Offspeed pitches are thrown at a slower speed than fastballs and normally offspeed pitches get hitters off balance. However, some hitters don’t have problems hitting offspeed pitches this season.
I went to check the statcast website and here’s what I found.
Nolan Arenado hits .255/.313/.488 with 26 home runs and 84 RBI so far in his first season as a Cardinal and he’s an All-Star again this year. He has a .417 batting average with 5 home runs while hitting offspeed pitches.
Miguel Cabrera crushed Steven Matz’s changeup to enter the 500 home run club. It was his first home run against an offspeed pitch this season. Cabrera might not be as dangerous as he was, however, he’s good at hitting offspeed pitches this season with a .400 batting average.
Moreover, Jesse Winker has a great season. He’s hitting .307/.395/.560 with 24 home runs and 71 RBI and it’s his first time to be selected to the All-Star game. He has a batting average of .394 when pitchers throw offspeed pitches.
Pavin Smith already collected 116 hits, leading the Diamondbacks. He’s now hitting .265/.321/.400 in his second season in the majors and he’s good at hitting offspeed pitches well with a .380 batting average.
In addition, Andrew Benintendi has a .362 BA against offspeed pitches, but in his first season with the Royals, he’s batting .256/.301/.404 so far. Furthermore, Yuli Gurriel has a batting average of .360 against offspeed pitches.
Now, let’s look at the quality of contact.
It’s not a surprise to see Arenado hit very well against offspeed pitches. Arenado’s xwOBA against offspeed pitches is .465 this season and last season, his xwOBA against offspeed pitches was .466. He can really make good contact when pitchers throw offspeed pitches.
Additionally, Jesse Winker’s good hitting performance against offspeed pitches isn’t a surprise. His xwOBA against offspeed pitches is .442 so far and last year, the number was .435. He can really make solid contact against offspeed pitches.
By far, Bobby Dalbec is hitting .238/.293/.468 with 18 home runs and 61 RBI in his second season with the Red Sox. He’s good at hitting offspeed pitches with an over .300 batting average and as shown, his xwOBA against offspeed pitches is over .400.
Furthermore, Matt Olson was participating in the 2021 home run derby and it’s his first time to be an All-Star. By far, Olson is slashing .274/.373/.548 with 32 home runs and 84 RBI. Against offspeed pitches, Olson’s batting average is .278 and he posts a .410 xwOBA.
The 2015 AL MVP Josh Donaldson is hitting .256/.359/.490 with 21 home runs and 59 RBI so far this season. His batting average against offspeed pitches is over .300 and he posts an over .400 xwOBA by far.
Moreover, three players each post an over .390 xwOBA when pitchers throw offspeed pitches to them. However, it’s also worth noting that future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera has a .400 batting average against offspeed pitches, but his xwOBA is under .400.
As we can see, there’s no doubt that Nolan Arenado and Jesse Winker are surely good at hitting offspeed pitches because they each have a high batting average and xwOBA. Pitchers have to be very careful to throw offspeed pitches against these two players.
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