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 .
Wednesday, 7:05 PM – Ian Kennedy
| 2012 | |
|---|---|
| IP | 141.0 |
| K/PA | 20.3% |
| BB/PA | 4.6% |
| HR/9 | 1.21 |
| GB% | 35.0% |
| Whiff% | 19.3% |
| ERA | 4.15 |
| FIP | 3.90 |
Kennedy makes heavy use of his four-seam fastball, which sits 88-91 MPH and occasionally gets up to the 92-93 range. He does a good job moving the pitch all over the zone, not hesitating to work on the inner half. His velocity has been down just a tick in 2012, but he is missing a lot more bats with the pitch this year. Kennedy’s 79-82 MPH changeup is his out pitch, as hitters come up empty on about a third of all swings at the offering. He actually throws the change just as often to righties as he does to lefties, which is rare for a right-handed pitcher. Righties also swing and miss at the pitch far more frequently. Kennedy’s repertoire is filled out with an 85-88 MPH cutter and a 75-80 MPH curve. He very occasionally works in a sinker as well. He has struck out 21.1% of opposing hitters since joining the Diamondbacks prior to the 2010 season, after struggling to generate punchouts during his time with the Yankees.
