Fun With Numbers, WBC Edition

[Bourgeois Zee]

Doug Gray has an article out discussing the numbers from pitchers in the WBC. It's enlightening, at least to me.

Conner Phillips, in short, is a beast. 2464 spin rate is well above MLB average. 97.1 4-seamer. Mid-80s offspeed (slider and curve). Among the 500+ pitchers who've thrown at least 10 pitches in Vegas, his Stuff+ ranks 5th. The company he's keeping is pretty impressive: Spencer Strider ranks just ahead of him, and Nate Pearson is just behind.

Andrew Abbott, otoh, isn't too far behind him. 94.5 on his 4-seamer. (That's really nice, for a LHSP.) Three other pitches are distinct (though his change up needs to drop a few mph), including a 2708 rpm curve. (Woof.)

Lyon Richardson is the third Red with superior numbers. 96.3 mph 4-seamer, 95.5 2-seamer, 86 mph slider, 78.8(!) mph curve, and an 86.7 mph changeup? Five pitches? Sure, why not?

All of these are remarkably small samples, of course, so they should be taken with the salt block sold at Southern States, but it's nice to hear, at any rate.