WBC Semi-Final Starter Suk Min Yoon

by Harry Pavlidis on Mar 21, 2009 1:00 PM EDT

Suk Min Yoon will face Carlos Silva in the first semi-final of the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Yoon has made one appearance already in a PITCHf/x park (Petco), against Japan on St. Patrick's Day.

Yoon has outstanding control and quality stuff. He gives Korea a real chance against Venezuela, although Silva has done well so far in the Classic.

Here's a tour of Yoon's stuff in PITCHf/x, based on my own pitch IDs.

Pitch Type	#	mph	pfx_x	pfx_z	deg	rpm
Change-Up (CH)	6	80	-10	9	231	1494
Curveball (CU)	2	76	6	-5	229	811
Two-seam (F2)	10	92	-10	9	228	1641
Four-seam Fastball (F4)	17	93	-6	11	208	1660
Splitter, maybe (FS)	1	91	-10	4	251	1392
Sliders (SL)	18	87	2	3	152	445

The splitter is probably a two-seamer, but he may have dropped down on it - or it's simply a data anomaly.

This, for the most part, will be a visual tour. We'll go from release to the plate (stopping at spin movement in between). Flight paths will put those all together, and, finally, slices and layers to get another sense of where Yoon is placing the ball.

Notice how tight those plate locations are - normally I scale this to 8'x8'. I could almost go 4'x4' for Yoon. They even cluster by pitch, for the most part. Notice the "splitter" down.

Remember the small/mixed sample sizes, especially for these flight paths. First up will be each of Yoon's six pitches (messy), followed by the hard stuff, the soft stuff and, last, his primary stuff (F4,F2,SL).

All:

Four- and two-seam fastballs plus the alleged splitter:

Curve, change and slider:

Primary Three:

Very nice. He's got to be tough.

Let's take another look at those plate locations. Here's a new take on the slices and layers - stacked by pitch type. This way, I hope, you get not only his overall tendency, but the contribution/shift for each pitch in one shot. Fat is 10", Out and In are 7" each (Wide and Tight are off the plate, the mythical 24" plate, that is). The vertical layers are even thirds of the batter's zone (with the extremes out of the zone).

Yoon throws a lot of strikes (at least in the horizontal dimension) on the outer part of the plate. The fact that he has more strikes there than the fat is impressive. Normally In+Out ~= Fat in distribution.

A lot of strikes down in the zone. Silva's innings may drag, but Yoon should move quickly if he's on - good movement, velocity, different looks, good location.

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Comments

Awesome.

Space.

It's a problem we face.

So we never go anywhere.

We just stay in one place.

by hazel on Mar 21, 2009 1:09 PM EDT reply actions

I like that changeup.

Space.

It's a problem we face.

So we never go anywhere.

We just stay in one place.

by hazel on Mar 21, 2009 1:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Notice the curve locations?

Both are almost exactly down the middle (one belt-, one knee-high)

by Harry Pavlidis on Mar 21, 2009 1:13 PM EDT reply actions

i've decided that your pitch f/x stuff is now my favorite feature on BTB.

sorry graph of the day – you had a nice run. good stuff, harry.

by larry on Mar 21, 2009 2:46 PM EDT reply actions

GotD's struggling to stay fresh.

It’s going to get a stern talking-to. I mean, you can’t wear the same shirt every day, can you?

Beyond the Boxscore // Calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy.

by Sky Kalkman on Mar 21, 2009 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Sure you can

no one knows what you wear in Mom’s Basement
(thank you larry)

by Harry Pavlidis on Mar 21, 2009 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions

you previously asked for suggestions for it

i was thinking maybe a focus on defense would be interesting. you’re creative so i’m sure you can come up with stuff that is interesting for you to look into and us to read. maybe simple as past v. present players or guys who were great defenders from the past but are forgotten today.

by larry on Mar 21, 2009 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions

defense is in vogue these days

Which is a good thing (unless your name is Bobby Abreu or Adam Dunn)

by Harry Pavlidis on Mar 21, 2009 3:53 PM EDT up reply actions

That would be cool.

I’d also be curious to see graph comparisons between baseballprojection and fangraphs, for the post-2001 stuff.

by jwiscarson on Mar 21, 2009 11:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Interesting. Thanks.

Beyond the Boxscore // Calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy.

by Sky Kalkman on Mar 22, 2009 8:54 AM EDT up reply actions

So you don't think the whole X vs Y thing is old? Good to know.

I could do graphs like the above, but with just a piece of the puzzle, like offense or fielding.

Beyond the Boxscore // Calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy.

by Sky Kalkman on Mar 22, 2009 8:55 AM EDT up reply actions

i'm okay with it.

most of what i know about graphs i learned in algebra. and that was x vs. y.

once the season gets into full swing, you’ll probably have lots more material to work with. the defense thing might get you a couple weeks closer.

by larry on Mar 22, 2009 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions

Suk Min Yoon will face Carlos Silva in the first semi-final of the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Well, that was a disaster.

I mean Silva, of course… Venezuelans are now learning what Mariners and Twins fans already knew— that the words “Carlos Silva” and “elimination game” should only ever be uttered in the same sentence if you’re talking about a Japanese variety show.

Many years from now, when his name's recalled
Everyone will say, "He should have passed the ball"
-- Al Stewart, "Football Hero"

by PaulThomas on Mar 22, 2009 12:43 AM EDT reply actions