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 .
Thursday, 4:05 PM – Joe Blanton
| 2012 | |
|---|---|
| IP | 144.1 |
| K/PA | 20.3% |
| BB/PA | 3.5% |
| HR/9 | 1.43 |
| GB% | 43.8% |
| Whiff% | 22.6% |
| ERA | 4.61 |
| FIP | 3.95 |
Blanton has a diverse repertoire, with six different offerings that he goes to at least 10% of the time. His main pitch is an 88-91 MPH two-seam fastball, which he uses frequently on the arm-side of the zone. He throws his four-seam fastball around 89-91 MPH and maxes out at 93-94. Blanton also throws an 86-89 MPH cutter, often in on the hands of lefties. He throws two different breaking balls, a slider around 82-84 MPH and a slower 77-78 MPH curve. Blanton’s final pitch is an 83-84 MPH circle change. The changeup is his best strikeout pitch, with a whiff rate around 42% in 2012. Blanton missed a lot of bats with his slider last year, but the pitch has been much more hittable in 2012. He has managed to generate plenty of ground balls with his secondary stuff so far this year, but he is allowing a lot of balls in the air overall. Blanton does not alter his pitch selection much at all based on the opposing batter’s handedness. He goes to his changeup more frequently against left-handers, but also mixes it in pretty regularly against righties.
