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 .
Friday, 8:15 PM – Jake Westbrook
| 2012 | |
|---|---|
| IP | 146.2 |
| K/PA | 15.0% |
| BB/PA | 6.2% |
| HR/9 | 0.61 |
| GB% | 58.4% |
| Whiff% | 16.7% |
| ERA | 3.62 |
| FIP | 3.61 |
Westbrook pitches to contact and does not miss many bats, with a strikeout and overall whiff rate that are both comfortably below average. He lives on his plus sinker, a pitch that sits around 90-91 MPH and generates a ton of ground balls. His 79-82 MPH changeup also shows good sinking movement, giving him another weapon to keep batted balls on the infield. He mixes in an 85-89 MPH cutter and a 78-81 MPH curveball. After struggling to miss bats with the curve last year, it is back to being his best strikeout pitch. However, Westbrook’s changeup has been more hittable this year than in the past. His cutter has always been an effective pitch with impressive movement. He is still missing bats with it this year, but it has been hit hard at times. Westbrook led the majors with a 59.3% ground ball rate in 2011 and has continued his ground ball ways with a 58.4% rate thus far in 2012.
