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Cut the Sinker!

Related Topics: sinker, Tanner Houck, Caleb Cotham

Pitcher evaluation and decisions are often more about what a specific organization can tweak to a certain player than raw statistics. That is where the current game is heading.

For example, the Boston Red Sox had the lowest combined four-seam fastball and sinker usage in baseball. They took Tanner Houck, eliminated his four-seam fastball, and had him throwing sweepers 41% of the time. It worked.

Teams like the Atlanta Braves have been elite with four-seam and slider pitchers. Think Spencer Strider, Chris Sale’s resurgence, and Reynaldo López. A team like the Yankees have made their mark with cross-fire sinker-sweeper arms.