#changeups

Going into yesterday, Mason Miller had thrown 37 pitches on the season, 19 of them fastballs averaging 101 mph, while another 17 were sliders that elicited a 60.0% whiff rate. There was also one changeup. Delivered to Luis Arraez on a 1-1 count, the ninth-inning offering was wide outside and taken for a ball. Why did the San Diego Padres closer throw his seldom-used changeup to the three-time…

Image credit: Christian Oppor (Freek Bouw/Four Seam Images) This week, weâ€ve been examining a variety of pitch types across the minor leagues, ranking the best fastballs and breaking balls according to Stuff+ grades. Today, we’ll be taking a closer look at changeups and splitters. These pitch types donâ€t typically generate high Stuff+ scores, as they lack spin and are often designed to play off…

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Brandon Mann’s playing career was coming to a close when he was featured here at FanGraphs in June 2020. A southpaw whose professional experience spanned 17 seasons — including part of 2018 with the Texas Rangers — he was soon to turn from hurler to tutor. Mann served as a pitching coordinator for the KBO’s Lotte Giants in 2021, then spent the next two years as a trainer…