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. For a general guide to pitch types for a right-handed pitcher, please check out this image created by Sons of Sam Horn. Graphs are courtesy of FanGraphs.
| Pitch Types | ||
|---|---|---|
| FA: Four-Seam Fastball | FT: Two-Seam Fastball | FC: Cutter |
| CU: Curveball | SL: Slider | CH: Changeup |
| FS: Splitter |
Monday, 1:35 PM – Henry Sosa
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The 26-year-old Sosa made his major league debut with the Astros earlier this month, after spending much of the season pitching out of the bullpen for the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate in Fresno. He is a former top prospect, but has struggled with injuries and inconsistencies the past few years. Sosa throws hard, with a fastball that sits comfortably in the low 90′s and can get up into the 96-97 MPH range. He also throws a breaking ball that registers as a slider on FanGraphs, but is actually a hard curveball. Sosa has a mid 80′s changeup, but he only rarely goes to it. He has a very live arm, and can be tough to hit when he locates. Inconsistent command and the lack of a quality third pitch have certainly been issues. He shut down the Pirates over six innings last Tuesday.
Tuesday, 7:05 PM – Brett Myers
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Myers’ fastball, which has historically sat in the 89-90 MPH range as a starting pitcher, has lost a tick of velocity this season. For most of the year, he has averaged right around 88 MPH, occasionally cracking the 90 MPH mark. His big-breaking mid-70′s curveball is his only real swing-and-miss pitch. He also throws a slider and a change, both of which sit in the low 80′s. It looks like Myers has added an upper 80’s cutter this year, which he throws over 20% of the time.
Wednesday, 7:05 PM – J.A. Happ
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Happ possesses a pretty diverse repertoire. His fastball generally sits around 90 MPH, and occasionally shows decent arm-side movement. After seeing a dip in velocity early in the season, his fastball speed has steadily increased. He was comfortably into the 91-92 MPH range for a few starts last month. Happ also throws a changeup in the low 80′s, a slider in the mid 80′s and a slow curve in the mid 70′s. He does not miss many bats, but still manages to consistently produce solid strikeout rates. After a few strong seasons, his high walk rate and fly ball tendencies appear to be catching up to him this year.
