JP Crawford, Seattle Mariners.
This weekly article will look at some poorly performing pitches that batters take full advantage of. Not every selection is going to be a home run. It can be extra-base hits or hard-hit singles. Our criteria are that the pitch didn’t go as planned, with negative consequences.
We do our best to provide you with some information on the pitcher and the pitch. For example, how the pitch should have performed and been executed. Also, if possible, we’ll provide the spin rate of the pitch.
Does the pitcher have control issues, or is this a new pitch he’s working on, or did he just miss? We’ll also point out the location of the pitch, where the catcher wants it, and where it ends up.
Let’s get into it.
Jarred Kelenic got off to a very rough start for the Seattle Mariners. That’s putting it nicely. A quick summation, he got called up and struggled to the tune of a .096 batting average before being sent down. Months later he returned and performed a bit better. So far this year it’s been a struggle for him again. However, over the past week, he’s started to pick things up at the plate. For example, here he is on #ForgetThisPitch crushing a Jon Gray mistake for a homer.
Texas’ catcher calls for a Gray fastball low and away against Kelenic. Gray “clearly” knowing better throws a 93mph fastball up and in. Kelenic says “Forget this pitch” as soon as his bat connects with the ball. Sending the pitch out of the ballpark at 110 mph. Gray’s fastball is currently operating at its second-lowest spin rate (2033). Subsequently, it’s at its lowest whiff % (6.9) and put away % (4.2) per Baseball Savant.
Next: Page 2 – Revenge and some luck
Freddie Freeman the long-time Atlanta first-baseman is now an LA Dodger. This week Freeman squared off against his former team. This is clearly one of the hardest series of his career. He greatly misses Atlanta and never thought he’d be playing anywhere else. Anyways, he’s gotten off to a slow start in terms of home runs. Turns out “showing your ex what they’re missing” is the cure. For the second consecutive game, Freeman hit a dinger.
Charlie Morton is a big-time pitcher. Unfortunately, this time Morton gets Freeman in a 1-0 count and throws a 97 mph fastball low and inside. A tough pitch no doubt. However, Atlanta’s catcher called for the fastball to be low and outside. So, Freeman says #ForgetThisPitch and hits Morton’s ninth pitch out of the ballpark (112 mph exit velocity) for a two-run home run. Morton’s spin rate (2381), whiff% (19.4), or Put Away% (18.5) are not career lows. So, this is just a pitcher missing his spot with good stuff and the good stuff couldn’t save the pitcher.
Ok, so this one doesn’t jive with what #ForgetThisPitch is all about. However, it’s a good example or foreshadowing of a future nominee. Boston’s Tanner Houck vs Toronto gets away with a couple of mistakes. Coincidentally it’s two fastballs high and to the pitcher’s right-hand side. The first victim is Raimel Tapia. Boston’s catcher wants the 95 mph fastball middle of the plate. Houck says “I don’t want to be featured on Forget this Pitch” so goes up and away. Blowing Tapia away for strike three but not by much.
Houck’s next victim is rising star Bo Bichette. This time Boston’s catcher wants Houck to throw his fastball knee high and a foot off the plate away from Bichette. Again, Houck misses his location badly. His 97 mph fastball ends up high and inside, with Bichette swinging underneath the ball. My thought is Bichette was wanting to put Houck in #ForgetThisPitch for being taken deep. Instead, Houck gets the better of Bichette in this at-bat. If Houck continues to miss his spots this poorly he will be a repeat visitor.
Next: Page 3 – Couple of Middle Infielders
This may be one of the most bizarre sequences in all of baseball. See the video below. Jazz Chisholm Jr is up to bat against Aaron Brooks. Brooks gets a high fastball for strike one. Chisholm doesn’t like the call so he steps out of the box and exchanges words with the home plate umpire. The umpire then tells Chisolm to get in the box. Chisholm doesn’t so the umpire claps and tells Brooks he can throw. St. Louis catcher motions Brooks to pitch with Chisholm stepping into the box.
Eventually, the St. Louis catcher calls time after Brooks didn’t take advantage of a golden opportunity. So, after the time out the St. Louis catcher calls for Brooks’ slider or changeup knee-high and just off the inside part of the plate on Chisholm. Instead, the slider or changeup ends up knee-high and over the middle of the plate. The home plate umpire, Brooks, and St. Louis catcher all look disappointed in the end result.
We started with the Seattle Mariners so we’ll end with them. J.P. Crawford is not known for his home run power. In his first at-bat against Texas’ Taylor Hearn, Crawford wins. Texas’ catcher wants the pitch knee-high and away. Hearn is already in a pitcher’s count, 0-1, and is looking to really get ahead. On Hearn’s 16th pitch he delivers an 84 mph slider dead middle of the plate. Crawford takes full advantage of this mistake and crushes it into the right-field seats. He adds a beautiful bat flip and I’m pretty sure the phrase #ForgetThisPitch.