, baby. Now Available! Either way, it is hard not to feel like Pineda is one small adjustment away from something special. The slider doesnt really fit the Cut Change by either velocity or movement, but it is closer on velocity at least. strength and conditioning for baseball and softball. Lawmakers and others should not seek to undo laws meant to protect people from gun violence. Thats a big step, veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks said. I recently discovered that the same principle seems to work for slider movement, which is actually hugely important. Most pitchers cant throw an effective changeup, curveball or slider. Dartmouth's Hendricks Is Chicago's Brainy Ace. Its easy to dismiss the Cubs starter for Game Three, Kyle Hendricks. It sounds like a cutter to me but thats not a pitch that is associated with sinking. You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. And, dont forget to sign up for my free newsletter, using the form below. If you can just mix that in there, its gonna make his stuff even better.. The actor suffered a brain aneurysm Feb. 18 at his Los Angeles home and died in his sleep Friday at a hospital in Burbank, California, his manager said. There are many times when we pitchers get away with a changeup that was thrown a little too hard because late movement caused it to fade off his barrel at the last moment. Oct 11, 2017 Do you have a picture/video of Maddux's 2 seam grip? The changup I teach has heavy sink and armside run. Rather, that arm speed and velocity is lost into the baseball by spinning it. If you like what you hear, wed be thrilled if youd consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving us an iTunes review. He started playing with changeup grips, burying the ball deeper into his hand. As a right-handed pitcher myself, I threw more changeups to lefties, because I didnt want my curveball breaking down and in, into their happy zone. For a pitcher who throws 90mph, this is about 7mph off, or 83mph. This converts some of the arm speed into spin, which reduces the balls speed in the same way as a curveball or slider (except the spin is applied to the opposite side of the ball). Hendricks runs his fastball up to 94 MPH, mixing in a slider, curve, and changeup. One of the biggest frustrations for pitchers new to the changeup is that they bounce it too much. This is crucial, as yes, any changeup grip could work, but not all grips will help a pitcher easily spin the ball and produce excellent movement. Before leaving to join Team Israel, Cubs prospect Matt Mervis shared why this WBC means so much to him. Cubs facing a bleak situation with the luxury tax in 2020. dark. personal pitching pitcher changeup changeup grip cubs chicago cubs mlb fastball kyle hendricks sinker < back to my photo gallery alvinalexander.com is owned and operated by Valley Programming, LLC Excellent explanations Dan. youtube.com/watch?time_con 0:09 1.3K views Read him here, writing about the A's or Giants at The Athletic, or about beer at October. Hold the ball at the base of your middle and ring fingers, then put your thumb on the bottom. When the hitters brain must deal with both speed change and movement away from the initial trajectory of the pitch, the likelihood of weak contact increases. I have a question for you after reading your article. A few of my high school pitchers threw to the Rapsodo device and turned in spin-efficiencies of 90% or better, indicating a very clean diagonal spin axis on their changeups, confirming that what I believed was happening. Casey Sutherland may have just 12 games of experience with the Red Sox, but he has already shown dominance while fulfilling a childhood dream. Sign up below to receive my beloved weekly emails updates on new videos, articles and content. Hendricks has a conventional change that gets unconventional whiffs, perhaps because he shows identical arm speed or has some deception in his delivery. This LHP throws a straight change, he turns it over and it sinks away from RH batters. Whats up with this?! 13.1 inches. Not working on and using the pitch enough to master it. The slow-motion setting on an iPhone captures at 240 frames per second (fps). No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. He thanks Murphy apparently quite the chef for that gain. At the 2:09 mark in the video above, this slight grip alteration between Hendricks sinker and changeup is the only thing thats noticeable. Pingback: How to Throw a Curveball - The Definitive Guide, Pingback: Here are The Best Pitching Drills for Young Players in 2021. Would love to compare - similar movement 2 Rob Friedman @PitchingNinja Replying to @dcor_25 Greg Maddux's two seam grip and changeup grip. got a stalwart anchor atop the rotation in Hendricks. If the thumb cradles the ball from the bottom, the rest of the hand can be almost completely relaxed. His repertoire made him more of a pitcher than a thrower, making Wright wary whether pro scouts eventually would. I explain to my pitchers that speed reduction comes from two factors, making up a 10% reduction in speed: Its important to not think about the changeup as having a set MPH reduction, because this couldnt possibly be the same for a 13-year-old pitcher and a 19-year old. The arm action is just like the fast ball until the pitcher comes into the acceleration phase, then: Bring the hand in closer to the head which causes the elbow to lead longer. Phillies . Love the video. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. The ball is held deeper by the middle and ring fingers, which are less powerful as a combination than the index and middle. Thats an 8-mph differential between two pitches that follow the same trajectory. That equals 4.5mph off a 90mph much too hard to be effective. By looking at a combination of Google Images and the disparity in horizontal movement between their four seam fastballs and changeups, I tried to guess what grip each pitcher was using: *Cubs ace Kyle Hendricks has two changeups. At the same time, it is such a small number that it might just be a result of their Pitch F/X algorithm falsely classifying 111 of his pitches as two-seamers. Like I said, Ive came across it often so it couldnt be a typo. The Professors sparkling career continues to improve. Condition 2: The ball must be held stable with as little pressure as possible. In the meantime, subscribe to my Podcast, titled Dear Baseball Gods and find me on Instagram @coachdanblewett. A fastball count is a count when its a little more high-risk to throw an offspeed pitch (which are harder to control). Righty-on-righty changeups? Some may add a specialty or fourth pitch as they get more experienced. His excellent strikeout numbers and walk numbers, combined with his below average ERA have perplexed many, with a few explanations floating out there. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. The grip will only account for a 5% speed reduction when force is applied to the center of the baseball. The power finger, or [index finger], is off the ball, Marshall said. Lets call the zone between -3 and -4 x-movement the no-fly zone. By movement, its almost exactly average at least its a little slower than most changeups, but so is his 89 mph fastball. Watch the short video below to see what I believe is the modern changeup: If all other parameters are equal, a pitch that has movement is harder to hit than a pitch that is straight. "Hendricks sits at 86.7 mph with his two-seamer (slower than some of the other changeups picked here). The thumb is the pressure point, and its location on the bottom of the ball is crucial. MESA, Ariz. Cubs lefty Justin Steele came into camp 20 pounds heavier and with a new changeup in his arsenal. Lets sum up those two pitches by movement and results so we can get a better sense of them. He strikes out right-handers regularly with that thing. The changeup spiked five feet in front of the plate, typical of beginners, is extremely rare in my baseball academy. This is not to say they miss up the in zone; rather, they are able to control the ball in the strike zone most of the time, with the same frequency as their fastball, with fewer egregious misses. As a high school pitcher under Wright's direction, Hendricks added a changeup. Another quick question, then Ill let you go. This tactic is HUGE and is a major reason why the changeup is so effective. Upon release, the fingers are lifted off the ball, the ball rolls up the fingers. 3. From there, they can decide to alter the movement profile of the pitch by tweaking its release. kyle hendricks changeup grip Call 1-800-GAMBLER. (Its no surprise that Zack Greinke has the lowest sinker spin in baseball this season. They, together, accomplish this task of applying spin and speed over and inward on the ball. Kyle Hendricks is a solid and consistent pitcher. Yankees Mailbag: Managing the infield and Domnguez hype. Several years before Kendrick started throwing his cut change I had came across the pitch in the Minor League Scouting Notebook. At the 50-second mark in the video above, theres an example of this grip from an Edgertronic camera. Condition 3: Overall hand tension must be as low as possible. Spiking a changeup is caused by the finger tips hooking it into the ground. When force is applied to the center of the baseball, the baseball will come out hard, because all of the available arm speed is going into propelling the ball forward and applying backspin. Fellow right-hander Yu Darvish is certainly capable of making hitters look foolish, but hell need to hone in on the consistency we saw from him in the second half of last year, when he made 13 starts and ran off a 111/7 strikeout-to-walk mark. A slider has defined spin, a mixture of bullet-spin, forward and side spin that creates a visible red dot. A relaxed hand applies spin more fluidly and evenly, and allows the pitch to more closely resemble a fastball at release. This actually makes sense if you realize that MLB hitters pick up the changeup spin more often than not. 08/01/2012. The lesson was to concentrate on deception, command, and movement and accept whatever velo differential comes with it, and not to worry about it. 12? Kyle Hendricks changeup How to grip a change up The ball is gripped deep in the hand, balanced and held loosely. The ball comes out in a unique way, with a tumbling spin rather than an angled axis. Not only do pitchers and pitching coaches have to work on maintaining the grip, the shape and everything else that goes into throwing a pitch, but they also have to make sure pitchers have that confidence in it before they even . Edgertronic cameras can capture images at over 2,000 fps. In fact, his changeup whiff percentage this year is second only to Cole Hamels among starters that have thrown the pitch more than 150 times. But his changeup looks like the exact same pitch only it comes in even slower, at 78.6. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. The finger tips and pads are raised slightly and the finger pressure is between the first and second finger joints. We prefer the 3 finger grip because we find it easier to control. Essentially, its no different than a slider or cutter Think about Noah Syndergaards extra-hard slider, and how hard it is to hit. He knows he hasn't looked like "The Professor" that . I wanted to go back out there and fix what I was doing wrong, he said. Releasing the ball too much from the side caused by turning the hand over too much. To follow proper form, a pitcher releases the ball while keeping his wrist straight, then follows through fully. If they want to learn to throw a changeup well, they need feedback. But it's not like Hendricks abandoned the contact game, either. Unsurprisingly, Hendricks' changeup was the runaway . Its a small blue box, a little bit bigger than a wallet that captures images at extremely high frame rates. The average movement of 3 to 3.5 was least effective. The least effective velocity differential was 11.1 mph. As a side note, my students rarely bounce changeups while they learn them, because the grip I teach provides a relaxed hand. Okay, so once you learn this shiny new pitch, itll be important to understand when and why you should throw a changeup. Looking at the most effective changeups of 2016, a trend emerges. In short, Hendricks changed the grip of his curveball back during his Cy Young-caliber 2016 season, from a four-seam grip to a two-seam grip, in an effort to build up some increased confidence in a pitch he wasn't using as often as he probably should've been. The hand pronates inward, slightly, before release. Despite slight differences in grip, most other pitches are thrown in the same way across pitchers. Same scenario but different pitch. In this free 47-minute presentation, you'll learn: Written on December 18, 2019 at 4:51 am, by Eric Cressey. Make sure youre throwing a repertoire that fits your body, your arm slot, your pitching style and age level. It takes a lot of skill to make it to the Majors, and a great offspeed repertoire is part of that. Kyle Hendricks had an April surprise ready for fans who braved the frigid conditions at Wrigley Field. Throwing a changeup when a hitter expects fastball is a great way to get a quick rollover ground ball for an out. The middle and ring finger MUST be close together. The changeup Hendricks threw at the time notably wasn't the same as the one he uses in the majors. So technically, it does break. You can check these in your browser security settings. by Handedness, R.A. Dickeys Unique Stuff and Conventional Problems. At the core of this was a changeup he threw almost twice as often as before, and that changeup was a very weird . Right-hander Kyle Hendricks starts during a spring training game March 4, 2014, between. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. A sinking two seam fastball does that, except its usually moving inside on a RH batter, not away. More and more pitchers in the Major Leagues are throwing changeups with hard sink and run. Three-finger? Why 10%, give or take? When a pitch is thrown harder, it flies longer along the same trajectory as a fastball. But, this is just another iteration of his changeup, a different way for a him to manipulate hitters. by Retrosheet. Even change ups out of the strike zone can be effective because it effects a hitter's confidence that he can sit on the fastball. My All-Time favorite was Johan Santana, though his relied more on greater speed change (15% or so) than movement. The #1 baseball brand in the world, Rawlings, has partnered with Cressey Sports Performance to make getting the best training gear for you more affordable. But over the course of 162 games, you lose weight, he said. Steele went into the offseason knowing he wanted to put on at least a little weight. Cubs Spring Training Notebook: Hayden Wesneski states his case for Opening Day rotation, why Lesters loss Sunday comes with multiple positives, Marquee Sports Network - Television Home of the Chicago Cubs and Sky. If the pitcher can develop a good change up, his fastball will appear faster and the hitters will be less aggressive. Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks talks about when in his career he developed what he calls his most important pitch: the changeup. You can also change some of your preferences. Per Brooks Baseball, Hendricks gets a lot of swings-and-misses and a ton of popups when he puts the changeup in the lower part of the strike zone. 23 for '23: Who steps up for Cubs in wake of the Seiya Suzuki injury? Heres what David Adler had to say about the right-handers elite offspeed stuff. Where you place your middle and ring fingers is VERY important they work together to apply the proper spin, to get the pitch to rotate much like a discoball does. Hendricks throws a sinker and changeup within 7-8 mph of one another. Both his whiff rate and his Adjusted Contact Score are. By Alexi Pappas. But, the output is fine for him its different, but still exceptionally effective. This is basic, but needs to be addressed in any good changeup article. Instead, hes thrived on the tactics long employed by a former Cubs ace, Greg Maddux, in control and movement. And, what grip will get him there? In my years as a baseball academy owner and professional pitcher, Ive taught this pitch with equally great effect to 11-year olds and 25-year old pros. This allows them to work together, as a unit, to turn inward on the ball, to make it sink and run. A special thanks to this shows sponsor, Rawlings. Hendricks rotates the ball backwards less than 90 degrees, allowing his two fingers to sit right below the horseshoe (the right side of the split screen at the 50-second mark). As a pitching coach,one of my biggest tasks is overhauling a pitchers off-speed pitches. "That's a big step," veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks said. Gloveside changeups for called strikes? Hook em horns grip? The changeup is especially hard to learn because it doesnt have an easily-observed break like other pitches. At the 50-second mark in the video above, theres an example of this grip from an Edgertronic camera. The ball should rest up against the top ridge of the palm or at the base of the fingers. The changeup should also sink and run, which is movement to the pitchers armside of the plate. does st martin parish have school tomorrow. But Scherzer dominated, limiting opponents to a .126 average in at-bats ending against the pitch - 12 points lower than deGrom's average. He also ranks second in the. For a veteran pitcher who throws a curveball, sinker, sinking changeup, mixing in an occasional cutting changeup will definitely confuse a hitter. The table below shows the qualified pitchers with the 10 highest pitch values for changeups, in terms of FanGraphs Pitch Values metric. He is 15-7, the third hardest-to-hit pitcher in the National League, and he ranks 2, 2 and 2 in on-base percentage-against, slugging percentage-against and OPS-against. Put your thumb on the bottom of the ball and your middle and ring fingers together. I searched for extreme examples of each so that we could best see the difference, so the one on the left had 11 inches of arm-side fade, while the one on the right had two inches of glove-side cut. Fold your other two fingers down the sides, and turn the ball inside as you release like youre pouring out a can of Coke. Ive only encountered this a few times and Matt Clement was one pitcher I recall reading about that could run his sinker away from RH batters if he kept it down in the zone. As you can probably tell, I love the changeup and love teaching it. Ross has not yet announced the order. This episode is brought to you by Rawlings. **According to Pitch F/X, Chris Sale and Zach Davies didnt throw any four-seam fastballs in 2016. Today, well focus on the elusive third pitch. Eight? They put up a .903 OPS against Pinedas offspeed pitch, and it didnt seem to matter if he located it down and away against lefties: Pinedas poor changeup shouldnt come as a surprise. Not to mention he has a baby on the way. Lots of amateur players and parents have this question. Years from now, when we look back on this era of Chicago Cubs baseball, maybe then well realize just how reliable Kyle Hendricks has been. When Hendricks is on, weve seen this in action. This is the first article in a 3-part series on throwing the modern changeup. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Instead, their two-seam fastball velocities are given. Just head to www.Rawlings.com and enter coupon code CRESSEY20 and youll receive 20% off on your order. However, this doesnt necessarily mean that Pineda should switch grips. They throw very different speeds, so its best to think of a changeup as having a scaling, percentage-based speed reduction: 10% or so. First, lets get it straight: a changeup does have a defined set of characteristics, and not all grips are created equal. But, most pitchers will develop a changeup that consistently fits the aforementioned mold. Be sure to make smart choices regarding your career and your development as a ballplayer! Too many pitchers throw too many pitches. 04/02/2013. There. It gets confusing. But, breaking balls are typically the slider, curveball and cutterpitches that their primary purpose is to break by curving or cutting. Hey, thanks for the article! I was too busy trying to find the fastball, he said with a smile. And it was very little! This allows coaches like Tommy Hottovy or Craig Breslow to examine the minutia of how a pitcher releases a pitch. The Mets had a prospect in their system with a solid repertoire but he was having trouble adding an off speed pitch. Its time we all start learning this same type of pitch. Hendricks sinker achieves about 26 inches of downward vertical movement on average, roughly five inches more than league average in 2020. After a conventional changeup and a splitter didnt pan out a coach was teaching him how to throw a cut change. So I wanted to come into this season with a little extra weight on me, so that when I start losing weight throughout the season, Ill be ready for that.. This offer is only valid on select items, but theres a ton of great gear youll save 20% on that will help you become a better player, so shop now! x-mov is in inches, with negative denoting movement towards the rightys arm-side. I have one collegiate pitcher who throws the pitch with a 15% reduction, no decrease in arm speed, and heavy, fork-ball like sink with no lateral movement whatsoever. Aside from slowing the arm or hand down, or not finishing the pitch, theres no reliable way to reduce the speed of a changeup when force is applied through the center. I wrote an article on Elitebaseballperformance.com on the same topic, so check that out as well. Maybe you have an explanation. Major League and Minor League Baseball data provided by Major League Baseball. You bet. It was interesting to find out that it was an entirely different pitch. The grip might differ slightly, but the way spin is applied, which may be the biggest factor in throwing a breaking pitch, is largely the same. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. Pingback: "Going JUCO" - Is Playing NJCAA Baseball a Risky Move? Kyle Hendricks' changeup. The changeup, for no good reason, is confused. But cutters are usually about two miles slower than a pitchers fastball, while this Cut Change is almost 10 mph slower than Hendricks fastball. All of which is a lengthy preamble to guide you to the point of this whole piece, which was Hendricks' changeup usage and results from Wednesday. All UZR (ultimate zone rating) calculations are provided courtesy of Mitchel Lichtman. Over the course of six innings, he generated a 55.6 percent whiff rate with the change, his highest such mark with that pitch since April 8 of last year (58.3 percent, also against the Brewers). the arm pronates on every single throw its not possible to not pronate. Fosh changeup? If we were to name the two, we might name one the Cut Change, and the other the Fade Change. The mailbag zeroes in on the infield jam with a particular solution being pitched. Most people just arent on board with this yet. The grip will be the same and the arm and hand action applies just the same no matter the age of the player. I dont use a radar gun most of the time, and they wont have access to one either. He rarely walks anyone, strikes out enough to get by, and will induce weak contact. NYY vs. DET: Gerrit Cole vs Michael Lorenzen. Thegrip, shown below, is really a hybrid between the circle change and other grips. Hendricks' grip is one of the factors that allows him to kill as much spin as possible and achieve this above-average sink. I told him, Dad strength it happens immediately, right?. Theo Epstein called Yu Darvish and Kyle Hendricks the "foundation" of the Cubs rotation. For his career, Verlander's changeup has posted a 16% SwStr% and 46% GB%. The harder a changeup is thrown, the more it matches fastball arm speed, and initially fools the hitter into thinking that 90mph arm speed = 90mph output. There should be no difference in the way a little leaguer or other youth pitcher throws a changeup, as compared to a high-level or Big Leaguer. The incredible thing about Hendricks is that in his Game 1 quality start in Mondays doubleheader, neither his sinker or changeup were his best pitch. That way, even throwing it to their Mom or Dad, a pitcher can feel for good and bad changeups and consistently reinforce his good habits. Not to mention he has a baby on the way. If his two-seamer and changeup come out of the hand and tunnel the exact same way, youve got little chance of doing damage off him. The more speed we remove, the more the pitch must deviate from a fastballs initial trajectory, thus making it look less like a fastball out of the hand. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. Updated: Saturday, March 4, 2023 3:30 AM ET, Park Factors Were excited to welcome Chicago Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks to this weeks podcast. All major league baseball data including pitch type, velocity, batted ball location, 1 ago. This is why we need a defined hand action that converts speed into spin. His slider wasnt the archetypal slider, but it still had deadly effect as shown by his season of 41 saves without a single blown opportunity. If the ball is held by the thumb, it keeps it down longer, reducing the likelihood the fingers will hook it into the ground. All Win Expectancy, Leverage Index, Run Expectancy, and Fans Scouting Report data licenced from TangoTiger.com. Spring training is more important than you think. Last updated: July 27, 2020 Chicago Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks throwing a sinker (sinking fastball) and changeup. Kyle Hendricks Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com Kyle Hendricks Position: Pitcher Bats: Right Throws: Right 6-3 , 190lb (190cm, 86kg) Team: Chicago Cubs (majors) More bio, uniform, draft, salary info 2016 World Series ERA Title 28 Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. Mixing in a few two-seamers might improve the effectiveness of his changeup as it is. Entering his second season, Steele is lined up to pitch third in the order to start the year while veteran Wade Miley continues to ramp up. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses cookies. At least, thats what Chicago is hoping as theyve got Hendricks locked up through 2023 with a vesting option for 2024, his age 34 season. He was a good-though-not-great pitcher . The problem is just that if two 13-year-olds are playing catch with their changeups, they dont get a lot of feedback on how well theyre doing. I hear a lot about wrist pronation and Im concerned about risks of that motion for a 12 yr old. But what about James Shields heavily-sinking changeup? Were ecstatic to announce a new partnership between Rawlings and Cressey Sports Performance, and theyve set up a 20% off discount code on select products for our listeners. Condition 1: Pressure must be at the junction of the palm and fingers, not on the fingertips. Maybe this was unique to Clement. Yet, the grip is just one piece of the puzzle, as the hand action is more important. Its not as cool-looking to throw with your buddies. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. Well, we have some good news for you.