Jose Quintana’s four-seamer and curveball made him one of the most appealing pitchers in MLB (being left-handed and under cheap club control for a couple years didn’t hurt either). For every 10 pitches he throws, seven have been some mix of those two offerings. But the pitch combination that previously defined Quintana is being used less and less.
The Columbian starter is turning into a sinker-baller right before our eyes.
To illustrate the evolution, follow the three pie charts below. Each chart breaks down Q’s four-seam (FF) and sinker (FT) fastball usage. The first chart display’s the lefty’s usage prior to August 2017, while the following two are data from August 2017 and then his most recent start, respectively.