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The anatomy of a changeup: Inside Cole Hamels' career-defining pitch

Thor has his hammer, Captain America has his shield and Cole Hamels has his changeup.

It's the only weapon the veteran southpaw needs most days when he takes the mound.

Hamels is 35 now and entering his 14th season in the big leagues, still riding the wave of his bread-and-butter pitch.

Over the course of his career, Hamels' changeup has been worth 190.7 runs above average, by FanGraphs' valuation. To put that into context, Jon Lester's best pitch — his cutter — has been worth only 69.8 runs above average over his illustrious career.