Of the key aspects of pitching, none may be more important today than velocity. In an era where missing bats is the name of the game on the mound, possessing high-octane heat can be hugely beneficial. It enables pitchers to be more aggressive in the zone and ostensibly makes them more difficult to hit.
Throwing hard is good. Throwing harder is better.
Over the weekend, several members of the Astros pitching staff displayed one or the other in their 3-to-1 opening series victory in Anaheim.
José Urquidy
Two strikeouts in five innings is not ideal and neither is four swings-and-misses, and yet, Urquidy’s Sunday start was rather impressive.