One of my favorite stats to look at for pitchers is their Z-Contact%, or the rate at which hitters make contact on pitches inside the strike zone when they swing at said pitches. It’s not that the statistic is directly tied to a pitcher’s ERA or anything like that, but I do think it can be representative of a pitcher’s stuff. I also find low contact rates in the zone incredibly fascinating. Major league batters are good at what they do, so when pitchers consistently get opponents to swing through pitches in the zone, I’m impressed.
Pitchers want to attack the strike zone, but those who get whiffs in the strike zone tend to have electric stuff – either premium velocity, tons of movement, or both.