JohnnyU
Footballguy
10.2 IP (counting tonight), 0 ER, 15ks, 3BB. Borowski blew another save tonight. While Betancourt has also pitched well this year, and may be next in line for saves, Cabrera is the better talent IMO. By the way, Betancourt gave up a run tonight in relief.
Scouts often speak of pitchers with "plus" or "plus-plus" offerings, usually referring to where a particular pitch falls on the 20-80 scouting scale in terms of both velocity and movement. But if we dig a little deeper, which pitches - given their speed, movement and deception -- are actually the most unhittable in the game? In almost all cases, the most ideal outcome for a pitcher on a given pitch is to have the hitter miss. As such, we can measure great stuff by using the "Whiff Rate".
(Updated 04/19/2007).
FANTASY ANALYSIS
The mantle of the most unhittable pitch in 2006 goes to the slider of Fernando Cabrera. Cleveland's young reliever recorded a Whiff Rate of .652 on that breaking ball, and, if you think that's a fluke, think again. Had Cabrera qualified the year before, 2006 would have been the second consecutive season his slider led the league. In 2005, Cabrera posted an eye-popping Whiff Rate of .762, though in limited action (42 swings). Interestingly, Cabrera only threw his slider in the strike zone 28.6 percent of the time, well below the major league average of 41.6 percent. In other words, he makes the pitch unhittable with a late bite that places the ball outside the plate or in the dirt much of the time. He's getting two innings per appearance, but he only has three appearances so far. Use him in AL-only leagues.
Scouts often speak of pitchers with "plus" or "plus-plus" offerings, usually referring to where a particular pitch falls on the 20-80 scouting scale in terms of both velocity and movement. But if we dig a little deeper, which pitches - given their speed, movement and deception -- are actually the most unhittable in the game? In almost all cases, the most ideal outcome for a pitcher on a given pitch is to have the hitter miss. As such, we can measure great stuff by using the "Whiff Rate".
(Updated 04/19/2007).
FANTASY ANALYSIS
The mantle of the most unhittable pitch in 2006 goes to the slider of Fernando Cabrera. Cleveland's young reliever recorded a Whiff Rate of .652 on that breaking ball, and, if you think that's a fluke, think again. Had Cabrera qualified the year before, 2006 would have been the second consecutive season his slider led the league. In 2005, Cabrera posted an eye-popping Whiff Rate of .762, though in limited action (42 swings). Interestingly, Cabrera only threw his slider in the strike zone 28.6 percent of the time, well below the major league average of 41.6 percent. In other words, he makes the pitch unhittable with a late bite that places the ball outside the plate or in the dirt much of the time. He's getting two innings per appearance, but he only has three appearances so far. Use him in AL-only leagues.
