Right-hander Kyle Hendricks' changeup has been a staple of his big-league success. To add to the positive changes in his life, Steele is expected to break camp in the Cubs rotation or, as manager David Ross put it Tuesday morning, Steele has a strong chance of doing so. You try to tell the difference when he tunnels those two pitches.". Kyle Hendricks purposefully cuts his changeup sometimes. The changeup Hendricks threw at the time notably wasn't the same as the one he uses in the majors. The basement of speed change is about 8%. The #1 baseball brand in the world, Rawlings, has partnered with Cressey Sports Performance to make getting the best training gear for you more affordable. His changeup? It was interesting to find out that it was an entirely different pitch. It was his sparingly used curveball that stole the show, a pitch he altered the grip on during quarantine and has seen improved results compared to last season. When thrown the above way, we will reliably achieve a 10% (plus or minus) speed reduction that can easily be repeated at any intensity. Kyle Hendricks is proving he's an above-average strikeout pitcher. By movement, its almost exactly average at least its a little slower than most changeups, but so is his 89 mph fastball. Learning how to maximize the effect of the pitch, and minimize its weaknesses is what takes a pitcher to the next level. Pull the string! Put your thumb on the bottom of the ball and your middle and ring fingers together. 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). He strikes out right-handers regularly with that thing. Kyle Hendricks and Dallas Keuchel have made careers out of their prolific sinkers, and based on 2020 data, it appears as though those pitches have gained additional movement through a SSW. 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. At the core of this was a changeup he threw almost twice as often as before, and that changeup was a very weird . From there, they can decide to alter the movement profile of the pitch by tweaking its release. Just remember: even the nastiest pitch still needs to be thrown at the right time in an at-bat to maximize its effectiveness. Heard Hendricks is thinking of changing his name. Lets sum up those two pitches by movement and results so we can get a better sense of them. This converts some of the arm speed into spin, which reduces the balls speed in the same way as a curveball or slider (except the spin is applied to the opposite side of the ball). Condition 4: To accomplish the above, the thumb must be on the bottom of the baseball. The hand pronates inward, slightly, before release. Hendricks earned the moniker because of his artful pitching and uncanny resemblance to Maddux. I was too busy trying to find the fastball, he said with a smile. They throw very different speeds, so its best to think of a changeup as having a scaling, percentage-based speed reduction: 10% or so. 07/31/2012. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. At the 50-second mark in the video above, theres an example of this grip from an Edgertronic camera. Kyle Hendricks did it again. MESA, Ariz. Cubs lefty Justin Steele came into camp 20 pounds heavier and with a new changeup in his arsenal. Click on the different category headings to find out more. Max Scherzers slider is the poster child. At least, thats what Chicago is hoping as theyve got Hendricks locked up through 2023 with a vesting option for 2024, his age 34 season. 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. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). 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. Updated: Saturday, March 4, 2023 3:30 AM ET, Park Factors Where he separates himself is with the Cut Change, which has a combination of movement and velocity that makes it hard to classify. First, he averaged just 5.5 mph of separation between his fastball and changeup, with the latter clocking in at an average 88.5 mph. Ive read hundreds of scouting reports on pitchers and I had never heard of that pitch. If a changeup is dead-straight, being closer to a 12% reduction is ideal (79mph off a 90mph fastball). According to Statcast, Hendricks got 16 called strikes and 4 whiffs on his fastballs, which is just excellent and a huge reason his changeup netted an impressive 10 whiffs on just 25 offerings (40%). I filtered out the changeups over 85 mph because they are most likely slow sinkers. [In the regular season], I would have started flipping a lot more breaking balls or tried something a lot different, Steele said. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. Gerrit Coles first spring start comes against Detroit. "Hendricks sits at 86.7 mph with his two-seamer (slower than some of the other changeups picked here). Depending on the pitcher and his unique way of executing the pitch, the output will vary slightly. Watch below to see if this is the type of pitch youd like to learn. The ball comes out in a unique way, with a tumbling spin rather than an angled axis. A changeup needs to be thrown with as much intensity as possible. A slider has defined spin, a mixture of bullet-spin, forward and side spin that creates a visible red dot. The result has caught the attention of Hendricks, who relies heavily on his own changeup. He then provides tips and tricks for how to throw a changeup and make it an effective part of your pitch mix.Tickets for all 2022 regular season games are on sale now: https://www.cubs.com/tickets Follow us! Releasing the ball too much from the side caused by turning the hand over too much. Just about everyone understands that a southpaw throws a circle change to a RH batter so it will sink and tail away from the plate. Pingback: How to Throw a Curveball - The Definitive Guide, Pingback: Here are The Best Pitching Drills for Young Players in 2021. A combination of arm-side movement, known as run, and sinking movement. 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. When you learn to throw a changeup, the grip is about half the equation. But it's not like Hendricks abandoned the contact game, either. Looking at the most effective changeups of 2016, a trend emerges. If we cut our changeup, how does it vary from a slider? Tension and fingertip pressure will result in the pitcher hooking the pitch into the ground more often. In this guide to throwing a changeup, well dive into the grips, the arm action, spin, hand action and much more. And he replaces it with his ring finger you let the changeup grip do the work.. I wanted to go back out there and fix what I was doing wrong, he said. Suddenly, Kyle Hendricks is a three-pitch guy, with an elite change, a good slider, and good command of a good sinker. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. 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. Would love to compare - similar movement 2 Rob Friedman @PitchingNinja Replying to @dcor_25 Greg Maddux's two seam grip and changeup grip. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. . 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!). Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. This is the first article in a 3-part series on throwing the modern changeup. Maybe you have an explanation. His change caused more hitters to swing and miss (24.4 whiff percentage to 29.8) this season compared to last. The ball should rest up against the top ridge of the palm or at the base of the fingers. The grip might differ slightly, but the way spin is applied, which may be the biggest factor in throwing a breaking pitch, is largely the same. Six miles per hour? His arsenal has included a fastball around 88 mph, a changeup at 80, a sinker to deceive between his heater and off-speed and. Mixing in a few two-seamers might improve the effectiveness of his changeup as it is. Yet, there is no best changeup grip. How to Throw a Curveball - The Definitive Guide, Here are The Best Pitching Drills for Young Players in 2021, The grip doesnt work well for them (tinker and try others), Without the thumb on the bottom, theyre forced to tense their hands up to keep the ball secure, Theyre guiding it and not throwing it like a normal fastball. Aside from slowing the arm or hand down, or not finishing the pitch, theres no reliable way to reduce the speed of a changeup when force is applied through the center. Online baseball performance training programs for youth and advanced players! Which version is best? This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Odds & lines subject to change. In the first week of camp, he weighed in at 222. Hendricks throws a sinker and changeup within 7-8 mph of one another. Lets clear it all up. How much should I be concerned. Just head to www.Rawlings.com and enter coupon code CRESSEY20 and youll receive 20% off on your order. Kyle Hendricks assigned to Tennessee Smokies from Daytona Cubs. With his 70-72 mph changeup, he creates an even larger speed differential.. 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. The Mets had a prospect in their system with a solid repertoire but he was having trouble adding an off speed pitch. 0 0 Less than a minute. Then, let your index and pinky fingers fall gently to the side of the ball. The changeup is the most historically misunderstood baseball pitch. When learning a breaking ball, we get feedback by watching it break before our eyes, and our throwing partner gives us feedback from his point of view (that one was sharp!). These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. First, he averaged just 5.5 mph of separation between his fastball and changeup, with the latter clocking in at an average 88.5 mph. Hendricks, in a way, sacrifices that extra killed spin on his changeup for a nearly identical arm slot and release point to his sinker, creating a superb amount of deception. 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. He thanks Murphy apparently quite the chef for that gain. Armed with his devastating changeup and an unshakable quiet confidence, the Dartmouth alum is ready to take his place as one of the games most elite aces. Even with consistency in teach methods, there will be an inconsistency in output. Upon release, the fingers are lifted off the ball, the ball rolls up the fingers. His slider wasnt the archetypal slider, but it still had deadly effect as shown by his season of 41 saves without a single blown opportunity. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Yankees 4, Nationals 2: Walk-off Wednesday, The Yankees Top 10 Prospects: No. He. However, this doesnt necessarily mean that Pineda should switch grips. 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. This is not to say they miss up the in zone; rather, they are able to control the ball in the strike zone most of the time, with the same frequency as their fastball, with fewer egregious misses. We reduce speed because less force is applied to the center of the ball; we are converting speed into spin just like a breaking pitch. You bet. Although other factors come into play, less spin means less resistance to the downward force of gravity, which allows the ball to drop more than expected. The best changeups feature the following: James Shields is one of the best examples. Ive only encountered this a few times and Matt Clement was one pitcher I recall reading about that could run his sinker away from RH batters if he kept it down in the zone. Cole was sharp, and the King has returned. The changeup spiked five feet in front of the plate, typical of beginners, is extremely rare in my baseball academy. And according to Hendricks, he grips it similarly. He was a good-though-not-great pitcher . Also like fastballs, changeups thrown with a two-seam grip get more run and fade. To do this, the thumb must be on the bottom. Dartmouth's Hendricks Is Chicago's Brainy Ace. Where you place your middle and ring fingers is VERY important they work together to apply the proper spin, to get the pitch to rotate much like a discoball does. His reliance on movement and location could, at least in theory, help him age better than someone whos sole focus on the mound is blowing heaters past opponents. Not technically. RHP Kyle Hendricks assigned to Iowa Cubs from Tennessee Smokies. 10,000+ people already dosign up now! He is 15-7, the third hardest-to-hit pitcher in the National League, and he ranks 2, 2 and 2 in on-base percentage-against, slugging percentage-against and OPS-against. Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks waves as he leaves the field following a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Monday, Sept . If it can be a more effective weapon, maybe Sunday night's 14 percent usage is a sign of things to come this year. when he made 13 starts and ran off a 111/7 strikeout-to-walk mark. The main criticism. 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 His excellent strikeout numbers and walk numbers, combined with his below average ERA have perplexed many, with a few explanations floating out there. Vulcan change? This is because, when on the bottom, it can hold the ball firmly in place against the bottom bridge of the fingers. Eight? The more speed we remove, the more the pitch must deviate from a fastballs initial trajectory, thus making it look less like a fastball out of the hand. Kyle Hendricks' changeup. Provided the speed reduction is there, anomalies in movement are okay, and to be expected no two pitchers are alike. Making adjustments is crucial to your longterm success. Its time we all start learning this same type of pitch. Building off of last year, balls coming out nicely [and he] looks like hes healthy and going to give us some really good starts.. What Causes A Mental Meltdown in Baseball? If you like what you hear, wed be thrilled if youd consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving us an iTunes review. The change up is more effective in college and pro baseball because the hitters are stronger, more aggressive and can handle a good fastball. First, lets get it straight: a changeup does have a defined set of characteristics, and not all grips are created equal. 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. First, definitely check out this video below, as it delves deep into the philosophy of throwing a changeup behind in the count. He reminds me of Brad Lidge, who threw a slider that appeared to have mostly downward movement. This is why we need a defined hand action that converts speed into spin. You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. He is the owner of a 3.12 ERA, which is among the best in all of baseball. Before leaving to join Team Israel, Cubs prospect Matt Mervis shared why this WBC means so much to him. Simply head to www.Rawlings.com and use the code, CRESSEY20, at checkout and youll save 20% off your order! He throws strikes and has a sense on how to pitch, and looks like a sleeper prospect to me. The end goal, rather, is a mis-hit or swing and miss. Were excited to welcome Chicago Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks to this weeks podcast. Lets call the zone between -3 and -4 x-movement the no-fly zone. Steele and his girlfriend, Libby Murphy, are expecting their first child, a boy, in July. I taught myself how to throw a changeup in my junior year in college, and it became my best pitch in pro baseball. Despite ample legal trouble, Sizemore had steady film and television credits. 1 Anthony Volpe, The 25 Most Surprising Seasons in Yankees History.
