Spring Training optimism is in full bloom, and this time of year usually includes a plethora of quotes about “x” pitcher adding “y” pitch to his arsenal. Those ideas are fleeting more often than not, but sometimes a certain pitch sticks and elevates a pitcher’s game plan to another level.
Spring Training optimism is in full bloom, and this time of year usually includes a plethora of quotes about “x” pitcher adding “y” pitch to his arsenal. Those ideas are fleeting more often than not, but sometimes a certain pitch sticks and elevates a pitcher’s game plan to another level.
While we don’t know which new pitches will burst onto the scene this year, there’s a handful of 2018 additions that we’re looking forward to seeing over a full season — along with some highly vaunted offerings coming up from the Minors. Here are 10 that we’re looking forward to most:
Nathan Eovaldi, Red Sox RHP, and James Paxton, Yankees LHP: Cutter
We didn’t know what Eovaldi would bring to the table last year when he returned to the mound after recovering from Tommy John surgery, and then it was clear within a couple outings that he still had his upper-90s four-seamer. But then Eovaldi brought back a cutter he had thrown early in his career as a Dodger, and suddenly hitters couldn’t just sit on the heat. Featuring nearly the same velocity as his straight fastball, Eovaldi’s late-breaking cutter helped him expand the zone and post the highest strikeout rate of his career — while also eliciting some goofy swings in the postseason.
Nathan Eovaldi, 101mph Fastball (called strike) and 96mph Cutter (swinging strike), Stop/Overlay. pic.twitter.com/Lf5pRuUktP
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 16, 2018
Paxton’s cutter wasn’t brand new, either, but he began featuring it more last season and it’s easy to see why. The pitch plays well off Paxton’s curveball at the bottom of the zone and wound up giving hitters fits: Opponents hit just .144 and slugged .258 against that cutter, and struck out in 51.9 percent of plate appearances ending on the pitch (only nine pitches across MLB generated a higher strikeout rate across at least 100 PAs). The Yankees have emphasized offspeed and breaking pitches in recent years, and so it wouldn’t be a shock to see Paxton throw this pitch even more.
Jesus Luzardo, A’s LHP: Changeup
Oakland’s rotation mix is as wide open as any team in the Majors, and there are already calls for Luzardo to join the fray. The A’s might be cautious about his innings, but FanGraphs’ Steamer system already projects him to be the club’s second-most valuable starter. Luzardo’s upper-90s heat from the left side makes him unique, and his curveball struck out Mike Trout last spring. But his most revered pitch might be his change-of-pace that rivals that of any prospect in the game, and A’s fans will be eager to see it as soon as possible.
Taylor Rogers, Twins LHP: Slider
Rogers’ ERA stood at 5.48 at the end of May. After that? A 1.34 ERA, including 28 straight scoreless appearances to end the season. May 31 was the day when Rogers threw multiple sliders for the first time, and the pitch gave him a new plan of attack against right-handed hitters. Opponents finished with a microscopic .131 average against Rogers’ new and improved breaking ball mix, and failed to lift even one of them over the fence. Until they make an adjustment, expect Rogers to keep going to the well.
Jordan Hicks, Cardinals RHP: Slider
Hicks took the mantle from Aroldis Chapman as the game’s fastest pitcher, but the rookie’s strikeout rate didn’t start matching his heat until he adjusted his breaking ball in midsummer. Hicks didn’t start throwing more sliders; he simply put them in better spots and convinced hitters to swing, finally expanding the zone to the point where his strikeout rate crept up near league average by season’s end. Opponents’ final line against Hicks’ slider was anemic: A .104 average, .119 slugging and a 51.8 percent whiff rate — the 13th-best mark among qualified pitchers.
German Marquez, Rockies RHP: Slider
Marquez’s high-octane fastball is his showcase offering, but the slider he added last summer transformed him from a basic four-seam/curveball thrower into an emerging ace. Marquez allowed a .162 average on his new toy and was striking out 37.5 percent of hitters overall by September — a rate that ranked third that month behind Justin Verlander and Blake Snell (min. 100 plate appearances).
Caleb Ferguson, Dodgers LHP: Curveball
Ferguson has drawn some comparisons to Clayton Kershaw on his way up the Dodgers’ system, and his curveball only feeds into that. Ferguson’s big looper has the rotation — its 2,824 rpm average spin rate ranked 24th of 169 qualifiers — and it got the results during his first cup of coffee; opponents hit .216 against the hook with an 83.3 mph average exit velocity. In January, Ferguson told MLB Network’s Hot Stove program that he got curveball tips from none other than Sandy Koufax, so needless to say we’re excited to see this pitch a little more.
Freddy Peralta, Brewers RHP: Four-seam fastball
A fastball that averages 91 mph and yet often seems unhittable? This rookie’s heater defied conventional wisdom last year, but his rare combination of spin, deception and extension helped his fastball look a whole lot more imposing.
“It is hard to explain,” Royals manager Ned Yost told MLB.com last summer. “He’s got a high spin rate, and the ball just kind of jumps on you even though it’s 92 mph.”
Peralta threw his fastball nearly 80 percent of the time, so clearly he’s got plenty of confidence in it. His 12.5 percent walk rate shows he could use some improvement in harnessing this rise-ball, but it proved to be a weapon during Peralta’s lone postseason appearance in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, when the Dodgers went 0-for-8 against it with five strikeouts. Peralta might not make the Brewers’ rotation out of camp, but he should rack up innings as either an opener or fill-in option as the season progresses.
Peralta doesn’t have the only 92 mph fastball that could play big: Colin Poche, the Rays’ No. 24 prospect, struck out 110 batters in 66 Minor League innings last year, and he should bring his “invisible” high-spin heater to Tampa Bay at some point this season.
Yusei Kikuchi, Mariners RHP: Fastball
Like Luzardo, Kikuchi’s southpaw heat makes him an outlier; he reached 96-98 mph in Nippon Professional Baseball, while the average fastball velocity among left-handed MLB starters last year was 91.4 mph. Kikuchi averaged more than a strikeout per inning over the last three seasons, and he’ll have the extra advantage of being new to Major League hitters. Paxton is no longer a Mariner, but Kikuchi represents a new Seattle lefty to keep an eye on.
Now Yusei me, now you don’t. #MarinersST pic.twitter.com/acP5u9hetU
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) February 19, 2019
Michael Pineda, Twins RHP: Slider
Remember this guy? The Twins let Pineda recover from Tommy John surgery last season and are hoping their investment pays off this year. If it does, Pineda will likely have his slider to thank. Opponents hit .188 and whiffed 43.6 percent of the time against the big righty’s breaking ball from 2016-17, and those rates closely mirrored Kershaw’s signature slider during that span. While it’s hard to forecast what Minnesota will get from Pineda, his wipeout slider should tell the tale early on.
Matt Kelly is a reporter for MLB.com based in New York. Follow him on Twitter at @mattkellyMLB.