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. For a general guide to pitch types for a right-handed pitcher, please check out this image created by Sons of Sam Horn. Graphs are courtesy of Brooks Baseball and The Hardball Times , unless otherwise specified.
| Pitch Types | ||
|---|---|---|
| FA: Four-Seam Fastball | FT: Two-Seam Fastball | FC: Cutter |
| CU: Curveball | SL: Slider | CH: Changeup |
| FS: Splitter | SI: Sinker |
Tuesday, 8:40 PM – Christian Friedrich
Friedrich is a former top prospect who suddenly fell apart in Double-A in 2010 and 2011. He recovered to make five strong starts at Triple-A to begin this year, but has struggled since being promoted to the big leagues in early May. He has above average velocity for a lefty, sitting 91-93 MPH and touching 95. He is known for his big 75-77 MPH curve, although it seems like the pitch has lost some effectiveness as he has climbed through the higher levels. Friedrich has struggled to miss bats with the curve since coming to the big leagues, albeit in a small sample size. This is likely due to some inconsistent command of the pitch. Friedrich has had more success with his 83-86 MPH slider early in his big league career, sporting a whiff rate above 40% with the pitch. He also throws an 82-85 MPH changeup.
