Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
Around SBN: Super Bowl XLVI: Eli Manning And The Meaning Of 'Elite'

Graph of the Day: Sinker Run Values

I like sinkers, but who doesn't? Besides hitters, that is.

I've classified a lot of pitches this year, but far from all of them. Of the pitchers I've covered at some point, I have nearly 30 pitchers with 70 or more sinkers tagged. Here's how they rank, by rv100 (run value above average per 100 pitches), with negative numbers being better for pitchers.

This is far from a complete list of pitchers, and, in most cases, all of their sinkers. Think of it has a snapshot of a few guys, useful for comparison down the road. Data selected from 2009 regular season games only.

2009sinkersample_medium

  • Carl Pavano, with his improved sinker in 2009, is still not looking good
  • Lots of Cubs? Well, I've classified all of their pitches
  • Vin Mazzaro is impressive

Comment 5 comments  |  0 recs  | 

Do you like this story?

Comments

Display:

Joel Pineiro

I wonder where he fits on the chart. He has been drinking the Dave Duncan kool-aid this season, and it looks to the naked eye that his sinker has been doing pretty well.

Yep, every Hall of Famer did something unique. Mike Schmidt played with his hat sideways. Roberto Clemente chewed other people's fingernails. Tris Speaker was Japanese. Lou Boudreau rode a dolphin into the batter's box. Nap Lajoie would only use John Wilkes Booth's dismembered leg as a bat. And he corked it. Johnny Mize was from the future. - FJM

by Choix003 on Jun 25, 2009 8:47 AM EDT reply actions  

I need to update him

I haven’t looked at him since he shut-down the Cubs.

by Harry Pavlidis on Jun 25, 2009 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions  

Greinke and Santana

I wonder if there’s a way to predict the effect increased usage of a sinker would have on rv100 values; for example, if Grienke had thrown 200 sinkers as opposed to 83, would his rv100 value be lower, higher, or the same. I’m sure it’d be a pita to do, but if it’s possible it could be valuable.

Also, on Santana—this stat doesn’t particularly surprise me. Over the past two seasons, he’s incorporated ‘old lefty tools’ into his repertoire, including the sinker, as he begins to lose velocity on his four-seam fastball. Just from my naked eye observations, he hasn’t figured out placement on his sinker yet—he tends to leave it up or, worse, it flattens out right into a hitter’s wheelhouse and, thus, his rv100 values get punished.

by ProustianDisplay on Jun 25, 2009 10:04 AM EDT reply actions  

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

We use numbers and stuff.
Community Guidelines
Why be a member?

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recent FanPosts

Small
Free Agent Compensation
Img_0001_small
Value of Various Plate Approaches
Strike_three2_small
Effect of Foul Area on Strikeouts: AL 1954-68: Erratum
Small
Baseball on a stick
Small
Player Evaluating Statistic
Baseball_small
Rays Outfield: Cheap but Extremely Productive
Small
A new xBABIP
Small
Jack Morris "pitching to the score"
Strike_three2_small
Foul Area and Differences in SO: AL vs NL
Baseball_small
Is there a Kuroda and Oswalt Alternative?

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

Follow us on Facebook!

Follow us on Twitter!

SaberGraphics

MLB Daily Dish

Get the latest MLB Trade Rumors, Transactions, and News at MLB Daily Dish!


Managing Editor:

Jbopp-kc_small Justin Bopp

Columnists:

Adam_small adarowski

Dme_small Satchel Price

Closeup4_small J-Doug

Carlosicon_small Julian Levine

Billy_and_daddy_4th_of_july_small Bill Petti

Featuring:

Dayton_small Jeff Zimmerman

12475953_small Jacob Peterson

Picture-6_small Chris St. John

Btbpro_small Dave Gershman

229331_10150183361996591_674441590_6760167_6637860_n3_small Lewie Pollis

Img_3830_small David Fung