Exploring the Arsenal will run prior to each game, providing you with a brief scouting report on the starting pitcher expected to oppose the Pirates. The chart below shows the horizontal and vertical movement of every pitch thrown by that particular pitcher in 2012. This chart is from the catcher’s point of view. Click here for a general guide to pitch types and classifications. Graphs are courtesy of Brooks Baseball and The Hardball Times , unless otherwise specified. Statistics are courtesy of FanGraphs .
Tuesday, 7:05 PM – Paul Maholm
| 2012 | |
|---|---|
| IP | 105.2 |
| K/PA | 15.4% |
| BB/PA | 6.5% |
| HR/9 | 0.94 |
| GB% | 50.0% |
| ERA | 4.09 |
| FIP | 4.22 |
Maholm’s bread and butter pitch is his 87-88 MPH sinker, which he goes to on nearly a third of his offerings. The pitch has plenty of horizontal tail to go along with the sinking movement, and has led to a ground ball on approximately 64% of balls in play in 2012. His four-seam fastball comes in a tick harder at 87-89 MPH, but he has only cracked 90 MPH a few times this season. Maholm has a deep repertoire, and he mixes his pitches well. He throws a 71-74 MPH curveball, an 80-82 MPH slider, a 79-83 MPH changeup and appears to have added an 83-85 MPH cutter over the past couple seasons. None of his offerings miss many bats, although the slider has been a solid swing-and-miss pitch at times over the years. However, the majority of his pitches generate well above average ground ball rates, allowing him to effectively limit damage on batted balls.
