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 – Chad Billingsley
| 2012 | |
|---|---|
| IP | 131.1 |
| K/PA | 21.0% |
| BB/PA | 7.0% |
| HR/9 | 0.69 |
| GB% | 46.0% |
| Whiff% | 19.5% |
| ERA | 3.84 |
| FIP | 3.28 |
Billingsley throws with a high three-quarters delivery. His four-seam fastball sits around 91-93 MPH and touches 95. He also throws a 90-92 MPH two-seamer and an 85-89 MPH cutter. The cutter shows quite a bit of movement, with well above average sink and horizontal break approaching that of a typical major league slider. Billingsley’s two-plane slider sits around 84-86 MPH with above average break. His curve moves as much as any in baseball, with velocities ranging from the mid 60’s to the low 80’s. Billingsley’s whiff and strikeout rates dipped last season, but those numbers are back in line with his career numbers in 2012. His slider is his best strikeout pitch, with an elite whiff rate over 45% in 2012. The four-seamer and curve also miss plenty of bats.
