Introduction to Pitching in Baseball
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — It’s trivia time. And, please, bear with us.
Does anyone know how many times former Texas Rangers right-hander Dane Dunning threw his forkball — a pitch that he secretly tweaked with and added to his arsenal during spring training a year ago — last season?
Exactly one.
This is not to criticize Dunning, now an Atlanta Brave, for a lack of follow-through. This is to say that new or redesigned pitches can sometimes be nothing more than spring training fodder that becomes shelved when the games start to actually matter.
Rangers
The Importance of a Changeup in Baseball
Or, sometimes, it can be deployed on a regular basis and help unlock the best of a pitcher’s potential.
Meet Jack Leiter’s changeup.
Leiter, a right-handed rookie in his first full big league season, rode his changeup to a second-straight quality start in the Rangers’ 5-2 win against the Athletics Friday night at Suter Health Park. The 25-year-old pitched six innings of two-run ball, allowed five hits, two walks and struck out seven batters.
His 26 changeups thrown were the second-most in any game this season. The Athletics swung at it 14 times, whiffed on it seven times and struck out on it four times. He had never generated that many swings and misses with his changeup in a single game.
How the Changeup Works
“I think it’s just an arm speed pitch when I’m trusting it and throwing it like a fastball,” said Leiter, who has a 3.77 ERA in his first 24 starts this season. “I think it’s a really effective pitch both early in the counts and to put guys away.”
The 25-year-old brought a revamped “kick changeup” into spring training and immediately added it into his arsenal. The pitch — which averaged 90 mph Friday and reached 92.8 mph — requires the user to arch the middle finger in a changeup grip and make it the same length or shorter as the ring finger. It’s designed to let pitchers who struggle to pronate throw a decent changeup.
And, yes, it’s been decent. Batters hit .203 on his 303 changeups thrown this season prior to Friday night and whiffed on it 32.2% of the time. It’s only gotten better as Leiter has become more comfortable with the pitch. Hitters slashed .167/.211/.222 against it in four July starts and swung and missed 43.3% of the time. In his first five August starts they slashed .056/.227/.056 against it.
Development of the Changeup
“It’s a big pitch for him,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “I think it’s a big pitch for anybody. It sets up a lot of other pitches, gets him off his fastball, comes in like a fastball and has good action to it. I think it’s hard to pick up and he’s getting more and more command of it.”
It serves as a representation of Leiter’s continued development. His fastball, which can touch triple digits, is a legitimate weapon that is neutralized if batters can sit on it without the fear of effective off-speed pitches.
The club’s pitching staff encouraged Leiter to throw his curveball for power instead of precision before his previous start vs. the Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field. Leiter threw his curveball a mile and a half per hour faster than his average, landed it for six called strikes and was able to cruise for seven scoreless innings.
The Impact of the Changeup on Leiter’s Game
He chalked it up to a level of trust in his curveball. His changeup, which he’s thrown 15.1% of the time this season, is not necessarily any different in that aspect.
It could continue to unlock the best of the former second overall draft pick’s abilities.
“He’s started leaning on it in big situations,” catcher Jonah Heim said. “When you can trust a pitch in big situations, you know it’s a good pitch. It’s a go-to pitch for him.”
Conclusion
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FAQs
Q: What is a changeup in baseball?
A: A changeup is a type of pitch that is designed to deceive the batter by making it look like a fastball, but with a slower speed.
Q: How does Jack Leiter’s changeup work?
A: Jack Leiter’s changeup is a revamped “kick changeup” that he brought into spring training. It requires the user to arch the middle finger in a changeup grip and make it the same length or shorter as the ring finger.
Q: What is the impact of the changeup on Leiter’s game?
A: The changeup has been a key factor in Leiter’s development as a pitcher, allowing him to unlock the best of his abilities and become a more effective pitcher.
