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MLB.com recently published a post about the most exciting pitches we will get to see this season. There weren’t any Minnesota Twins in there, so here are the two filthiest pitches we will see from the Twins. This is based on batting average against the pitch (BAA), weighted on base average against the pitch (wOBA), swinging strike rate against it (SwStr%) and how often the player throws the pitch (usage%) among other factors.
Kenta Maeda, slider
When Maeda was brought on board there was a lot of hype about the slider he will be throwing, and rightfully so. Here are the statistics for the pitch:
- .158 BA (13th in MLB)
- .214 wOBA (17th)
- 22.4 SwStr%
- 31.5 usage%
This is definitely the best pitch we will see Maeda throw and it will often be against right handers. It can easily be one of the best in baseball.
Absolutely love this for Maeda and the Twins. Some quick numbers on his SL last year (b/w RP and SP):
— Alex Fast (@AlexFast8) February 5, 2020
- 21.8% SwSt
- 19.1 pVAL
- .155 BAA
- .210 wOBA pic.twitter.com/mbZK40kQ8a
Trevor May, fastball.
The fastball from May is what pushed him over the edge to become a dominant reliever. He hit a career high average velocity of 95.5 MPH and hitters could barely touch it. Here are the statistics:
- .150 BA (2nd in MLB)
- .229 wOBA (3rd)
- 16.1 SwStr%
- 61.1 usage%
This pitch for May got better as the season progressed and he leaned on it a lot when his curveball was struggling. In August he nearly hit 70% usage with the fastball and hitters just couldn’t figure it out.
Today's #TheFastPitch focuses on what was, by some metrics, the most successful four-seamer by an RP in '19:
— Alex Fast (@AlexFast8) December 5, 2019
Trevor May's -@IamTrevorMay- heater:
17.3 pVAL
.150 BA
.172 xBA
32.4% Whiff rate pic.twitter.com/ks58taLsIu
These pitches are likely the most elite ones we will see from the Twins this season. The breaking ball from Maeda and the heater from May will dominate hitters all season.
These two pitches are just two examples of what the Twins have been really good at in recent years. Find a pitcher with at least one really good pitch and work from there. Other examples would be Sergio Romo and Matt Wisler’s slider. If a pitcher has one thing they can do really well then the Twins will give them a chance to show what they can do.
Which pitchers are you excited to watch this season? Do you expect someone like Stashak or Dobnak to take another step in 2020? Let me know in the comments!