MESA, Ariz. Cubs lefty Justin Steele came into camp 20 pounds heavier and with a new changeup in his arsenal. Baseball is interesting and odd, especially . Baseball is interesting . That way, even throwing it to their Mom or Dad, a pitcher can feel for good and bad changeups and consistently reinforce his good habits. He limits baserunners (both via hit and walk) and home runs, leading to a solid ERA. Hold the ball at the base of your middle and ring fingers, then put your thumb on the bottom. Tension and fingertip pressure will result in the pitcher hooking the pitch into the ground more often. Rather, the pink and index finger comfortably rest on the side of the ball, as they dont have a strong role. A fastball count is a count when its a little more high-risk to throw an offspeed pitch (which are harder to control). Steele has yet to fully highlight the changeup in three spring starts. Vulcan change? This tactic is HUGE and is a major reason why the changeup is so effective. The wrist and hand are pronated a little early which stops the wrist from popping forward. Cubs Spring Training Notebook: Swanson's winning mentality, Lester's mark on Steele, Cubs make some spring history. The average movement of 3 to 3.5 was least effective. The velocity data doesnt help a ton, but by movement, you can see it. Several years before Kendrick started throwing his cut change I had came across the pitch in the Minor League Scouting Notebook. So I wanted to come into this season with a little extra weight on me, so that when I start losing weight throughout the season, Ill be ready for that.. 12? Yet, the grip is just one piece of the puzzle, as the hand action is more important. Spring training is more important than you think. Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks talks about when in his career he developed what he calls his most important pitch: the changeup. The odd thing about Hendricks is that his changeup actually spins more than his fastball, roughly 300 rpm more on average in 2020. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Sink is good, right? Kyle Hendricks entered his Sunday Night Baseball start on June 19 against the Pirates never having registered a double-digit strikeout game in his 57 starts. Pull the string! But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. To follow proper form, a pitcher releases the ball while keeping his wrist straight, then follows through fully. Hendricks earned the moniker because of his artful pitching and uncanny resemblance to Maddux. Thats always a plus. Dartmouth's Hendricks Is Chicago's Brainy Ace. There are many times when we pitchers get away with a changeup that was thrown a little too hard because late movement caused it to fade off his barrel at the last moment. This LHP throws a straight change, he turns it over and it sinks away from RH batters. Whats up with this?! Today, well focus on the elusive third pitch. This counteracts the idea that killing more spin automatically means more downward movement (multiple factors go into the movement of every pitch). A four-seamer that cuts slightly and works best against right . 08/01/2012. Id say Stephen Strasburgit has such crazy sink and armside run, Im not sure how anyone ever hits it. It just wont get hitters out on their front foot enoughthe speed change wont be enough to really throw off their timing. How do I throw a changeup? Hendricks' grip is one of the factors that allows him to kill as much spin as possible and achieve this above-average sink. I had this conversation with a friend of mine who is a scout and former Big Leaguer. The end goal, rather, is a mis-hit or swing and miss. I use a simple step-by-step approach to teaching the pitch the cornerstone of which is watching and giving constant feedback on ball spin. The middle and ring finger MUST be close together. The power finger, or [index finger], is off the ball, Marshall said. Spring training is, after all, a time to work through timing issues. Steele and his girlfriend, Libby Murphy, are expecting their first child, a boy, in July. The changeup spiked five feet in front of the plate, typical of beginners, is extremely rare in my baseball academy. Last updated: July 27, 2020 Chicago Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks throwing a sinker (sinking fastball) and changeup. Just remember: even the nastiest pitch still needs to be thrown at the right time in an at-bat to maximize its effectiveness. Ive seen five different sources call one particular pitch five different things, so I figured a cut change was some grizzled old coachs slang for a circle changeup. We may request cookies to be set on your device. Making adjustments is crucial to your longterm success. When these harder breaking pitches finally do move off the fastballs path, it makes them appear to break more suddenly, sharper, which in turn makes them more difficult to square up. Since making his big league debut with the team back in 2014, youve never had to wonder what you were going to get every fifth day. Despite ample legal trouble, Sizemore had steady film and television credits. Like fastballs, changeups can be thrown with either a four-seam or a two-seam grip. Cubs Spring Training Notebook: Hayden Wesneski states his case for Opening Day rotation, why Lesters loss Sunday comes with multiple positives, Marquee Sports Network - Television Home of the Chicago Cubs and Sky. Building off of last year, balls coming out nicely [and he] looks like hes healthy and going to give us some really good starts.. Max Scherzers slider is the poster child. Hitters often ask me what the pitch is, because the movement is so significantit had a lot of screwball-type qualities. Steele retired all six Padres batters he faced, then headed to the bullpen to throw 25 more pitches. . Years from now, when we look back on this era of Chicago Cubs baseball, maybe then well realize just how reliable Kyle Hendricks has been. The version I threw in college and pro ball moved as much as both of these accomplished MLB pitchers. Design by DAYO, *I hate spam too, only the best for my subscribers, CSP Elite Baseball Development Podcast: Kyle Hendricks, I will never spam you or share your email, Why different athletes need different approaches to power development, Why its essential that you learn to train outside the sagittal plane, Which medicine ball and plyometric variations I use with baseball players, Why not all throwers have identical deceleration patterns or training needs, How your arm care programs can be improved to reduce the risk of injury and improve throwing velocity, Why Kyle chose to move across the country out of high school and attend Dartmouth College, How Kyle has developed his ability to manipulate the baseball to create movement, How Kyle worked diligently to develop his changeup and how players can better develop this feel pitch, How throwing a quality changeup actually helped Kyle learn to throw a two seam fastball, How grip, specifically pinky position on the baseball, impacted the effectiveness of his changeup, What Kyles thought process is when throwing his changeup and how late hand speed out front trumps early, forced pronation with the pitch, How Kyle developed a cut changeup, which is differentiated from his regular changeup, How Kyle approaches attacking hitters and why he emphasizes throwing first pitch strikes and controlling counts against hitters, Why Kyles four seam fastball usage increased in 2016 and why this change allowed him to have more margin for error and improve the effectiveness with his fastball, How Kyle learned to read swings and bat paths in pro ball and how this has influenced how he competes against hitters, How Kyle prepares by utilizing coaches scouting reports along with video to develop a plan for success against the opposition, Why Kyle has always been intrigued by the mental side of baseball and how he has used it to develop an edge in the game, How simplification has revolutionized Kyles ability to master his mentality, control the game, and play to his highest ability, Why Kyle works to find a balance between using analytics and relying on his intuition, What pitch clicks in the bullpen when Kyle is set to have a great game and how Kyle knows when he is locked in, How Kyle attacks throwing his various pitches in his daily throwing progression, How individuals who lack elite velocity can identify their strengths and learn to separate themselves from the competition, Avoid the most common deadlifting mistakes. He thanks Murphy apparently quite the chef for that gain. There is no one way to skin this cat! It was awesome. He can locate his sinker well, though, and has a good change. The answer depends on the other big half of the equation: movement. There was even a sign that once read pitch lab in progress at Sloan Park. You can do so HERE. By movement, its almost exactly average at least its a little slower than most changeups, but so is his 89 mph fastball. and play-by-play data provided by Sports Info Solutions. Hes looked really good, Ross said of Steele. The hand pronates inward, slightly, before release. My pitchers dont spike changeups very much. It sounds like a cutter to me but thats not a pitch that is associated with sinking. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. Kyle Hendricks' Changeup . But for the second time in three seasons, Hendricks helped the Cubs start off on the right foot with a good performance against the Brewers at Wrigley Field in the season opener.. Not to mention both starts followed a strange set of circumstances: the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020 and an . Its a small blue box, a little bit bigger than a wallet that captures images at extremely high frame rates. Hendricks rotates the ball backwards less than 90 degrees, allowing his two fingers to sit right below the horseshoe (the right side of the split screen at the 50-second mark). This article from Forbes details whiff rate for 2019 MLB pitchers, so check it out to learn about some of the best MLB changeups from last year. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. On the follow through, collapse the body slightly. 1 Anthony Volpe, The 25 Most Surprising Seasons in Yankees History. Last season, his changeup was 88 mph on average, about 5 mph slower than his fastball. Yankees Mailbag: Managing the infield and Domnguez hype. Copyright - EliteBaseballPerformance.com, Part of The Advanced Continuing Education Institute -. Hendricks is predominantly a sinker (42.4 percent of his pitches in 2019) and changeup (27.8 percent) pitcher, mixing in the four-seamer and curve as well. All UZR (ultimate zone rating) calculations are provided courtesy of Mitchel Lichtman. High school and college pitchers should try to master just three pitches. Phillies And he replaces it with his ring finger you let the changeup grip do the work.. Brad Keller and Joe Musgrove reportedly throw their fastballs with a one-seam grip. He also ranks second in the. Ive taught this exact style of changeup to hundreds of pitchers, and 70% will obtain a 10% speed reduction with equal parts lateral and sinking movement. Unsurprisingly, Hendricks' changeup was the runaway . Looking at the most effective changeups of 2016, a trend emerges. Hendricks predicts the slower changeup will throw off hitters timing even more. Thegrip, shown below, is really a hybrid between the circle change and other grips. A sinking two seam fastball does that, except its usually moving inside on a RH batter, not away. In theory, getting more movement on his changeup shouldnt be a bad thing. Remember this: Even though this site describes a method of throwing five or six different pitches, it does not mean any pitcher should attempt to learn or throw all these pitches. Kyle Hendricks assigned to Tennessee Smokies from Daytona Cubs. Take a look. Having the thumb underneath also allows pitchers to throw the ball as hard as they can without constantly spiking it. We also create a reliable movement pattern for the hand, creating relatively equal parts sink and lateral movement. In 2016, he threw his changeup 8.5% of the time, according to Pitch F/X data. Instead, their two-seam fastball velocities are given. The grip will only account for a 5% speed reduction when force is applied to the center of the baseball. A circle change and a straight change are two different pitches, right?? I wonder why? We need to think of paintbrushing the hand over the changeup. When the hitters brain must deal with both speed change and movement away from the initial trajectory of the pitch, the likelihood of weak contact increases. The changeup is especially hard to learn because it doesnt have an easily-observed break like other pitches. We maximize lateral spin application by forcing the ball to roll up the fingers before finally releasing off the fingertip. So you could call him a two-pitch guy. Theo Epstein called Yu Darvish and Kyle Hendricks the "foundation" of the Cubs rotation. So, we need a combination of the hand being as relaxed as possible while still being held securely. When the batter is ahead in count - 1-0, 2-1, or 2-0, When a hitter is trying to pull or is out in front of the pitches. He. But what about James Shields heavily-sinking changeup? Call it what you will, its a different pitch. Two distinct clusters. If we were to name the two, we might name one the Cut Change, and the other the Fade Change. Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes! I recently discovered that the same principle seems to work for slider movement, which is actually hugely important. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. We prefer the 3 finger grip because we find it easier to control. But it's not like Hendricks abandoned the contact game, either. But, most pitchers will develop a changeup that consistently fits the aforementioned mold. Provided the speed reduction is there, anomalies in movement are okay, and to be expected no two pitchers are alike. This week, MLB.com had a team of writers pen a piece on the games nastiest changeups and you can be sure Hendricks name showed up on said list. Dan, I was a Baseball Ops consultant for the Red Sox and did an analysis of changeup effectiveness. By Alexi Pappas. Fold your other two fingers down the sides, and turn the ball inside as you release like youre pouring out a can of Coke. The ball should rest up against the top ridge of the palm or at the base of the fingers. RHP Kyle Hendricks assigned to SOU North Division All-Stars. The guy is near unhittable and with good reason. First, definitely check out this video below, as it delves deep into the philosophy of throwing a changeup behind in the count. What is an appropriate age? The main criticism. If youbelieve adding velocity could be critical to your success,check out my proven programsfor pitchers of all ages. There are a few conditions that result in more reliable hand action and spin application, which are made difficult or impossible by certain grips. Essentially, its no different than a slider or cutter Think about Noah Syndergaards extra-hard slider, and how hard it is to hit. So technically, it does break. This is because, when on the bottom, it can hold the ball firmly in place against the bottom bridge of the fingers. You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. After a conventional changeup and a splitter didnt pan out a coach was teaching him how to throw a cut change. Ive read hundreds of scouting reports on pitchers and I had never heard of that pitch. Before leaving to join Team Israel, Cubs prospect Matt Mervis shared why this WBC means so much to him. Ive lost count of how many Ive read a report that says a pitcher throws a straight change and that he uses the pitch for the same effect. In this free 47-minute presentation, you'll learn: Written on December 18, 2019 at 4:51 am, by Eric Cressey. Where he separates himself is with the Cut Change, which has a combination of movement and velocity that makes it hard to classify. But, a -8% changeup must have tremendous movement to be effective. "My changeup was similar, but I wasn't establishing my fastball down in the zone." In his first 13 major league starts, Hendricks went 7-2, 2.46 in 80 innings, with 72 hits allowed and a 47/15 . The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Pressure should be from the thumb to the bottom of the middle and ring fingers. When you learn to throw a changeup, the grip is about half the equation. Maybe this was unique to Clement. strength and conditioning for baseball and softball. By movement, it's almost exactly average. His fastball command issues led to four walks in less than three innings. Thats an 8-mph differential between two pitches that follow the same trajectory. Three-finger? As a right-handed pitcher myself, I threw more changeups to lefties, because I didnt want my curveball breaking down and in, into their happy zone. I filtered out the changeups over 85 mph because they are most likely slow sinkers. youtube.com/watch?time_con 0:09 1.3K views But, this is just another iteration of his changeup, a different way for a him to manipulate hitters. Despite slight differences in grip, most other pitches are thrown in the same way across pitchers. If the pitcher can develop a good change up, his fastball will appear faster and the hitters will be less aggressive. He doesnt have much faith in them. At the same time, it is such a small number that it might just be a result of their Pitch F/X algorithm falsely classifying 111 of his pitches as two-seamers. Heard Hendricks is thinking of changing his name. At the 50-second mark in the video above, theres an example of this grip from an Edgertronic camera. A curveball has defined spin, topspin moving in a 12-6 or 1-7 orientation with as true a spin axis as possible. Dont try to get too much backside drive and hip rotation into the pitch. Hendricks' focus on the mound is utilizing his below-average velocity in conjunction with the excellent movement on his pitches, specifically his elite changeup. Learn more. Hes a little bit higher up on the horseshoe [of the baseball].. Alternatively, switching to a four-seam grip might save his offspeed pitch if he can find a way to take some velocity off of it as well. All major league baseball data including pitch type, velocity, batted ball location, Excellent explanations Dan. The Fade Change is on the left, the Cut Change is on the right. Because he's both upped his usage and . For a RHP looking at the back of his hand, and the ball as a clock, place the thumb at 7 oclock, the little finger at 5 oclock and the first 3 fingers on top of the ball at 11, 12, 1 oclock. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. 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Cubs lefty Justin made his third start of spring training against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday. Category Baseball Content, Podcasts | Tags: Baseball Training, Chicago Cubs, Cressey Sports Performance, Elite Baseball Development, elite baseball development podcast, Kyle Hendricks, Pitching Coach, Pitching Mechanics, 2023 Cressey Training Systems, LLC Privacy Policy | Terms of use The fact is Hendricks and Maddux share numerous similarities - mechanics, stuff, statistics, and even a nickname. Kyle Hendricks knows he's struggled the last two seasons. This is crucial, as yes, any changeup grip could work, but not all grips will help a pitcher easily spin the ball and produce excellent movement. Hendricks runs his fastball up to 94 MPH, mixing in a slider, curve, and changeup. And, unfortunately, it ended too early. They, together, accomplish this task of applying spin and speed over and inward on the ball. You can check these in your browser security settings. Or, if all else fails, we can just say screw it and just throw a splitter; thatll work as a poor-mans changeup. Milwaukee starter Corbin Burnes won the NL Cy Young last year and was supposed to be the. Most pitchers cant throw an effective changeup, curveball or slider. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. The Professors sparkling career continues to improve. The ivy league educated. Your goal as a catch partner for someone learning a changeup should be to give feedback over and over, so that they can connect how it feels and looks as they throw it. Still, it is something to think about going forward for Pineda. 04/02/2013. Another quick question, then Ill let you go. I would like to know how an 8-year-old childs arm can be strengthened, help me on that, thanks. But Scherzer dominated, limiting opponents to a .126 average in at-bats ending against the pitch - 12 points lower than deGrom's average. Its a little slower than your traditional slider, without as much vertical break as most sliders, but it looks a bit like a slider. Would love to compare - similar movement 2 Rob Friedman @PitchingNinja Replying to @dcor_25 Greg Maddux's two seam grip and changeup grip. "I just didn't have it last year," Hendricks said. And, we welcome your suggestions for future guests and questions. Palm ball? No, Im not blowing smokeIve taught lots of pitchers over the years, and its not hard to produce a heavy sinking changeup. Straight changeups are sooooo old-school. Pitchers who haven't reached puberty should not throw breaking pitches competitively due to their lack of muscle, ligament and bone development. In my years as a baseball academy owner and professional pitcher, Ive taught this pitch with equally great effect to 11-year olds and 25-year old pros. Kyle Hendricks did it again. But, how much slower? He keeps his arm speed exactly the same, Marshall said. One of the tools used by the Cubs is known as an Edgertronic camera. Next. Marshall threw his two-seam fastball similar to this Edgertronic footage, but from a left-handed release. Not only do pitchers and pitching coaches have to work on maintaining the grip, the shape and everything else that goes into throwing a pitch, but they also have to make sure pitchers have that confidence in it before they even . When and if the 2020 season gets underway, the Cubs will be asking a lot of Hendricks who is irrefutably the go-to guy in the rotation. I hear a lot about wrist pronation and Im concerned about risks of that motion for a 12 yr old. The finger tips and pads are raised slightly and the finger pressure is between the first and second finger joints. Hendricks threw his changeup 58.2% of the time in two-strike counts, registering a whiff rate of 17.9% in those situations . When a pitch is thrown harder, it flies longer along the same trajectory as a fastball. Throwing a changeup when a hitter expects fastball is a great way to get a quick rollover ground ball for an out. I send out great new information each week on all things baseball. Dropping the hand and elbow and short arming across the body. The mailbag zeroes in on the infield jam with a particular solution being pitched. Mine would sink so much that from the dugout (side view) it was often mistaken for a slider or curveball by teammates (atta boy, nice curveball!). By pronating the hand onto the inside of the ball just before release (think pouring out a can of soda), we accomplish two things: And with that, we have given the changeup a reliable set of characteristics just like any other pitch. Not working on and using the pitch enough to master it. If Michael Pineda never puts it together, no one will ever be able to say that it was due to a lack of effort from internet analysts trying to diagnose his problems. Kyle Hendricks, Cubs Hendricks leaned on his changeup heavily and threw it 932 times, nearly double Scherzer's 548. As you can probably tell, I love the changeup and love teaching it. Gloveside changeups for called strikes? My All-Time favorite was Johan Santana, though his relied more on greater speed change (15% or so) than movement. I did it earlier today, when I called him a two-pitch pitcher. For a veteran pitcher who throws a curveball, sinker, sinking changeup, mixing in an occasional cutting changeup will definitely confuse a hitter. The changeup, for no good reason, is confused. Now, Pitch F/X and Trackman grading of pitches has shown us that a changeup with more movement is harder for hitters to hit, even if the speed change is less. Dan Blewett is a former pro pitcher, baseball academy owner and author of, https://elitebaseballperformance.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/1-1.png, http://Elitebaseballperformance.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/ebp-green-transparent-horizontal-logo-300x96.png, The Modern Changeup: The Best New Pitch In Baseball. by Handedness, R.A. Dickeys Unique Stuff and Conventional Problems. If you like what you hear, wed be thrilled if youd consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving us an iTunes review. Odds & lines subject to change. At the 50-second mark in the video above, theres an example of this grip from an Edgertronic camera. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. I mean, he throws a cutter and a curve about 10% of the time combined, but both pitches are fairly substandard by whiffs and grounders, and with two strikes, they all but disappear. The slider doesnt really fit the Cut Change by either velocity or movement, but it is closer on velocity at least. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. This offer is only valid on select items, but theres a ton of great gear youll save 20% on that will help you become a better player, so shop now! But, breaking balls are typically the slider, curveball and cutterpitches that their primary purpose is to break by curving or cutting. x-mov is in inches, with negative denoting movement towards the rightys arm-side. If you called his Cut Change a slutter, you might best get across what hes doing with the pitch. If the ball is held by the thumb, it keeps it down longer, reducing the likelihood the fingers will hook it into the ground. Its not easy developing a great changeup (or any offspeed pitch for that matter). Your email address will not be published. Yankees 4, Nationals 2: Walk-off Wednesday, The Yankees Top 10 Prospects: No. Controlling the Running Game: Should Young Pitchers Slide Step? As a side note, my students rarely bounce changeups while they learn them, because the grip I teach provides a relaxed hand. Others choose pitch types that just dont make sense, which I cover in the video below. I dont want my son to end up straining. I have a question for you after reading your article. 1 ago. So, its less visually fun to throw for young players and gives less feedback as well. Certain items are excluded, but theres still a ton of great baseball training gear to make you a better player and coach. And, how about some arm-side run? Among 112 pitchers who have thrown at least 50 sinkers or two-seam fastballs entering Mondays slate of games, Hendricks is tied for the fifth lowest average spin rate (1878 rpm). Well, we have some good news for you. His repertoire made him more of a pitcher than a thrower, making Wright wary whether pro scouts eventually would. I wrote an article on Elitebaseballperformance.com on the same topic, so check that out as well. The problem is just that if two 13-year-olds are playing catch with their changeups, they dont get a lot of feedback on how well theyre doing. Itll help you a ton. By looking at a combination of Google Images and the disparity in horizontal movement between their four seam fastballs and changeups, I tried to guess what grip each pitcher was using: *Cubs ace Kyle Hendricks has two changeups. Play-by-play data prior to 2002 was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted His arm slot and the speed at which he releases each pitch are indistinguishable. The grip helps us remove speed from a changeup while simultaneously applying spin to it. Its an effective pitch pretty much anytime its thrown, but throwing a changeup in fastball counts is the most effective. There should be no difference in the way a little leaguer or other youth pitcher throws a changeup, as compared to a high-level or Big Leaguer. Oct. 22, 2016; In 2008, my freshman year at Dartmouth, I lived on the third floor of Fahey . Condition 2: The ball must be held stable with as little pressure as possible. Suddenly, Kyle Hendricks is a three-pitch guy, with an elite change, a good slider, and good command of a good sinker. Steele and his girlfriend, Libby Murphy, are expecting their first child, a boy, in July. He rarely walks anyone, strikes out enough to get by, and will induce weak contact.