Exploring the Arsenal: A Preview of the Cincinnati Reds’ Probable Starting Pitchers

Exploring the Arsenal will run prior to each series, providing you with a brief scouting report on the starting pitchers expected to oppose the Pirates. The charts below show the horizontal and vertical movement of every pitch thrown by that particular pitcher in 2011. These charts are from the catcher’s point of view. (courtesy of FanGraphs)

Wednesday, 7:10 PM – Bronson Arroyo

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Arroyo has success by keeping hitters off balance. He throws about seven different pitches, most of which come in at slightly different velocities. His fastball, which usually sits in the high 80’s and occasionally gets up over 90 MPH, has been down in the mid 80’s this year. He throws a four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball and cutter, all around the same velocity. The two-seamer shows decent sinking action. He switches up his release point frequently, and often drops down almost to sidearm when throwing his slider. Despite the decreased velocity, Arroyo is still having good results, including an improved strikeout rate.

Thursday, 12:35 PM – Johnny Cueto

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Cueto’s stuff does not have nearly the variety of Arroyo’s repertoire. He throws four-seam and two-seam fastballs, and mixes in a slider and change in the mid-80’s. His fastball sits in the low 90’s and touches 96 MPH. He has only made two starts this season after missing time with an injury, and has been very solid. Cueto has not yet allowed a run, and has struck out nine hitters in 13 innings.