Said Felix in yesterday's recap:
Hernandez credited an on-form changeup for his high strikeout total.
"The strikeouts, everything was changeups," Hernandez said. "It was unbelievable today. First time I've had a changeup like this."
Felix recorded 17 swinging strikes against the Jays. Three of them came on what, according to the PITCHf/x data, were unmistakably breaking balls. Of the 14 remaining, the slowest was 89.5mph, and the other 13 all came in higher than 90.6.
He also recorded 11 strikeouts. Three of them came on breaking balls. The others were all 90.6mph or above.
Either Felix doesn't differentiate between his two-seamer and his changeup in his head, or he was throwing his changeup faster than Johan throws his fastball.
0 recs | 56 comments
Felix's stuff seems to have changed from year to year. I feel his changeup is in need of greater analysis, because the more I watch it the more it's movement reminds me of a splitter.
EnglishMariner - September 25, 2009
I think his changeup got faster again and broke Gameday
According to Brooks Baseball he threw:
78 FourSeam Fastballs
8 Sinkers
7 Sliders
15 Curves
When you look at the Horizontal Movement x Speed and Vertical Movement x Speed graphs it looks like a fair amount of the pitches were mislabeled.
CMC_Stags - September 25, 2009
Horizontal Movement x Speed
CMC_Stags - September 25, 2009
When I went into the data I only classified four changeups
Because I didn’t think anything at 90.6 or above could be a changeup.
Jeff Sullivan - September 25, 2009
According to Fangraphs, his change is averaging 89.1 MPH this year
Would it be that much of a stretch to assume that something in the low 90s would be possible from a change? Or would that be another pitch altogether?
CMC_Stags - September 25, 2009
No, it's not a stretch at all, which just blows my mind
I can’t really tell his fastball and changeup apart anymore.
Jeff Sullivan - September 25, 2009
I wonder if batters can't tell them apart anymore either.
Everyone always talks about the ideal difference in speed between a fastball and a change. If Felix is throwing his FB around 95 and his change around 91-92, is there enough difference between the two considering both speed and movement to throw batters off?
Based on the 17 swinging strikes last night, I’d guess yes.
CMC_Stags - September 25, 2009
I just saw the gif you so kindly provided...
Holy crap.
CMC_Stags - September 25, 2009
Vertical Movement x Speed
Via Brooks Baseball.
CMC_Stags - September 25, 2009
There was a picture from the AP
that shows Felix throwing a circle change. At least, I think it is a circle change – I don’t know my grips very well. Hopefully, this link will work. If not, you should be able to click on the Griffey/Guti picture in the Game Notes article you wrote and find it.
Jed MC - September 25, 2009
Sure looks like a circle change, certainly no splitter.
EnglishMariner - September 25, 2009
Captain says it's from the first inning
Slowest pitch he threw in the first was 91mph. Jesus.
Jeff Sullivan - September 25, 2009
Captain?
Aaron Campeau - September 25, 2009
Captain is the name of the guy who writes the AP photo captions
Jeff Sullivan - September 25, 2009
I really hope that's his first name.
Phil Hatzenbuehler - September 25, 2009
Captain Munnerlyn?
bluemax - September 25, 2009
Whatever happened to him anyway?
seattlebruin - September 25, 2009
And how many "Got a little Captain in you?" jokes do you think he's heard in his lifetime?
seattlebruin - September 25, 2009
According to Wikipedia
the Panthers nabbed him in the 7th round. He has 1 tackle this season.
bluemax - September 25, 2009
I hereby apologize
for every 2007-early 2009 post in which I wondered aloud if Felix would ever realize the awesome potential that everyone ascribed to him. I have never been more delighted to be proven wrong.
pdb - September 25, 2009
I'm in that boat too.
Sec 108 - September 25, 2009
Ditto. It was looking bad for a while but thank God he learned to harness his talents.
EnglishMariner - September 25, 2009
I'm not saying this again until he sustains it more.
Fool me once, shame on you
Fool me twice, shame on me…
But, then again, I’m not going to say he’s “overrated” again so…
PositivePaul - September 25, 2009
It's a gyroball!
Phil Hatzenbuehler - September 25, 2009
And it's name is
El Negro Muerte!
section331 - September 25, 2009
I love it.
Phil Hatzenbuehler - September 25, 2009
Dave Allen did some interesting analysis on Felix's "power change" a couple months ago
http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2009/07/felix_hernandez.php
JonBBT - September 25, 2009
These were 91.3 and 91.0mph, respectively
Jeff Sullivan - September 25, 2009
The one that just dives in is incredible
Dewey N - September 25, 2009
THESE AREN'T FAIR PITCHES
Jeff Sullivan - September 25, 2009
This is like setting the high school pitching machine to 80mph knucklers
Jeff Sullivan - September 25, 2009
SERIOUSLY THOUGH HOW DID THAT BALL END UP BEHIND THE BATTER'S FEET
Dewey N - September 25, 2009
That looks similar to Randy's slider. Except Felix is righthanded so what the hell
Kermit. - September 25, 2009
ITS LIKE SMOLTZ AS A RELIEVER TYPE STUFF
Poochie - September 25, 2009
FELIX IS A STARTING PITCHER
Dewey N - September 25, 2009
YES THAT IS KIND OF MY POINT
Poochie - September 25, 2009
Oh my dear god is that sexy. it just glides to the inner half of the plate.
russak - September 25, 2009
The pitch taken for a ball has some serious screwball action.
Movement on pitches this fast makes me wonder why he’s not throwing fastballs like Verlander.
Manzanillos Cup - September 25, 2009
My god that's just filthy.
BrianL - September 25, 2009
This is a cream dream.
It moves similar to what you’d expect from a two-seamer, but to a cartoonish degree. That’s a pitch you throw in the original Griffey game for SNES.
Teej - September 25, 2009
I could watch this for hours.
Phil Hatzenbuehler - September 25, 2009
Sweet Christmas, the only explanation for that movement is black magic.
JAH - September 25, 2009
Wait, I don't understand
What type of spin can cause a ball to go 12 different directions?
CapSea - September 25, 2009
Holy fucking shit
lailaihei - September 25, 2009
HOW WAS I THE FIRST TO REC THIS????
PositivePaul - September 25, 2009
How the hell did Rob Johnson catch that?
JonBBT - September 25, 2009
Have you not heard how good he is with the glove?
Dewey N - September 25, 2009
I had just assumed it was Adam Moore
CMC_Stags - September 25, 2009
Felix is my hero.
Flat out unbelievable.
chezbergrur - September 25, 2009
Amazing, absolutely amazing.
urchman - September 25, 2009
I'm in the mood for love
That GIF is photoshopped, right? Has to be…
seattlecougar - September 25, 2009
Im going to need another shower.
Slica - September 25, 2009
Holy shit
That’s a fucking screwball.
vivaelpujols - September 26, 2009
His change is turning into more of a screwball than a change, the throws it so hard
seattlebruin - September 25, 2009
OH MY GOD
royalcurve - September 25, 2009
How far back does reliable, game-by-game swinging strike data go?
I’d love to see what the highest swinging strike games that have been pitched are. It looks like it starts in 1988 on baseball reference, but maybe retrosheet has that data for further back. (I found Clemens with a couple 29 swinging strike games in 1988)
It looks like Felix’s career high is 21 swinging strikes in one game, which he did against the Giants earlier this year.
Decatur - September 26, 2009
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