Every scouting report on George Kirby starts with his plus-plus command. And indeed, we’ve seen him show that off in his first 20 innings in MLB, as he’s walked just two batters and only gotten to five 3-0 counts. But command alone won’t dominate the best hitters in the world. So here are three things I’ll be watching for as the Westchester Wizard looks to take the next step.
1. Is he willing to commit to his fastball?
At first glance, this might seem counter to modern pitching advice, as fastball rates continue to plummet across the league:
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But that’s because for most pitchers, a breaking ball is their best pitch.