A ten minute PITCHf/x on Waino

by joker24 on Apr 18, 2010 11:47 PM EDT

At the request of VEP, a quick looksie at #1 Waino tonight vs. previously #2 why Brooksbaseball is badass.

Brooksbaseball does the math to come up with the needed RPMs to generate the movement recorded by PITCHf/x and is easily my favorite thing to look at (and I'm not sure I've seen much analysis done with it for some reason). This is important because a curveball that breaks -8 inches at 78 mph is better than one that breaks those same -8 inches at 74 mph. RPMs take some of the variables out of the equation, and looking at that, Waino's curve was unquestionably filthy tonight. Top is his start against Houston, bottom is tonight and the curve is the clusters on the left. To keep this short: #1 Waino appears to have ditched any of our postulated ideas of him throwing a get-me-over-CB as his lowest RPM curve tonight was about the average in Houston. #2 2400 RPMs on a curve is insanity (my guess is that the 2500 one from Houston was a PITCHf/x screwup).

The end.

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excellent, rec'd

now make me a penny pitch f/x!!

I am the Batman .
I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal.

by CodyG on Apr 18, 2010 11:50 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Good job thanks

I have a formula for RPMs in my database, but I haven’t really used it for some reason.

by vivaelpujols on Apr 19, 2010 12:33 AM EDT reply actions

Without having done the research

Hypothetical internet dollar says the correlation on CB-run value/other metric of quality is better with RPMs than any other standalone. It’s probably a good thing I don’t have database skillz otherwise I’d be spending the rest of eternity testing shit like that out.

I wish BB would bring back the “release point corrected spin axis” graphs that had spin axis and RPMs on there in concentric circles…..a much easier to understand way of reading it, and it gave you a great idea of what the effect of arm slot is on movement all while showing you what a pitcher was actually doing to the baseball. I remember Kershaw on his FB basically cuts the ball to get a very similar spin to a normal RHP’s spin……..except he’s throwing from the high 3/4 lefty armslot.

Not afraid to nitpick

by joker24 on Apr 19, 2010 12:52 AM EDT up reply actions