The Phillies’ offense is struggling right now. When that happens, pitches that should be hit hard are beating them with alarming ease. Trying to find a root cause to all of the problems can be tricky since each hitter seems to be having their own individual issues that are unique to them. One thing that looks, at least anecdotally, like it’s a problem for them is anything with spin.
Max Fried, Gorgeous 76mph Curveball. pic.twitter.com/MEgZzlcDRE
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 21, 2024
We’ve gotten so used to making observations about Nick Castellanos and the slider that moves down and away from him that we sort of take for granted that we know what’s coming for him when the pitcher gets a strike.