If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. 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. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. At the 50-second mark in the video above, theres an example of this grip from an Edgertronic camera. Kyle Hendricks assigned to Daytona Cubs from Tennessee Smokies. It was awesome. Its an effective pitch pretty much anytime its thrown, but throwing a changeup in fastball counts is the most effective. But, this is just another iteration of his changeup, a different way for a him to manipulate hitters. High school and college pitchers should try to master just three pitches. Among 112 pitchers who have thrown at least 50 sinkers or two-seam fastballs entering Mondays slate of games, Hendricks is tied for the fifth lowest average spin rate (1878 rpm). But, thats much more of a thing Big Leaguers do to stay effective, and much less the rule we teach an amateur or minor leaguer who needs consistency more than anything. By movement, it looks like a cutter almost straight, with about the same sink as his sinker. Copyright - EliteBaseballPerformance.com, Part of The Advanced Continuing Education Institute -. There are tons of contradictions and conflicting details in scouting reports. Oct 11, 2017 Do you have a picture/video of Maddux's 2 seam grip? 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. Put your thumb on the bottom of the ball and your middle and ring fingers together. By Alexi Pappas. In fact, his changeup whiff percentage this year is second only to Cole Hamels among starters that have thrown the pitch more than 150 times. Its time we all start learning this same type of pitch. But Scherzer dominated, limiting opponents to a .126 average in at-bats ending against the pitch - 12 points lower than deGrom's average. He thanks Murphy apparently quite the chef for that gain. Part of the reason Hendricks achieves this much drop is due to his ability to kill spin. Same scenario but different pitch. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. #cubs #mlb #pitching2022 MLB Strikeout Reels playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYkCwy6ah6d_xXaI7mM8OIIIr7AeW0zuA2022 College Baseball Strikeout Re. Some may add a specialty or fourth pitch as they get more experienced. check out my proven programs for pitchers of all ages, check out my proven programsfor pitchers of all ages. Straight changeups are sooooo old-school. Focus on leading your release with your index finger. It was his sparingly used curveball that stole the show, a pitch he altered the grip on during quarantine and has seen improved results compared to last season. This is because, when on the bottom, it can hold the ball firmly in place against the bottom bridge of the fingers. The guy is near unhittable and with good reason. Thats always a plus. Maybe this was unique to Clement. Dartmouth's Hendricks Is Chicago's Brainy Ace. The dawn of the tech era has increased what we can take away from spring training. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. How can you get the same movement/action using two different grips? At least, thats what Chicago is hoping as theyve got Hendricks locked up through 2023 with a vesting option for 2024, his age 34 season. But today, well bust some changeup myths and give you all the tools to throw a great one. The version I threw in college and pro ball moved as much as both of these accomplished MLB pitchers. The more speed we remove, the more the pitch must deviate from a fastballs initial trajectory, thus making it look less like a fastball out of the hand. In this development stage, he wants to get ahead of hitters before mixing it in. He then provides tips and tricks for how to throw a changeup and make it an effective part of your pitch mix.Tickets for all 2022 regular season games are on sale now: https://www.cubs.com/tickets Follow us! Your email address will not be published. Another quick question, then Ill let you go. Its not as cool-looking to throw with your buddies. Just email elitebaseballpodcast@gmail.com. The slow-motion setting on an iPhone captures at 240 frames per second (fps). I had this conversation with a friend of mine who is a scout and former Big Leaguer. You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. The Professors sparkling career continues to improve. 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. 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. 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. 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. The basement of speed change is about 8%. Lets clear it all up. He had been between about 195 and 205 pounds, generally, and feeling good. He is the owner of a 3.12 ERA, which is among the best in all of baseball. Watch the short video below to see what I believe is the modern changeup: If all other parameters are equal, a pitch that has movement is harder to hit than a pitch that is straight. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. Kyle Hendricks purposefully cuts his changeup sometimes. If Michael Pineda never puts it together, no one will ever be able to say that it was due to a lack of effort from internet analysts trying to diagnose his problems. He was a good-though-not-great pitcher . I hear a lot about wrist pronation and Im concerned about risks of that motion for a 12 yr old. Either way, it is hard not to feel like Pineda is one small adjustment away from something special. Hendricks achieved a season high in curveball usage (25%) and whiffs (5), finishing off two hitters with the pitch. 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. We also create a reliable movement pattern for the hand, creating relatively equal parts sink and lateral movement. But, this starts with education on what a changeup is and why it does what it does. The hand pronates inward, slightly, before release. But for the second time in three seasons, Hendricks helped the Cubs start off on the right foot with a good performance against the Brewers at Wrigley Field in the season opener.. Not to mention both starts followed a strange set of circumstances: the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020 and an . He is 15-7, the third hardest-to-hit pitcher in the National League, and he ranks 2, 2 and 2 in on-base percentage-against, slugging percentage-against and OPS-against. Twitter: https://twitter.com/cubs Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cubs/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cubs/ Snapchat: http://Snapchat.com/add/Cubs TikTok: http://bit.ly/3jRYPkM best cars to camber in forza horizon 4 kyle hendricks changeup grip. 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. Reset ahead of the third, he retired the side in order. Throwing a changeup when a hitter expects fastball is a great way to get a quick rollover ground ball for an out. This tactic is HUGE and is a major reason why the changeup is so effective. He limits baserunners (both via hit and walk) and home runs, leading to a solid ERA. Aside from slowing the arm or hand down, or not finishing the pitch, theres no reliable way to reduce the speed of a changeup when force is applied through the center. But, most pitchers will develop a changeup that consistently fits the aforementioned mold. In September, Eno Sarris at FanGraphs wrote a great article entitled What Can Hitters Actually See Out of a Pitchers Hand? Right-hander Kyle Hendricks' changeup has been a staple of his big-league success. The Changeup should be 10-12% slower than a fastball. Forcing the fingers down the sides of the baseball are one of a few culprits that cause undue hand tension. So the answer here is kind of, but the changeup really isnt technically a breaking ball. [In the regular season], I would have started flipping a lot more breaking balls or tried something a lot different, Steele said. Next. The changeup is the most historically misunderstood baseball pitch. Common theories as to why he isnt pitching at an ace-caliber level include poor fastball command, a lack of a third pitch, and not attacking the corners as much with runners on base. Kyle Hendricks had an April surprise ready for fans who braved the frigid conditions at Wrigley Field. The problem is just that if two 13-year-olds are playing catch with their changeups, they dont get a lot of feedback on how well theyre doing. But over the course of 162 games, you lose weight, he said. And, we welcome your suggestions for future guests and questions. You bet. Not to mention he has a baby on the way. "Hendricks sits at 86.7 mph with his two-seamer (slower than some of the other changeups picked here). More and more pitchers in the Major Leagues are throwing changeups with hard sink and run. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. ), Hendricks sinker has a little bit different of a grip, Marquee Sports Network analyst Sean Marshall said. Pingback: How to Throw a Curveball - The Definitive Guide, Pingback: Here are The Best Pitching Drills for Young Players in 2021. By movement, it's almost exactly average. Just remember: even the nastiest pitch still needs to be thrown at the right time in an at-bat to maximize its effectiveness. Hes looking for closer to a 10 mph difference. 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. This converts some of the arm speed into spin, which reduces the balls speed in the same way as a curveball or slider (except the spin is applied to the opposite side of the ball). Still, it is something to think about going forward for Pineda. The means by which Hendricks has found success is well documented. The ball should rest up against the top ridge of the palm or at the base of the fingers. But it's not like Hendricks abandoned the contact game, either. Kyle Hendricks and Dallas Keuchel have made careers out of their prolific sinkers, and based on 2020 data, it appears as though those pitches have gained additional movement through a SSW. He can locate his sinker well, though, and has a good change. This allows them to work together, as a unit, to turn inward on the ball, to make it sink and run. Controlling the Running Game: Should Young Pitchers Slide Step? I dont want my son to end up straining. 1 - Kyle Hendricks (Cubs) - 19.7% Whiff rate, 62 Adjusted Contact Score For my money, Hendricks throws the best changeup in the game. Steele went into the offseason knowing he wanted to put on at least a little weight. 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. Palm ball? does st martin parish have school tomorrow. 04/02/2013. A slider has defined spin, a mixture of bullet-spin, forward and side spin that creates a visible red dot. We prefer the 3 finger grip because we find it easier to control. A four-seamer that cuts slightly and works best against right . Now, Pitch F/X and Trackman grading of pitches has shown us that a changeup with more movement is harder for hitters to hit, even if the speed change is less. The mailbag zeroes in on the infield jam with a particular solution being pitched. Looking at the most effective changeups of 2016, a trend emerges. Which version is best? His other stuff is elite. Per Brooks Baseball, Hendricks gets a lot of swings-and-misses and a ton of popups when he puts the changeup in the lower part of the strike zone. I dont use a radar gun most of the time, and they wont have access to one either. Pressure should be from the thumb to the bottom of the middle and ring fingers. Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks talks about when in his career he developed what he calls his most important pitch: the changeup. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. Dont try to get too much backside drive and hip rotation into the pitch. But, how much slower? If youbelieve adding velocity could be critical to your success,check out my proven programsfor pitchers of all ages. 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. Lawmakers and others should not seek to undo laws meant to protect people from gun violence. Hendricks throws a sinker and changeup within 7-8 mph of one another. By looking at a combination of Google Images and the disparity in horizontal movement between their four seam fastballs and changeups, I tried to guess what grip each pitcher was using: *Cubs ace Kyle Hendricks has two changeups. Before leaving to join Team Israel, Cubs prospect Matt Mervis shared why this WBC means so much to him. The change up is more effective in college and pro baseball because the hitters are stronger, more aggressive and can handle a good fastball. So, we need a combination of the hand being as relaxed as possible while still being held securely. A typical two-seam fastball is thrown with the index and middle finger between the tracks or where the two seams are narrowest on a baseball. His changeup? Kyle Hendricks and Greg Maddux also share the same nickname: "The Professor". Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. No, Im not blowing smokeIve taught lots of pitchers over the years, and its not hard to produce a heavy sinking changeup. The incredible thing about Hendricks is that in his Game 1 quality start in Mondays doubleheader, neither his sinker or changeup were his best pitch. Also like fastballs, changeups thrown with a two-seam grip get more run and fade. Take a look. Because any slower than this and the arm has to begin slowing downits very rare to see pitchers throw a pitcher much slower than 10-12% with their normal delivery and full arm speed. If we cut our changeup, how does it vary from a slider? His thought? Casey Sutherland may have just 12 games of experience with the Red Sox, but he has already shown dominance while fulfilling a childhood dream. I wanted to go back out there and fix what I was doing wrong, he said. Hendricks' focus on the mound is utilizing his below-average velocity in conjunction with the excellent movement on his pitches, specifically his elite changeup. Odds & lines subject to change. 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. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). There. 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. *This article may contain product links which pay me a small commission if you make a purchase. Others choose pitch types that just dont make sense, which I cover in the video below. We need 90mph arm speed with a 79-83mph output. Releasing the ball too much from the side caused by turning the hand over too much. Hendricks threw his changeup 58.2% of the time in two-strike counts, registering a whiff rate of 17.9% in those situations . Upon release, the fingers are lifted off the ball, the ball rolls up the fingers. When a pitch is thrown harder, it flies longer along the same trajectory as a fastball. We prefer the 3 finger grip because we find it easier to control. The harder a changeup is thrown, the more it matches fastball arm speed, and initially fools the hitter into thinking that 90mph arm speed = 90mph output. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. I wrote an article on Elitebaseballperformance.com on the same topic, so check that out as well. You can do so HERE. We all know that Hendricks has a first rate changeup, but it may surprise some to learn exactly how good it is. What allows this to be possible is the grip and hand action, both of which play equal parts in reducing the velocity output. I know he had great stuff and his pitches had tons of movement but he constantly struggled with command his entire career. The thumb is the pressure point, and its location on the bottom of the ball is crucial. Although Kyle Hendricks is not a pitcher in need of change given his prolonged success with below-average velocity, comparing him to other pitchers with the footage from Edgertronic cameras provides insight into how he succeeds. Righty-on-righty changeups? But, we need to do this at a 100% intensity, which is difficult. But cutters are usually about two miles slower than a pitchers fastball, while this Cut Change is almost 10 mph slower than Hendricks fastball. And, what grip will get him there? You should be tinkering with this grip and any other you try and see what works best for you to produce the best possible result. You can check these in your browser security settings. But, this is just another iteration of his changeup, a different way for a him to manipulate hitters. We DONT want pressure to be on the fingertips, but rather at the very bottom of the fingers. His arm slot and the speed at which he releases each pitch are indistinguishable. The average velocity differential was 11.1 mph. Armed with his devastating changeup and an unshakable quiet confidence, the Dartmouth alum is ready to take his place as one of the games most elite aces. So it's not a coincidence that the pitch was at the root of shutting down the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. We need to think of paintbrushing the hand over the changeup. You try to tell the difference when he tunnels those two pitches.". If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Hey, thanks for the article! . Hendricks' changeup became more productive alongside it. Required fields are marked *. Besides advising Hendricks to sharpen an edge, Budner adjusted the grip on a changeup that eventually became his most effective pitch. RHP Kyle Hendricks assigned to SOU North Division All-Stars. But, breaking balls are typically the slider, curveball and cutterpitches that their primary purpose is to break by curving or cutting. But his changeup looks like the exact same pitch only it comes in even slower, at 78.6 mph. 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. Edgertronic cameras can capture images at over 2,000 fps. With his 70-72 mph changeup, he creates an even larger speed differential.. 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. He. When these harder breaking pitches finally do move off the fastballs path, it makes them appear to break more suddenly, sharper, which in turn makes them more difficult to square up. I have a question for you after reading your article. If the pitcher can develop a good change up, his fastball will appear faster and the hitters will be less aggressive. If so, then stick with me! The changeup grip I teach in this article is very easy to learn and produces a heavily-sinking changeup with armside movement. All Win Expectancy, Leverage Index, Run Expectancy, and Fans Scouting Report data licenced from TangoTiger.com. Hendricks grip is one of the factors that allows him to kill as much spin as possible and achieve this above-average sink. There was even a sign that once read pitch lab in progress at Sloan Park. Rather, the pink and index finger comfortably rest on the side of the ball, as they dont have a strong role. Chosen by RHP David Robertson, LHP Justin Steele, LHP Wade Miley, RHP Adrian Sampson and LHP Brandon Hughes. According to Pitch F/X data, Pineda gets five more inches of horizontal movement on his changeup than on his fastball. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. Now Available! This actually makes sense if you realize that MLB hitters pick up the changeup spin more often than not. To do this, the thumb must be on the bottom. As you can probably tell, I love the changeup and love teaching it. There are many times when we pitchers get away with a changeup that was thrown a little too hard because late movement caused it to fade off his barrel at the last moment. Not so much. I did it earlier today, when I called him a two-pitch pitcher. It sounds like a cutter to me but thats not a pitch that is associated with sinking. This is basic, but needs to be addressed in any good changeup article. Design by DAYO, *I hate spam too, only the best for my subscribers, CSP Elite Baseball Development Podcast: Kyle Hendricks, I will never spam you or share your email, Why different athletes need different approaches to power development, Why its essential that you learn to train outside the sagittal plane, Which medicine ball and plyometric variations I use with baseball players, Why not all throwers have identical deceleration patterns or training needs, How your arm care programs can be improved to reduce the risk of injury and improve throwing velocity, Why Kyle chose to move across the country out of high school and attend Dartmouth College, How Kyle has developed his ability to manipulate the baseball to create movement, How Kyle worked diligently to develop his changeup and how players can better develop this feel pitch, How throwing a quality changeup actually helped Kyle learn to throw a two seam fastball, How grip, specifically pinky position on the baseball, impacted the effectiveness of his changeup, What Kyles thought process is when throwing his changeup and how late hand speed out front trumps early, forced pronation with the pitch, How Kyle developed a cut changeup, which is differentiated from his regular changeup, How Kyle approaches attacking hitters and why he emphasizes throwing first pitch strikes and controlling counts against hitters, Why Kyles four seam fastball usage increased in 2016 and why this change allowed him to have more margin for error and improve the effectiveness with his fastball, How Kyle learned to read swings and bat paths in pro ball and how this has influenced how he competes against hitters, How Kyle prepares by utilizing coaches scouting reports along with video to develop a plan for success against the opposition, Why Kyle has always been intrigued by the mental side of baseball and how he has used it to develop an edge in the game, How simplification has revolutionized Kyles ability to master his mentality, control the game, and play to his highest ability, Why Kyle works to find a balance between using analytics and relying on his intuition, What pitch clicks in the bullpen when Kyle is set to have a great game and how Kyle knows when he is locked in, How Kyle attacks throwing his various pitches in his daily throwing progression, How individuals who lack elite velocity can identify their strengths and learn to separate themselves from the competition, Avoid the most common deadlifting mistakes.
