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FanGraphs | Nate Freiman: Pitch sequences follow patterns, so it’s interesting to look at which pitchers “double-up,” meaning they follow up a first pitch with the same second pitch. Pitchers like Junior Guerra and Justin Verlander often double-up fastballs, and pitchers like Blake Snell often follow the fastball with off-speed, to name a few.
The Ringer | Ben Lindbergh: Kyle Freeland is the perfect exemplar of the pitching improvement in Denver, and the Rockies starter has produced a sub-3.00 ERA using a deceptive leg kick, a change in pitch selection, and changing his pitch location to induce a ton of weak contact.
The Athletic | Eno Sarris ($): If you’re looking for pitchers who have been “unlucky” by ERA-bbFIP (FIP based on batted ball data), you’ll find the likes of Domingo Germán, Nick Pivetta, and Dylan Bundy.
Bill James Online | Brian Reiff: Shifting is at an all-time high, and marks a 30-percent increase since last year. It has resulted in a drop in performance for “shift candidates,” but for those that don’t apply, it actually hurts the defense. So, it is still important that you are not shifting against marginally pull hitter.