A few weeks ago, I watched a game and it showed that a pitcher throws a lot of pitches in the top of the strike zone and it works well. And, I was just wondering who is also effectively throwing pitches in the upper third.
Jacob deGrom is currently on the injured list. Before being placed on the IL, deGrom was surely dominant on the mound. Batters only hit .129 against deGrom. When deGrom threw pitches in the top third of the strike zone, MLB batters only hit .111 and deGrom only gave up 5 hits. That really shows how difficult it is to hit against deGrom.
Adding Zack Wheeler in the Phillies rotation is definitely a great decision. Wheeler already made more than 30 starts for the Phillies and has an ERA under 3. Batters hit .217 against Wheeler by far this season. Throwing pitches in the top of the strike zone works well for Wheeler with a BAA of just .143.
Sean Manaea had an ERA over 4 last season, but this season, he’s been pitching very well with a 3.01 ERA. Opponents hit .237 against Manaea. When Manaea locates his pitches in the upper third of the strike zone, batters only hit just .149 so far.
Cristian Javier made 9 starts and 14 relief appearances for the Astros so far. He has a decent 2.91 ERA. Javier allows 9 hits so far when he locates his pitches in the top of the strike zone.
Lance Lynn has been very consistent these three years and he is the ERA leader of the MLB, posting an ERA of 1.91 so far this season. Batting average against Lance Lynn is only .193. Lynn effectively throws pitches in the upper third, MLB batters hit just .154.
There are still several pitchers who can effectively throw pitches in the top of the strike zone and get the job done. For example, Yu Darvish already threw more than 30 strikeouts by locating pitches in the top third of the strike zone.
Some pitchers effectively use the top of the strike zone to get the job done. However, for some pitchers, it might not be ideal to throw pitches in the upper third.
Chris Paddack made his MLB debut in 2019 and he was pitching well in his rookie season, posting a 3.33 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. However, he had a 4.73 ERA last season and so far, Paddack’s ERA is 5.13. Batters only hit .204 against Paddack in 2019, but this season, his BAA is .277. And Paddack had better not throw pitches in the top of the strike zone, batters hit .371 against Paddack’s pitches in the upper third.
Eduardo Rodriguez didn’t play last season, but he was a 19-win pitcher back in 2019. He made 20 starts for the Red Sox so far, posting a 5.60 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. Opponents like to see him throw pitches in the top of the strike zone while having a batting average over .300.
Andrew Heaney doesn’t have a good season. His ERA is over 5 and his WHIP is 1.31. Opponents hit .252 against him. When throwing pitches in the upper third, opponents hit .333. Thus, throwing pitches in the top of the strike zone is less effective for Andrew Heaney.
Opponents also hit well when Ryan Yarbrough’s pitches are in the upper third. However, Julio Urias makes things interesting. Julio Urias has a pretty good season and is very important in the Dodgers rotation. He already earned 12 wins with a 3.54 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. Opponents only hit .231 against Urias. However, things probably go wrong when he throws pitches in the upper third of the strike zone, opponents hit .325.
A pitcher has to locate pitches well and the top of the strike zone is the area that a pitcher could use. However, some pitchers use this area effectively to fool hitters, but for some pitchers, locating pitches in the upper third just creates some problems.
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