and play-by-play data provided by Sports Info Solutions. Youth pitchers 14 and under should concentrate on developing the fastball and learning to throw it to spots, plus learning to change speeds on the pitch. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. In my years as a baseball academy owner and professional pitcher, Ive taught this pitch with equally great effect to 11-year olds and 25-year old pros. Entering his second season, Steele is lined up to pitch third in the order to start the year while veteran Wade Miley continues to ramp up. When the hitters brain must deal with both speed change and movement away from the initial trajectory of the pitch, the likelihood of weak contact increases. Dropping the hand and elbow and short arming across the body. And he replaces it with his ring finger you let the changeup grip do the work.. That equals 4.5mph off a 90mph much too hard to be effective. Six miles per hour? Kyle Hendricks of the Chicago Cubs was a bright spot for the Wrigleyites this summer. We need to think of paintbrushing the hand over the changeup. Hes looked really good, Ross said of Steele. Simply head to www.Rawlings.com and use the code, CRESSEY20, at checkout and youll save 20% off your order! Building off of last year, balls coming out nicely [and he] looks like hes healthy and going to give us some really good starts.. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. Youd be forgiven for calling the Cut Change a slider. This is likely the only thing changeup throwers all agree on. You Weren't Dreaming, That Really Was One of the Best Starts of Kyle Cubs Spring Training Notebook: Swanson's winning mentality, Lester's mark on Steele, Cubs make some spring history. But, this is just another iteration of his changeup, a different way for a him to manipulate hitters. I don't view the change up as a strike out pitch, but a pitch that is miss timed causing weak contact. June 7, 2022 . The hand pronates inward, slightly, before release. A sleeper who woke up: Kyle Hendricks, RHP, Chicago Cubs We may request cookies to be set on your device. Next. How can you get the same movement/action using two different grips? And, we welcome your suggestions for future guests and questions. This LHP throws a straight change, he turns it over and it sinks away from RH batters. Whats up with this?! My All-Time favorite was Johan Santana, though his relied more on greater speed change (15% or so) than movement. Its not easy developing a great changeup (or any offspeed pitch for that matter). This pitch, in comparison to the deGrom one above, exhibits how a changeup's effectiveness isn't about how fast or slow one is thrown, but rather how well it plays off a pitcher's fastball. Years from now, when we look back on this era of Chicago Cubs baseball, maybe then well realize just how reliable Kyle Hendricks has been. I had this conversation with a friend of mine who is a scout and former Big Leaguer. No, Im not blowing smokeIve taught lots of pitchers over the years, and its not hard to produce a heavy sinking changeup. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses cookies. However, this doesnt necessarily mean that Pineda should switch grips. Just email elitebaseballpodcast@gmail.com. For all other changeups, as movement decreases, speed change must proportionally increase. Prospect Retrospective: Kyle Hendricks, RHP, Chicago Cubs Pitchers who use four-seam grips need a large velocity gap between their fastball and changeup, looking at the table shown above. Cubs lefty Justin made his third start of spring training against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday. I filtered out the changeups over 85 mph because they are most likely slow sinkers. Switching grips could save Michael Pinedaschangeup, Yankees 3, Tigers 5: Michael King is back, baby. kyle hendricks changeup grip Watch below to see if this is the type of pitch youd like to learn. A special thanks to this shows sponsor, Rawlings. I mean, he throws a cutter and a curve about 10% of the time combined, but both pitches are fairly substandard by whiffs and grounders, and with two strikes, they all but disappear. This article from Forbes details whiff rate for 2019 MLB pitchers, so check it out to learn about some of the best MLB changeups from last year. The hand pronates inward, slightly, before release. Palm ball? A circle change and a straight change are two different pitches, right?? south bend fire department news. Yet, there is no best changeup grip. Even with consistency in teach methods, there will be an inconsistency in output. The grip helps us remove speed from a changeup while simultaneously applying spin to it. This is basic, but needs to be addressed in any good changeup article. When they do, the brain apparently defaults to the average changeup. Essentially, its no different than a slider or cutter Think about Noah Syndergaards extra-hard slider, and how hard it is to hit. I use a simple step-by-step approach to teaching the pitch the cornerstone of which is watching and giving constant feedback on ball spin. Lay the middle and ring fingers together between the two-seams, with the thumb on the bottom pointing right at them. The mailbag zeroes in on the infield jam with a particular solution being pitched. But, we need to do this at a 100% intensity, which is difficult. I would like to know how an 8-year-old childs arm can be strengthened, help me on that, thanks. Steele found himself forcing the fastball, his upper body getting ahead of his lower body. Steele went into the offseason knowing he wanted to put on at least a little weight. strength and conditioning for baseball and softball. For a veteran pitcher who throws a curveball, sinker, sinking changeup, mixing in an occasional cutting changeup will definitely confuse a hitter. Kyle Hendricks Has Two Changeups | FanGraphs Baseball If the thumb is not beneath the ball, as in the circle change grip, the fingertips will tense up to prevent the ball from simply falling out of the hand. I explain to my pitchers that speed reduction comes from two factors, making up a 10% reduction in speed: Its important to not think about the changeup as having a set MPH reduction, because this couldnt possibly be the same for a 13-year-old pitcher and a 19-year old. If you called his Cut Change a slutter, you might best get across what hes doing with the pitch. Long rest and a changeup pays off for Kyle Hendricks - Yahoo! News If you work hard practicing it and improving over time, yours will have similar movement to the changeups thrown by Kyle Hendricks and Johnny Cueto. But Scherzer dominated, limiting opponents to a .126 average in at-bats ending against the pitch - 12 points lower than deGrom's average. His repertoire made him more of a pitcher than a thrower, making Wright wary whether pro scouts eventually would. The fact is Hendricks and Maddux share numerous similarities - mechanics, stuff, statistics, and even a nickname. His thought? More and more pitchers in the Major Leagues are throwing changeups with hard sink and run. This usually happens for a few reason: Watch the video below for some more great troubleshooting tips related to bouncing it. Last year, he used the breaking ball 9.5 percent of the time. Ive seen five different sources call one particular pitch five different things, so I figured a cut change was some grizzled old coachs slang for a circle changeup. Fellow right-hander Yu Darvish is certainly capable of making hitters look foolish, but hell need to hone in on the consistency we saw from him in the second half of last year, when he made 13 starts and ran off a 111/7 strikeout-to-walk mark. does st martin parish have school tomorrow. Odds & lines subject to change. Its time we all start learning this same type of pitch. Chicago Cubs: Kyle Hendricks is a modern-day Greg Maddux With a phone full of pictures of pitchers' fingers, strange beers, and his two toddler sons, Eno Sarris can be found at the ballpark or a brewery most days. Max Scherzers slider is the poster child. Over the course of six innings, he generated a 55.6 percent whiff rate with the change, his highest such mark with that pitch since April 8 of last year (58.3 percent, also against the Brewers). Kyle Hendricks assigned to Tennessee Smokies from Daytona Cubs. Suddenly, Kyle Hendricks is a three-pitch guy, with an elite change, a good slider, and good command of a good sinker. Hendricks, in a way, sacrifices that extra killed spin on his changeup for a nearly identical arm slot and release point to his sinker, creating a superb amount of deception. It takes a lot of skill to make it to the Majors, and a great offspeed repertoire is part of that. Right-hander Kyle Hendricks' changeup has been a staple of his big-league success. Hendricks struggled in 2021 in large part because he could not establish his fastball down and away and use it to set up his changeup and curveball. He had been between about 195 and 205 pounds, generally, and feeling good. What is 'seam-shifted wake' and why is it important to Kyle Hendricks Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Should we credit Kyle Hendricks for being clutch? Turn the hand on the inside of the ball to apply spin. The middle and ring finger MUST be close together. Copyright - EliteBaseballPerformance.com, Part of The Advanced Continuing Education Institute -. When force is applied to the center of the baseball, the baseball will come out hard, because all of the available arm speed is going into propelling the ball forward and applying backspin. Ive only encountered this a few times and Matt Clement was one pitcher I recall reading about that could run his sinker away from RH batters if he kept it down in the zone. So you could call him a two-pitch guy. The goal is to not make the hand tense by stretching the pink or index down the ball this is why making a circle with the index finger is detrimental, at least on this grip, as it will make the whole hand tense. But with a changeup, the feedback I give while playing catch with a pitcher is different. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. Pitches that got more arm-side run went into the Fade basket, and the everything that got more glove-side movement than -3 went into the Cut basket. 1 - Kyle Hendricks (Cubs) - 19.7% Whiff rate, 62 Adjusted Contact Score For my money, Hendricks throws the best changeup in the game. The means by which Hendricks has found success is well documented. Rob Friedman on Twitter: "@dcor_25 Greg Maddux's two seam grip and When Hendricks is on, weve seen this in action. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Looking at the most effective changeups of 2016, a trend emerges. MLB's Most Effective Changeups: Hamels, Hendricks And deGrom - Forbes This tactic is HUGE and is a major reason why the changeup is so effective. At the core of this was a changeup he threw almost twice as often as before, and that changeup was a very weird . 23 for '23: What is the Cubs' plan at third base? Hendricks' changeup became more productive alongside it. FanGraphs had Michael Pineda throwing a two-seam fastball 3.7% of the time, which is more than zero. Kyle Hendricks is a solid and consistent pitcher. The Professor Returns: 'Vintage' Kyle Hendricks on Opening Day So I wanted to come into this season with a little extra weight on me, so that when I start losing weight throughout the season, Ill be ready for that.. Releasing the ball too much from the side caused by turning the hand over too much. The ball is gripped deep in the hand, balanced and held loosely. This is why we need a defined hand action that converts speed into spin. Hendricks two-seamer moves 12.7 inches from left to right. At the 2:09 mark in the video above, this slight grip alteration between Hendricks sinker and changeup is the only thing thats noticeable. very good and useful article I thank you. All major league baseball data including pitch type, velocity, batted ball location, Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. Whicker: Cubs' Kyle Hendricks proves speed is overrated A curveball has defined spin, topspin moving in a 12-6 or 1-7 orientation with as true a spin axis as possible. Pitchers who haven't reached puberty should not throw breaking pitches competitively due to their lack of muscle, ligament and bone development. Despite ample legal trouble, Sizemore had steady film and television credits. The actor suffered a brain aneurysm Feb. 18 at his Los Angeles home and died in his sleep Friday at a hospital in Burbank, California, his manager said. Hendricks doesn't throw his fastball 90 mph, and yet deGrom can run his changeup up to 93 mph. When a pitch is thrown harder, it flies longer along the same trajectory as a fastball. 04/02/2013. Oct 11, 2017 Do you have a picture/video of Maddux's 2 seam grip? The test is, the ball is still held in place with all four fingers straightened. But his changeup looks like the exact same pitch only it comes in even slower, at 78.6. Would love to compare - similar movement 2 Rob Friedman @PitchingNinja Replying to @dcor_25 Greg Maddux's two seam grip and changeup grip. The grip helps us remove speed from a changeup while simultaneously applying spin to it. We get about 5% from the grip itself, and 5% from the hand action. It sounds like a cutter to me but thats not a pitch that is associated with sinking. One of the tools used by the Cubs is known as an Edgertronic camera. The ball should rest up against the top ridge of the palm or at the base of the fingers. Hendricks throws a sinker and changeup within 7-8 mph of one another. But, a -8% changeup must have tremendous movement to be effective. He knows he hasn't looked like "The Professor" that . youtube.com/watch?time_con 0:09 1.3K views Not so much. This week, MLB.com had a team of writers pen a piece on the games nastiest changeups and you can be sure Hendricks name showed up on said list. 10 best single-season performances in the last decade, Cubs should keep close eye on non-tender candidate Cody Bellinger, Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side, Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters, Cubs are giving pitcher Javier Assad a deserved shot, Cubs: Its time to start thinking about potential September call-ups, MLB.com had a team of writers pen a piece on the games nastiest changeups. 13.1 inches. And, in part three, well discuss the difference in how you pitch with the modern changeup. By movement, its almost exactly average at least its a little slower than most changeups, but so is his 89 mph fastball. An Introduction to Seam-Shifted Wakes and their Effect on Sinkers If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. The guy is near unhittable and with good reason. The grip might differ slightly, but the way spin is applied, which may be the biggest factor in throwing a breaking pitch, is largely the same. It was extremely helpful. Its a little slower than your traditional slider, without as much vertical break as most sliders, but it looks a bit like a slider. I searched for extreme examples of each so that we could best see the difference, so the one on the left had 11 inches of arm-side fade, while the one on the right had two inches of glove-side cut. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. This allows the ball to roll farther off the fingers as its released, increasing spin. Were ecstatic to announce a new partnership between Rawlings and Cressey Sports Performance, and theyve set up a 20% off discount code on select products for our listeners. *This article may contain product links which pay me a small commission if you make a purchase. Jacob deGrom's Changeup and the Nastiest Pitches From 7/24 Throwing a changeup when a hitter expects fastball is a great way to get a quick rollover ground ball for an out. Theyll get more of the barrel to the ball than if your changeup meets that 10-12% slower than the fastball criteria that I outlined before. A four-seamer that cuts slightly and works best against right . When the batter is ahead in count - 1-0, 2-1, or 2-0, When a hitter is trying to pull or is out in front of the pitches. Cubs' Kyle Hendricks: Justin Steele's new changeup will be a 'game Kyle Hendricks Just Did Something He's Never Done Before with Changeup But what creates that downward movement on Hendricks changeup is, in part, his grip. I wanted to go back out there and fix what I was doing wrong, he said. OK, so maybe it wasn't the complete game shutout we saw on Opening Day in 2020. MESA, Ariz. Cubs lefty Justin Steele came into camp 20 pounds heavier and with a new changeup in his arsenal. 15% will throw get the same speed reduction with predominantly lateral movement, and another 15% will get the same speed reduction, but only sinking movement. As for the changeup, Steele wanted a bigger drop in velocity from his fastball. Required fields are marked *. Though this works quite well for him, it's not the standard version for most pitchers, for one main reason: pitchers need a pitch that breaks away from opposite-handed hitters. As a pitching coach,one of my biggest tasks is overhauling a pitchers off-speed pitches. Ive taught this exact style of changeup to hundreds of pitchers, and 70% will obtain a 10% speed reduction with equal parts lateral and sinking movement. Hendricks' grip is one of the factors that allows him to kill as much spin as possible and achieve this above-average sink. Provided the speed reduction is there, anomalies in movement are okay, and to be expected no two pitchers are alike. Dan Blewett is a former pro pitcher, baseball academy owner and author of, https://elitebaseballperformance.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/1-1.png, http://Elitebaseballperformance.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/ebp-green-transparent-horizontal-logo-300x96.png, The Modern Changeup: The Best New Pitch In Baseball. The dawn of the tech era has increased what we can take away from spring training. Several MLB hitters claimed to be able to read the spin of pitches, which might be impacting the effectiveness of Pinedas changeup. So the answer here is kind of, but the changeup really isnt technically a breaking ball. kyle hendricks changeup grip - bayaninstitute.net Jun 9, 2022 26 Dislike Share Chicago Cubs 206K subscribers Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks talks about when in his career he developed what he calls his most important pitch: the changeup. best cars to camber in forza horizon 4 kyle hendricks changeup grip. And, how about some arm-side run? The way I teach the modern changeup in this article, it will produce movement to the armside, with sinking action as well. When Hendricks broke out in 2016, it was keyed by catching coach Mike Borzello and advanced scouting and run prevention coordinator Tommy Hottovy showing him data that he was becoming. With his pitch count climbing in the second inning, the Cubs took advantage of spring-training rules, pulling him with two outs and then putting him back in for the third inning. Tension and fingertip pressure will result in the pitcher hooking the pitch into the ground more often. Excellent explanations Dan. But, this is just another iteration of his changeup, a different way for a him to manipulate hitters. The mystery of Kyle Freeland's changeup - Purple Row I also loved Felix Hernandezs changeup and Kyle Hendricks as well. Lets take a look at good examples of both. 1 ago. A tense hand also tends to force the changeup into the ground, resulting in spiked changeups that are often the signature of beginners. He keeps his arm speed exactly the same, Marshall said. Trying to Hit Kyle Hendricks - Cubs DNA There are tons of contradictions and conflicting details in scouting reports. Last season, his changeup was 88 mph on average, about 5 mph slower than his fastball. They throw very different speeds, so its best to think of a changeup as having a scaling, percentage-based speed reduction: 10% or so. Others choose pitch types that just dont make sense, which I cover in the video below. Hes done all this despite lacking the overpowering velocity that most teams aces boast. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. Hendricks earned the moniker because of his artful pitching and uncanny resemblance to Maddux. Edgertronic cameras can capture images at over 2,000 fps. But his changeup looks like the exact same pitch only it comes in even slower, at 78.6 mph. Yankees 4, Nationals 2: Walk-off Wednesday, The Yankees Top 10 Prospects: No. Steeles slider and curveball are his go-to secondary pitches, resulting in whiffs 29.3% and 34.6% of the time last season, respectively, according to Baseball Savant. Before leaving to join Team Israel, Cubs prospect Matt Mervis shared why this WBC means so much to him. Why 10%, give or take? But, most pitchers will develop a changeup that consistently fits the aforementioned mold. The Cubs and many other teams in baseball have concocted facilities to help their pitchers with mechanics, pitch design and efficiency. Like fastballs, changeups can be thrown with either a four-seam or a two-seam grip. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. I hear a lot about wrist pronation and Im concerned about risks of that motion for a 12 yr old. His excellent strikeout numbers and walk numbers, combined with his below average ERA have perplexed many, with a few explanations floating out there. And technology like Edgertronic cameras can help us appreciate his success more than ever. I have one collegiate pitcher who throws the pitch with a 15% reduction, no decrease in arm speed, and heavy, fork-ball like sink with no lateral movement whatsoever. The change up is supposed to be. With his 70-72 mph changeup, he creates an even larger speed differential.. His slider wasnt the archetypal slider, but it still had deadly effect as shown by his season of 41 saves without a single blown opportunity. Brad Keller and Joe Musgrove reportedly throw their fastballs with a one-seam grip. Feedback is crucial in figuring out which versions are good and which are bad, and without it, the pitch wont improve because the percentage of good vs bad changeups wont skew in the right direction. I did it earlier today, when I called him a two-pitch pitcher. We DONT want pressure to be on the fingertips, but rather at the very bottom of the fingers. There is no need to circle the fingers it provides little to no benefit. Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!