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, 12:35 PM – Ryan Dempster
| 2012 | |
|---|---|
| IP | 98.0 |
| K/PA | 19.5% |
| BB/PA | 6.9% |
| HR/9 | 0.64 |
| GB% | 42.2% |
| ERA | 2.11 |
| FIP | 3.28 |
Dempster’s fastball has historically been a pitch that sits 90-92 MPH and occasionally gets into the 93-94 range. However, his velocity has been down a tick this season, mostly sitting 88-90 and touching 92 MPH. He throws a live four-seamer with rising action and a two-seamer with good tailing arm-side movement. His primary breaking ball is an 84-86 MPH slider, and he uses an 81-83 MPH splitter as his off-speed pitch. He also appears to have added an 87-89 MPH cutter this year. Dempster’s best swing-and-miss pitch of 2012 has been the splitter, as it has missed bats at an almost 40% clip this year. His overall whiff rate is down around league average for the second straight season, after he spent several years among the league leaders in the category.
