Leaving aside the usual small-sample caveats this early in the season, it’s worth asking: What’s been working for Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez, is it sustainable, and what could it all mean for their future? (jonahkeri)
With baseball’s swing-for-the-moon approach spreading and more damage being done against Stroman’s sinker, the right-hander has made a change: The pitch he threw more than 56 per cent of the time two years ago has shown up just 35 per cent of the time this year. In fact, Stroman’s primary pitch is now his slider, an offering he’s featured more than 37 per cent of the time so far in 2019. By varying his pitches more , Stroman’s fared better across the board. Opposing hitters are batting just .
It’s not all skill and pitch selection, though. Stroman has benefited from some fluky numbers to support his stingy early results, chief among them his home-run rate. Through his first 22.2 innings this year, Stroman has given up exactly zero homers, making him one of just six qualified starting pitchers to put up a goose egg in that category so far this year.
Sanchez’s hot start got tempered a bit by a shaky outing Tuesday, one that saw him allow four runs over six innings, albeit with the end result being a win over the Twins. Still, through four starts, he owns his highest strikeout rate in five years and highest groundball rate in three years to go with an ERA a few ticks lower than the mark that won him the American League ERA title in 2016.. That spike in sinker usage isn’t working either, as opponents have a hot .
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