Analysis of Arroyo Velocity and Release Point

[Rounding Third]

Bronson Arroyo Pitch Speed

Last nights game against the Cardinals
http://38.99.108.6/pfx/speed.php?xml=http://gd2.mlb.com/components/game/mlb/year_2008/month_04/day_28/gid_2008_04_28_cinmlb_slnmlb_1//pbp/pitchers/276520.xml&s_type=1&h_size=700&v_size=500

Looks like he was able to hit 90MPH on the radar consistantly and throughout the entire game. Even at pitch 112 it shows a 90 MPH fastball.

Previous start April 23rd against the Astros
http://38.99.108.6/pfx/speed.php?xml=http://gd2.mlb.com/components/game/mlb/year_2008/month_04/day_23/gid_2008_04_23_houmlb_cinmlb_1//pbp/pitchers/276520.xml&s_type=1&h_size=700&v_size=500

As you can see on this chart he hits the 90's just a few times and only very early in the game. Of his last 30 or so pitches the fastest one hit 87 MPH

Release Point

Also, there is a small difference in his release point. Bronson usually will release his pitches from many different arm slots throughout the game. It looks like he did that much better against the Cardinals.

vs. Cardinals
http://38.99.108.6/pfx/release.php?xml=http://gd2.mlb.com/components/game/mlb/year_2008/month_04/day_28/gid_2008_04_28_cinmlb_slnmlb_1//pbp/pitchers/276520.xml&s_type=1&h_size=700&v_size=500

vs. Astros
http://38.99.108.6/pfx/release.php?xml=http://gd2.mlb.com/components/game/mlb/year_2008/month_04/day_23/gid_2008_04_23_houmlb_cinmlb_1//pbp/pitchers/276520.xml&s_type=1&h_size=700&v_size=500

If you look closely they are different. Against the Astros almost all of them are clustered in one area with another very small area consisting of just three pitches. However against the Cardinals he continued to change his release point both horizontally and vertically.

Is release point one of the keys to Arroyo's success?

vs. Brewers (4 Runs)
http://38.99.108.6/pfx/release.php?xml=http://gd2.mlb.com/components/game/mlb/year_2008/month_04/day_12/gid_2008_04_12_cinmlb_pitmlb_1//pbp/pitchers/276520.xml&s_type=1

vs. Phillies (5 Runs)
http://38.99.108.6/pfx/release.php?xml=http://gd2.mlb.com/components/game/mlb/year_2008/month_04/day_07/gid_2008_04_07_phimlb_cinmlb_1//pbp/pitchers/276520.xml&s_type=1

He did keep his pitch velocity up better in the Phillies game than he did against the Astros. Still wasn't doing as well as he did against the Cardinals.

http://38.99.108.6/pfx/speed.php?xml=http://gd2.mlb.com/components/game/mlb/year_2008/month_04/day_07/gid_2008_04_07_phimlb_cinmlb_1//pbp/pitchers/276520.xml&s_type=1

Release point vs. D-Backs
http://38.99.108.6/pfx/release.php?xml=http://gd2.mlb.com/components/game/mlb/year_2008/month_04/day_02/gid_2008_04_02_arimlb_cinmlb_1//pbp/pitchers/276520.xml&s_type=1

Speed vs. D-Backs
http://38.99.108.6/pfx/speed.php?xml=http://gd2.mlb.com/components/game/mlb/year_2008/month_04/day_02/gid_2008_04_02_arimlb_cinmlb_1//pbp/pitchers/276520.xml&s_type=1

Didn't have his speed or his release angle on either of those games.

Just looking over all of his games pitched this year we notice these things.


Arroyo hasn't been able to consistently hit 90+ on the gun until the game against the Cardinals.
His release point (specifically his vertical release) has had almost no variation throughout all of the games besides the Cardinals.
Against the Cardinals it is appartent that there was a sizeable gap in the vertical release point.
The combination of varying his release point and keeping his fastball in the 90's is the key to Arroyo's success.

[BLEEDS]

Those charts hurt my brain.

I think it was because he "hit the pool". Much easier to correlate, IMO.

PEACE

-BLEEDS

[mlbfan30]

I wouldn't be convinced until he pitches in the same ballpark twice.

The Reds Pitch F/X is very badly calibrated and will screw the results. Also Data has been shown to not be consistent from ballpark to ballpark. It's a great system, but it still needs to be fixed.
It's also possibly the Cards system is misuncalibrated and gave bad results.

Once I see a home start it should prove something has changed with speeds/slot assuming they don't fix it by then.

[Rounding Third]

I wouldn't be convinced until he pitches in the same ballpark twice.

The Reds Pitch F/X is very badly calibrated and will screw the results. Also Data has been shown to not be consistent from ballpark to ballpark. It's a great system, but it still needs to be fixed.
It's also possibly the Cards system is misuncalibrated and gave bad results.

Once I see a home start it should prove something has changed with speeds/slot assuming they don't fix it by then.

Fair points. However there is still a sizable variation from the Cardinals game as opposed to every other game, which includes games in Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and St. Louis. Hopefully he has a good game his next start in Cincinnati and that would provide more consistant results because we would have 5 games to compare it to. And all of his home games have him using about the same release points.

Thanks for the response.

[keeganbrick]

Sorry, but having about 2-3 swimming workouts in one week is not going to increase his velocity or do anything. Maybe in 2-3 months, yea. Mental boost is the only thing it could have done to him.

[NDReds9]

Sorry, but having about 2-3 swimming workouts in one week is not going to increase his velocity or do anything. Maybe in 2-3 months, yea. Mental boost is the only thing it could have done to him.

No one listen to that post.:thumbdown

From a biophysical standpoint, swimming 2-3 times in one week could very easily have this effect on Arroyo's velocity.

[keeganbrick]

Are you kidding me? You think running a couple miles and doing a few workouts drastically increases something from a physical standpoint......it takes numerous workouts.

[Rounding Third]

Here are the release points from Arroyo during today's game.

http://38.99.108.6/pfx/release.php?xml=http://gd2.mlb.com/components/game/mlb/year_2008/month_05/day_04/gid_2008_05_04_cinmlb_atlmlb_1//pbp/pitchers/276520.xml&s_type=1

Once again, everything was coming just about the same vertical release point. Which has been consistent with every single bad outing he has had this year.

http://38.99.108.6/pfx/speed.php?xml=http://gd2.mlb.com/components/game/mlb/year_2008/month_05/day_04/gid_2008_05_04_cinmlb_atlmlb_1//pbp/pitchers/276520.xml&s_type=1

He was only able to get about 90 MPH about 5 or 6 times, although the pitch count was only 47.

[GoReds33]

I'm beginning to wonder if it's an effort thing. He just never looks to give any effort, and in years past that was a plus in my mind. This year, it just tells me that he's capable of throwing harder, but doesn't.