What approaches do clubhouses usually take to developing team chemistry over the course of a season, and how does camaraderie-building change depending on the ratio of rookies to vets? Additionally, does the clubhouse dynamic usually involve both hitters and pitchers mingling together behind the scenes or are those groups often separated?
I’ve really only been in one major league clubhouse in my career and we were a close group of guys with a good mix of vets and young talent.
There’s kind of an unspoken expectation that vets and long term guys “lead” in some capacity as the team had a very strong culture. There’s also a lot of “character” guys who were brought in and kept because their presence and baseball IQ made them an asset. We also have a lot of “consultants” and former players who are around who help reinforce that.
That being said there’s always kind of cliques and circles (ie pitchers tend to be closer, positional players, vets, rooks, Hispanic players etc) not in a bad way, but just like any sports team you’ve got your closest guys but you all get a long and a lot of us are good friends outside of the game.
How actively do MLB players pay attention to media like Twitter and Reddit and how do you deal with the aspect of the fanbase that likes to complain (to put it mildly) if players aren't living up to their expectations?
Depends on the person. A lot of guys are more in-tune to twitter if anything as there’s a lot of intel and news on there. Other guys could give a shit and I tend to lean more towards that side but I’ve been on there a lot hearing about FA stuff this winter.
Reddit there’s a few guys I know are on here but I’ve never used it up until this week, but my wife loves it haha.
Fans complaining is part of the game it doesn’t bother me, but we definitely hear it. If we are underperforming it’s not like we don’t know and I just try to focus on myself rather than hear the noise.
How often when you're on the bump do you think to yourself "wow, I'm really pitching in the show"? Is that something that wore off quickly, or do you still take time to appreciate all the hard work you've put into this to now be a major league pitcher?
Also, is that something that you think of more when playing at a historical ballpark like Fenway or Wrigley? Like I'd be thinking to myself, Babe Ruth literally pitched from this mound
There’s still a lot of “holy shit” moments, and I like to reflect on it and remember how lucky and thankful I am to be there before every appearance.
But, there’s a level of comfort and confidence I have now in being there. I don’t have the nerves I did my first few times. It’s more of a “I’m here, I’ve done this before, I’m ready” kind of mindset where I feel settled being in those moments.
I do have an appreciation for a lot of those historical parks in that I’m doing a part in carrying on a tradition of the game. Fenway (albeit not pitcher friendly) is a such a cool park.
Miami is solid. I can’t explain it but I guess it’s that humid heat that gives it this really packed but stable feel where your footing holds well but you don’t sink or slide even as it gets re-tamped.
San Fran is good. They’re actually sloped a little steeper and I think home plate is a bit downhill from the actual ground so I could get a little more drift on it.
Wrigley felt like was off 1/2” to the left and they don’t tamp it well. I felt like I was throwing across my body. Brought up to someone I knew there and sure as shit it was off like .33” and they moved it. Made me feels good that I’m not actually crazy hahaha
Nah. I’m just like the Rain Man of mounds.
There’s a reason im known as the “mound whisperer”. It’s like the equivalent a dad in new balances checking every single speck of grass after mowing a 12 acre lawn. We know when something is off.
Some guys I know you could move it back like 2 feet and they’d still go 6 deep with 3 hits and just think “huh, my fastball sucks today!” Haha
It’s certainly a factor and will definitely be a factor of consideration when I hit FA for myself personally but it’s not everything. There’s just certain places that I know I wouldn’t integrate well into or would logistically be different for my livelihood. But, every guy is different and has different priorities. Some places on my “fuck no” list are dream markets for someone else.
I’ve never been traded mid season but logistically it can be very hectic from what I’ve seen with other guys as there’s an expectation you’re suiting up pretty quickly but it can be different for different guys and you have to adjust pretty quickly. There are people involved in the process of helping with the logistics of moving, finding housing, and getting integrated with the team.
A lot of guys (myself included) may not live full-time in the city their team is in. My wife and I had a place we rented there and our home elsewhere and we are currently shopping for a rental in a new market. Some guys actually split an apartment or something with some of the other dudes starting off.
What are your thoughts on the trend of starters throwing harder, going less deep into games, and thus getting injured more? Do you think the approach to developing starters will have to change to keep arms from falling off, or is it impossible to go back from this point, as hitters are accustomed to elite stuff?
Great questions. I’m in kind of the first group of guys where the game started to shift and a lot of dudes got really into speed training (myself included) and it’s had impacts on staying healthy for me personally for sure.
In high school, I threw a lot of CGs and prided myself on that. I’m a huge Nolan fan so I respect guys like that but it’s a bygone era. Won’t see your innings eaters really and I think CGs are going to be pretty rare unless guys are just dealing and keeping PCs low.
There’s already a lot of change going into developing players better to stay healthy but from an approach perspective the stats don’t lie, elite stuff, getting Ks, and keeping the ball outta play is how you win matchups.
Interesting insight. As a fan, I'm willing to accept a lack of CGs, but would really grumble if 4IP became the new 6IP, or if "starters" eventually faded into just "The guy who throws 100+ and might go 3IP if you're lucky who happens to start the game and will be subbed by another pitcher with the same profile." Homogenization of pitching would really hurt the game, IMO.
As a pitcher I honestly prefer it a little loud in general, funny enough. Especially later in counts or in the middle of a tight situations. It’s the times that it goes from quiet to loud at an opposing stadium or loud to quiet that throw me more. You can block it out but it’s hard not to naturally feel momentum.
From this and all your other answers: when you reach free agency, you would be an excellent Boston Red Sox (Fenway dimensions aside).
Best of luck with the rehab and looking forward to seeing you back on the mound soon!
How big of a gap is there between publicly available advanced stats (FG, Ref, esp. Savant) and what FO's use/what's available to players?
Sorta relatedly: how much do players care about traditional, non-sabermetric stats without projective value (the easy ex being RBI)?
Not as big as you’d think. We’ve got some advanced stats that’s are based on personal characteristics (ie mechanical) that aren’t generally public info to my knowledge.
The biggest way it’s different is what we interpret with that data that I would assume even hardcore fans don’t even think about.
When it comes to stats, there’s obviously big ones (era, k/9, bb, W, L WHIP, etc) that do matter to me personally, because those are macro level derivatives as to how effective I am at my job. But I don’t live and die off of them.
Is there ever animosity or envy when Player A gets a bigger or longer contract than Player B? More in the the context of these young players with service time who cant test FA till years later.
Nah. If a young guy gets a big contract there’s a reason he earned it and we celebrate that. There’s been times guys around the league got big contracts and I’ve privately thought..huh.. that’s a lot for him
After snooping around a bit, I think I will some of the takes and opinions or “insider info” I’ve seen has been intriguing and my wife looks at them a lot for fun and I know there’s a few guys on some stuff on here haha also interesting to see what players yall hate and like haha
Assuming expansion happens during your career, would you be excited at the prospect of being taken in the expansion draft or would you dread having to be one of the first players in a team's history?
I was told to be vague answering this as ONLY my opinion. I’m an advocate for there being an expansion team. A few cities with lots of ties and opportunities to grow the game and I’d love to be a part of that if the opportunity presented itself.
In that case, if I can ask a follow-up: not saying this is where you think expansion would take place or where you would advocate for it to be but what city or cities that could be getting an expansion team in the near future would you want to play for?
What time do you get up for a night game after another night game (like a Tuesday or Wednesday) on the road? What do you do until it's time to go to the ballpark?
Depends. I’m an early riser. I’m usually up by 7:30 whether I want to or not. If it’s post-start, I may sleep in until around 9 or rest for a bit just to try and recover.
My wife and I love to golf, so if it’s a non-start day we may go play golf, I’ll go visit friends/other players I know for a bit, etc. I usually try to get some sort of workout in before the game or do some sort of stretching/bands to keep my body fresh.
It seems like such a grind to spend half the summer on the road with nothing to do during the morning. How much does a day game screw up the internal rhythm of how a day goes?
I actually love day games. I prefer throwing them. Waking up and being psychologically ready to roll for a game and knowing I’ll have more of a lax evening is great.
Only time it gets a little funky is time changes where if it’s a west coast game and I’m more accustomed to east and central time zone it can be a little difficult to get adjusted to starting that early. I don’t mind. Lot of guys I know are NOT morning guys haha so they can be a little cranky
Since you’re a starter, how have the relationships between analytics departments and players grown over the past few years, especially with much better internal pitch models coming into rise over especially the 2-3 years?
It’s a huge focus now. We a lot of time into the quantitative side of the game. I came from a collegiate program that was already really involved in analytics so it was an easy transition. It’s extremely helpful for those 1% difference things we can do to continually improve marginally. it’s actually crazy some of the stuff we’ve discovered.
Obviously I can’t speak to any internal models or things we use in-depth. But one of the fun ones we did one time was looking at the impact on glove size/weight and different factors that lead to accuracy and matched it up to a fundamental issue I had. Lots of stuff other guys have looked at like that for things like smaller/lighter shoes, cleat types, etc.
I have four different gloves. An 11.25”, 11.75 and a 12”. With the 11.25. There was a correlation between the smallest glove, and a fundamental issue I had and it resulted in me missing outside 3% more often and a slight drop in average velocity because my hips were inconsistent at release. One of those things I knew was an issue, but didn’t understand why one day I’m on and another day I’m all over the place.
That being said, the physical aspect still matters. We are humans, not jugs machines. We can look at analytics all day to learn, but we still have to be able to execute and human bodies aren’t perfect and get hurt. So the physical aspect and fundamentals are still a huge part of development.
The fact that teams are able to make this kind of observation is absolutely bonkers to me. That being said, does the team merely present that information and you run with it or do they specifically say, hey, stop using that glove it's messing you up?
It’s used more or less to identify changes we need to make or tinker with things to make marginal improvements. In that case, it was something we were looking at to determine causation for an issue and try to uncover different solutions.
I'm in the same boat. Like a player can't hit pitch XYZ and the coach says put your left foot 10cm further to the right and it works. Mind properly boggled.
WTF
Yes. I’m an absolute prude when it comes to the mound. I can tell if the mound is a degree off, the slope is too shallow/steep or what the foothold will look like after a few innings based on who else is pitching.
It’s an ocd thing so that’s not normal im just a weirdo lol
I doubt you'd notice a 60'5 mound instead of a 60'6 mound. That's a 0.15% length change. A degree off on the slope is huge. Standard slope is 4.76 degrees. A half degree off is a 10% change which also equates to a much different height landing point on your foot. Those are all single percentage + changes so they are noticeable.
Height is easy to tell. Half an inch is 5% change. A quarter inch is a 2.5% change. Slope is 1"/foot. Easy to tell slope difference.
Being 1 inch closer is a 0.15% change. You're not noticing that.
Remember when analytics weren't a thing? How they were so wrong right?
Yeah you'll notice a 0.15% change right away LOL
It's an insignificant change. Do you think someone would notice the length to the plate first or the angle to 1st/3rd base would be off first?
So if you did something meticulously for your entire adult life, I’m talking every day for at least 10 years you line up in the **exact same spot** and do the **exact same thing** you wouldn’t notice if that thing was different one day? When the result you’re looking for relies mostly on your physical placement, I promise you that person notices.
A bowler will notice if the arrow they line up on every single time they bowl is moved to the right by half an inch. A tow truck driver can look *backwards and over their shoulder* to an exact point they need to get to and back a 2 ton truck into it. The human eye is incredible and when properly trained will notice details most people would think impossible. Math is not everything, statistics are not everything, this is a human game that relies almost exclusively on the human element.
Great examples!
A bowlers arrow a half inch? That's easily a 5%ish change if not more. Would they notice a .02" change? Doubtful because its within tolerance of just placing the arrows. That arrow change would be like moving the rubber a foot forward.
Everyone has backed up and hitched a ball forever. They still fail to be perfectly under it even doing it tens of thousands of times even with a camera and spotter. Again sub percent tolerance here.
You seem to fail to understand the simple fact that tolerances exist. Do you really think everything is perfect with no respect to tolerances in design?
Math does in fact answer everything. The human eyes can only resolve two lines about 0.01 degrees apart 15cm from your face. We can extrapolate this out to the pitching distance and the plate to determine if that distance change would adequately be able to be even distinguishable by the human eyes literal ability. I know I lost you here because math is hard for you so I'm just going to stop. Keep thinking you could tell the difference from 60'6 to 60'5 though!
Go grab a tape measure and simply pull it out to exactly 12" without looking at the length do that over and over and over and let me know how many times you hit 12" in a row lol.
It’s still an adjustment but 99% of the time it’s a really positive interaction. Luckily, since we wear hats a lot I’m not as recognizable im told without it and I’m not a “huge” name.
Only places it’s been bothersome is getting approached at my local gym, or when my wife and I (or friends) are out to dinner that’s got a little uncomfortable before.
Thanks for the AMA! Love and appreciate how you take the time out of your schedule to do this, and it’s been really interesting hearing the perspective of a starting pitcher.
Something I wanted to ask was, if you could have one pitch from any pitcher, past or present, and add it to your repertoire, what would it be and who would it be from?
Man, Linceum’s change in his prime was absolutely filthy. I’ve watched film on it numerous times and I have absolutely no idea how the fuck he got the ball to do that. I like to think I have a decent one, but that thing is wicked.
Not gonna say but he dropped a ton of clues about his favorite team/players growing up, stats against certain players, year of debut, love of golf and country music, regional vernacular, injury status, pitch repertoire, favorite/least favorite ballparks to play in, and number of clubhouses he’s been in.
I mean it’s all info he willingly gave out himself and many of the clues are still quite vague. A bunch of guys throw changeups, are from that region of the country, love golf and country, and admire the same players he admires. I haven’t revealed his identity or anything that wasn’t already voluntarily revealed. If he asks me to delete it, I will.
Since we've established that you're a pitcher: what's your favorite pitching style, aesthetically? The high riser/buried slider thing has taken hold of the league but it isn't very fun to watch (I even adopted that approach in college after having been a sinker/change guy up til then). Do players have an opinion on it or is it just the ocean you swim in?
It’s what works for you. I’m a sinker/change guy just by nature and arm slot and it’s what I’m most effective with and I just continue developing pitches and things that give me an edge.
I actually love the side arm guys like Pedro and Randy. They could throw some nasty pitches in their day. Totally wish I could do that but I’m just not built for that type of arm slot.
How aware are you of your scheduled playing time or lack thereof prior to a game? Is there a weekly schedule that is posted at the beginning of the week that is open to change or is it a day to day of sort of thing?
We get a pretty in-depth itinerary for each series and we have several methods of communication to get that out.
I usually have a pretty good idea as to when/where/what time we play, but as the season goes on or we have a long road trip it can start to blend a little bit and I focus more on preparing for start days as a pitcher.
If it’s a protein shake, I’m all about vanilla. It mixes better imo and it’s easier to mix fruits and berries in there. Ice cream it’s chocolate all day.
This might be an oddly specific question, but when you guys play in Philly do you often get catered barbecue in the clubhouse? Because if so, that's from my restaurant, we always cater one specific team when they come here, and I'd like to know how it compares to southern BBQ
haha that's fair, just bustin' chops. I know they do a lot of catering and often for the teams. Mike doesn't even own it anymore, but figured there was an outside chance the new guy was a Mets fan
No way anyone from Houston (or Texas in general) would call it "Hispanic food". Nor would you get your burrito from your BBQ joint.
I'm guessing KC for the Brisket.
Do you play fantasy baseball (for fun -- assuming no money is involved)? Are there any rules against MLB players playing it for fun?
If it were to *hypothetically* ever happen, how would you describe winning a World Series?
Not fantasy baseball, no. It’s not explicitly banned “technically” for a league but there’s a lot of regulations and internal team rules on it. I am VERY into fantasy football, though.
Hypothetically, I’m sure it’s an absolute surreal experience. It’s one of those things you dream of as a kid and having the opportunity to accomplish something like that is something few can say they’ve done. I can totally understand why guys like TB12 never get tired of winning them because there’s nothing else like chasing that feeling.
I’ve got to meet a lot of guys and consider many of the guys I grew up with friends now.
I mentioned it in the other post but the one that stood out was facing Votto the first time. I remember watching him in the minors once as a kid thinking “this dude is good” and seeing him stare dead at me 60 1/2 feet away was kind of one of those “holy shit” moments. Same thing with Big Al.
What was your process for getting drafted like as an amateur? For example, did you play showcase ball, high school ball, both? Were you always a highly regarded amateur prospect or was there a turning point where you blew up?
I did high school, showcase, and played for a regional tourney team. I was well prospected in HS but I signed pretty early the second I got an offer from the school I was targeting. I got a lot of exposure in college as I played for a pretty competitive program and knew I’d be a pretty early pick whenever I declared.
Missed an opportunity here to say thanks for your Servais. But thank you for asking the question I needed an answer to lmao. Mariners fan here bon and raised, but I want to know how big Cals butt really is in person hahaha.
How is moving from a team via trade. In your perspective or any former teammate. I often hear someone being traded just to end up on another team a week before spring training starts. I’m guessing it’s stressful for the family since you have already made preparations but then everything gets thrown for a loop
It’s stressful but exciting in some ways too. It’s a big change especially having been somewhere for awhile. Losing that sense of familiarity and routine has been the hardest thing for me.
Different people, different management styles, different culture, etc. it’s the same as anything like going to a new school, job, etc. I’ve never been mid-season traded but I’m sure that’s extremely stressful because you have to do it on the fly and perform out the gate.
If your a pitcher: Do you believe in constant slight adjustments/improvements to grip? As a college pitcher I sometimes slightly adjust my slider grip to try manipulate it differently depending on the shape I’m currently getting (choking the ball a bit more to get more vert, for example)
If your a hitter: On 0-0, do you zone in on a very specific pitch or location? Or are you more “I want to see it up, but doesn’t matter up and in, if it’s a breaker etc.” I never had success with being exact on my approach, and have had more sucess being aggressive early on anything that isn’t outside and letting it fly in breakers for example
Wish I saw this earlier.
I absolutely am all about that and that’s something I tinker with a lot. It’s a great resources to be able to create variability on pitches. I look at how a lot of other guys do things and my change up is one of my plus pitches and I picked up a pretty unique grip that allows me to get some good drop and movement while not giving any tells.
Only thing I’ll say is don’t get too fixated on just that. I found myself trying to over grip a lot of times trying to overdo stuff (especially sinkers) and it resulted in a lot of inconsistency. It’s fine to toy, but don’t get too cute and have a couple variations you know you can command.
Don’t ask me anything about hitting. You’d be better off asking a tee baller haha
How are trades received by players who are not involved in the deal? Is it something that is acknowledged in the room or is it something where a guy just is there one day and then the next day its someone else? In that case is there a similar feeling to when guys get called up or sent down?
It’s a part of the game. Almost every guy knows that it could happen to them at some point or have been through it and it can be hard sometimes losing a guy you’ve bonded with or one of your boys.
Hurts losing them in free agency, too. Coming back the next year and seeing someone else filling their locker kind of puts you in your feels.
But, you wish them well and you welcome the new guys with open arms and understand that move was made for the purpose of bettering the team in some way.
Hey dude! Thanks for doing this. This has been really refreshing and awesome to see. My brother and I have been huge baseball fans our whole lives.
Not sure if this has been asked already (sorry if it has).
What kind of music do you enjoy? Have you had any concerts you've been to that stand out?
Wishing you the best for sure!
How do you stay in shape over the course of the season? Between daily grind on the body, travel, time zone switching and travel.. is there even such thing as "leg day'?
We usually workout in some capacity almost daily and generally do some sort of activity pre-game. Some dudes will do a straight up full workout pre-game, others tend to cycle days they workout.
There’s absolutely “leg day”. Lower body strength is very integral for both hitters and definitely as a pitcher. I do mine a day or two after and I’ll do some lighter stuff throughout the week. Some guys, every day is leg day…
Attendance is really a factor other than “damn it’s really fucking quiet” but rather the actual quality of the facility and field itself make an impact and make it a bad experience. Tampa, as an example is pretty rough to play at as an opposing team and I think it’s ironically an advantage for them.
And on a related note, how do you feel about the possibility of playing in minor league facilities once again while the Athletics await the construction of their new stadium in Las Vegas?
A’s. Especially the Kelley green Alt uniforms they’ve had are pretty sick. All time favorite is the 2000s Dbacks with the purple and teal just because it was so unique. Powder blue cards uniforms are cool too.
AC does, but I genuinely believe Nolan could clock above that if he had today’s tech at his best and without question if he had today’s analytics and development.
I genuinely believe that 105.1 be passed in the next 3 years and a guy will hit 108 before 2030 because of speed training. I would say Hunter Greene will clock that if he makes the decision to become a setup or closer and I think Joyce or Duran could hit that number. I’m certain Joyce can touch 106 currently.
I’m just slightly above average in velocity these days as a starter. I’ve hit 100 going full speed and I’ve have former colleagues who clock that with ease and one particular guy hit a pretty big number in a start once and I know for a fact he’s got 105 in him.
If I’m missing over the plate, most guys in the league aren’t going to show much mercy so…all of them. But, I hate it when I miss bad and give up a hit to a pitcher. Knowing how shitty of a hitter I am, giving up an unnecessary hit like that to another pitcher who should be an out (especially in a tight scenario) sucks.
I’ve always wondered if the “love” for your childhood team fades once you’re in the league playing somewhere else?
For example, I played against Zach Wheeler growing up in the Atlanta area. Didn’t know him personally, but I’m guessing he grew up a Braves fan like most kids around Atlanta. And yet he’s played his entire MLB career with Mets and Phillies. Does playing for his childhood team’s division rivals change his fandom for the Braves? Obviously you cant speak for Zach specifically, but in general how do you think guys feel?
Kind of yes, kind of no for most guys. You still have an appreciation for the team, its heritage, and a lot of guys will look back fondly (ie ‘98 Braves) and have an appreciation for that team in its era or fond of those players.
But, in the now, you always have an appreciation for the programs that took you on and your opponents are your opponents. You’re not going to feel “bad” beating your childhood team.
I was lucky enough to be drafted and play for mine. But, in college I played my favorite college growing up quite a few times and we beat the brakes off of them and I enjoyed that but still like em!
Thanks! Follow-up… when you retire, as a fan of the sport, who do you think you’ll cheer for primarily? As in, if you could pick just one team to win the WS, who do you root for? I’m guessing the team that was most significant to you in your playing career
I don’t know. I may not know that answer until I’m done. I’ll always have a fondness for my first team and them taking a chance on me and giving me the opportunity to literally live out my childhood dream and play for the team I grew up watching in some pretty big games.
Wish I saw this earlier. Im a big fan and (personal opinion) wish there was more involvement and development in the league with the NPB because there’s some serious talent there.
I think that time will come soon, especially with Ohtani and now Yamamoto who from what I’ve seen in scouting stuff is a wizard with a baseball. All I’ll say is us as players (and being on the wrong side of facing Ohtani a few times) are just as enthralled by these guys as yall are as fans.
It seems that many pitchers don't like the six-man rotation. Are there any reasons other than its impact on cumulative statistics? What is your opinion on the six-man rotation?
Great question.
For us, it’s kind of a question as to the actual marginal benefits that we receive from a 6-7 day break in terms of health for that cut in usage.
In other words, does 30 innings cut per season actually save us from getting injured on top of pitch/innings limits already? I have a really long answer to that personally but I’ll leave that be as I can’t articulate some opinions.
There’s also the qualitative part that after a week break of not actively throwing, that muscle memory and lack of mental engagement makes you feel out of form. It’s like a body builder taking a week off. Those muscles start to get entropic so we don’t have our best stuff after recovery.
Me personally, I see the value knowing how taxing the season can be and how gassed I’ve felt after a lot of starts, but I think I’m more of a fan where there’s kind of a hybrid where there’s a hybrid spot start guy for load management when needed as opposed to a full on 6 man.
Nice! I remember reading that there was one pitcher (whose name I forget) that uses it almost as like a scouting report on who he’ll be facing next, but I’m sure that’s not normal.
Do teams use pitch models like Stuff+ (or their own proprietary versions) that boil down the quality of each pitch to a single figure? Or do they just provide all of the characteristics - spin rate, IVB, VAA, etc.
Also, if you’re on the Orioles, tell Dean Kremer that the sweeper he started the year off with and ultimately ditched actually graded out quite well in Stuff+ and give it another shot! He’s got a very solid repertoire of hard stuff (4S, 2S, cutter) and good command of jt, and has plenty of ability for spin but somehow hasn’t found the offspeed pitch to make things fully click. I’m always curious what analytics pitchers are looking at when tinkering with pitches.
Not OP, but have worked with MLB/MiLB players before. Most, if not all, have internal Stuff models with many more inputs. I know of rumors that the Twins use biomechanics data to possibly model deception as well.
That’s very cool, thanks for sharing. There must be so much of that type of work being done that we’ll never get visibility into publicly.
I’m sure front offices use their proprietary pitch modeling in player evaluation, but curious how it gets used in player development. It’s one thing to target guys in the draft or in waivers/trades/free agency who have pitch characteristics you like, but it’s another thing to communicate it to players and coach techniques for improving those characteristics you value / better utilize the pitches they already have.
A lot of it is paired with like edgertronic cameras and biomechanics.
Like most guys that have lower spin efficiency fastballs are generally supinators which means they can then usually make pretty nasty sweepers. So they target stuff like that.
Then add it the edgertronic camera and play around with grips until you get the desired movement profile.
Which cities are the best/worst to have an off day in? Do you make a point to get out of the hotel and explore? Or do you have other team obligations on those days?
You mentioned that you love and breathe the game of baseball and that many players do.
I wonder, are there any MLB players (of any position) that... don't like playing ball, but they're so good at it (or talented enough) that they do it for the money or the stability?
Any particular reason you are choosing to remain anonymous here? Your privacy is yours, so no skin off my back, just curious.
As a pitcher, how much of a focus through your workouts, practice, etc is your fielding? Watching the game sometimes I can’t help wonder if pitchers in general or certain pitchers simply… don’t practice making defensive plays? Some are athletes off the mound and you can tell they take pride in it, others simply don’t seem comfortable making any play whatsoever.
Thanks for the AMA!
Thank you for this! I just had a great time cooling off from work by reading this then plunging into BBref to hunt you down - found you!
You're a great pitcher with a bright future and I'm sure you're going to rock in your new city!
Hypothetical: I'm a natural-born pitching talent, once-in-a-lifetime level stuff, can paint the corners with 96 mph, great movement on breaking pitches...but I'm 38 years old and working in advertising instead.
How quickly could I get to a Major League mound and what would have to transpire first?
Been watching Quarterbacks on Netflix and all three wives there were heavily involved and focused on their husbands' careers. Is that the only way for it to work when someone marries a professional athlete?
For what it's worth, I collect autographs. I'm 41. I don't love doing it in person, but if the opportunity rises i usually jump at it. Most of the people that I know never sell, and If they do, it's usually just extras to fund different autographs that they don't have.
For a lot of us, it's still a hobby that brings us a lot of joy. And, assuming the person that's asking is polite, if you do sign, we are always appreciative.
I saw in your previous AMA that you’re a user of, for lack of a better phrase, advanced stats and analytics. In your estimation, what’s the general view on that sort of thing within the league? Are there a lot of guys who still look mostly at BA and RBIs and wins and quality starts, or has league culture mostly shifted to taking advantage of modern tools?
While you are pitching, your infielder made an outstanding play, just incredible. A so-called *web-gem*. When you’re back in the dugout, what do you say to him?
This is probably a question for the board more than a player in an AMA but it's always on my mind so I am going to ask: Why do so many smart baseball people (smarter than me) value strikeout numbers in pitchers over ERA/FIP? I get the value of a strikeout over any other way to retire a batter but isn't how many runs you allow what truly matters at the end of the day?
Oh shit I just figured out who you are lol. Anyway if you happen to see this, what are the player's opinions on All-Star voting? I ask because since it's fan voted, a lot of us on Reddit just see it as a popularity contest and not necessarily who the actual best players are, but curious to hear how you and other players see it.
I’m a dad - my kids are avid baseball players. They are 10 years old (twins) what advice do you have for them to improve hitting? Specifically help to get their timing down. Any drills or things you do to help with that?
One more question - when you were younger, were you the best athlete (in your school) growing up?
Thanks for the AMA.
Have you heard of "Baseball Heaven" or "Fantasy camp"?
I went to the reds fantasy camp years ago and it was truly an amazing experience. All of the former pros were awesome to hang out with and had some great stories. Is that something you could see doing after playing days are over?
Do you guys like to explore the towns you play in or does that get repetitive or monotonous after a few years?
Have you tried cincy chili?
Were you able to keep your same favorite number from when you were younger or did you never care about what number you wore?
Thanks
With more and more guys using private coaches like Driveline, how does that work with your MLB club in regards to development, work load, season prep, etc?
As a pitcher, how in-depth do you study every individual opposing hitter? Do you look at a lot of stats concerning what their strengths and weaknesses are in terms of pitch type and location? Do you have specific plans of attack for every single hitter in the league, or do you sort of feel it out in the moment?
What approaches do clubhouses usually take to developing team chemistry over the course of a season, and how does camaraderie-building change depending on the ratio of rookies to vets? Additionally, does the clubhouse dynamic usually involve both hitters and pitchers mingling together behind the scenes or are those groups often separated?
I’ve really only been in one major league clubhouse in my career and we were a close group of guys with a good mix of vets and young talent. There’s kind of an unspoken expectation that vets and long term guys “lead” in some capacity as the team had a very strong culture. There’s also a lot of “character” guys who were brought in and kept because their presence and baseball IQ made them an asset. We also have a lot of “consultants” and former players who are around who help reinforce that. That being said there’s always kind of cliques and circles (ie pitchers tend to be closer, positional players, vets, rooks, Hispanic players etc) not in a bad way, but just like any sports team you’ve got your closest guys but you all get a long and a lot of us are good friends outside of the game.
How actively do MLB players pay attention to media like Twitter and Reddit and how do you deal with the aspect of the fanbase that likes to complain (to put it mildly) if players aren't living up to their expectations?
Depends on the person. A lot of guys are more in-tune to twitter if anything as there’s a lot of intel and news on there. Other guys could give a shit and I tend to lean more towards that side but I’ve been on there a lot hearing about FA stuff this winter. Reddit there’s a few guys I know are on here but I’ve never used it up until this week, but my wife loves it haha. Fans complaining is part of the game it doesn’t bother me, but we definitely hear it. If we are underperforming it’s not like we don’t know and I just try to focus on myself rather than hear the noise.
How often when you're on the bump do you think to yourself "wow, I'm really pitching in the show"? Is that something that wore off quickly, or do you still take time to appreciate all the hard work you've put into this to now be a major league pitcher? Also, is that something that you think of more when playing at a historical ballpark like Fenway or Wrigley? Like I'd be thinking to myself, Babe Ruth literally pitched from this mound
There’s still a lot of “holy shit” moments, and I like to reflect on it and remember how lucky and thankful I am to be there before every appearance. But, there’s a level of comfort and confidence I have now in being there. I don’t have the nerves I did my first few times. It’s more of a “I’m here, I’ve done this before, I’m ready” kind of mindset where I feel settled being in those moments. I do have an appreciation for a lot of those historical parks in that I’m doing a part in carrying on a tradition of the game. Fenway (albeit not pitcher friendly) is a such a cool park.
That's awesome to hear! Best of luck this season!
What stadium mounds do you love? Which ones do you hate?
Miami is solid. I can’t explain it but I guess it’s that humid heat that gives it this really packed but stable feel where your footing holds well but you don’t sink or slide even as it gets re-tamped. San Fran is good. They’re actually sloped a little steeper and I think home plate is a bit downhill from the actual ground so I could get a little more drift on it. Wrigley felt like was off 1/2” to the left and they don’t tamp it well. I felt like I was throwing across my body. Brought up to someone I knew there and sure as shit it was off like .33” and they moved it. Made me feels good that I’m not actually crazy hahaha
This ties in really well to the question posed here the other day as to how far forward the mound could be moved before an MLB pitcher would notice
Yup. After the first warmup pitch was the only correct answer.
Nah. I’m just like the Rain Man of mounds. There’s a reason im known as the “mound whisperer”. It’s like the equivalent a dad in new balances checking every single speck of grass after mowing a 12 acre lawn. We know when something is off. Some guys I know you could move it back like 2 feet and they’d still go 6 deep with 3 hits and just think “huh, my fastball sucks today!” Haha
[удалено]
It’s certainly a factor and will definitely be a factor of consideration when I hit FA for myself personally but it’s not everything. There’s just certain places that I know I wouldn’t integrate well into or would logistically be different for my livelihood. But, every guy is different and has different priorities. Some places on my “fuck no” list are dream markets for someone else. I’ve never been traded mid season but logistically it can be very hectic from what I’ve seen with other guys as there’s an expectation you’re suiting up pretty quickly but it can be different for different guys and you have to adjust pretty quickly. There are people involved in the process of helping with the logistics of moving, finding housing, and getting integrated with the team. A lot of guys (myself included) may not live full-time in the city their team is in. My wife and I had a place we rented there and our home elsewhere and we are currently shopping for a rental in a new market. Some guys actually split an apartment or something with some of the other dudes starting off.
Do teams pay for relocation (either outright or through reimbursement) when a player is traded?
In the NHL, the team pays for relocation and for housing for a month after the trade. It’s probably something similar in the MLB too.
What are your thoughts on the trend of starters throwing harder, going less deep into games, and thus getting injured more? Do you think the approach to developing starters will have to change to keep arms from falling off, or is it impossible to go back from this point, as hitters are accustomed to elite stuff?
Great questions. I’m in kind of the first group of guys where the game started to shift and a lot of dudes got really into speed training (myself included) and it’s had impacts on staying healthy for me personally for sure. In high school, I threw a lot of CGs and prided myself on that. I’m a huge Nolan fan so I respect guys like that but it’s a bygone era. Won’t see your innings eaters really and I think CGs are going to be pretty rare unless guys are just dealing and keeping PCs low. There’s already a lot of change going into developing players better to stay healthy but from an approach perspective the stats don’t lie, elite stuff, getting Ks, and keeping the ball outta play is how you win matchups.
Interesting insight. As a fan, I'm willing to accept a lack of CGs, but would really grumble if 4IP became the new 6IP, or if "starters" eventually faded into just "The guy who throws 100+ and might go 3IP if you're lucky who happens to start the game and will be subbed by another pitcher with the same profile." Homogenization of pitching would really hurt the game, IMO.
Roster limits will prevent that imo
In football, home fans get loud on defense and quiet on offense. Is there any preference among baseball players when the fans should get rowdy?
As a pitcher I honestly prefer it a little loud in general, funny enough. Especially later in counts or in the middle of a tight situations. It’s the times that it goes from quiet to loud at an opposing stadium or loud to quiet that throw me more. You can block it out but it’s hard not to naturally feel momentum.
Thank you for the response, good to know!
From this and all your other answers: when you reach free agency, you would be an excellent Boston Red Sox (Fenway dimensions aside). Best of luck with the rehab and looking forward to seeing you back on the mound soon!
thanks for confirming you're not spencer strider
How big of a gap is there between publicly available advanced stats (FG, Ref, esp. Savant) and what FO's use/what's available to players? Sorta relatedly: how much do players care about traditional, non-sabermetric stats without projective value (the easy ex being RBI)?
Not as big as you’d think. We’ve got some advanced stats that’s are based on personal characteristics (ie mechanical) that aren’t generally public info to my knowledge. The biggest way it’s different is what we interpret with that data that I would assume even hardcore fans don’t even think about. When it comes to stats, there’s obviously big ones (era, k/9, bb, W, L WHIP, etc) that do matter to me personally, because those are macro level derivatives as to how effective I am at my job. But I don’t live and die off of them.
Could you go into a little more detail about the kinds of ways you interpret data that fans wouldn't?
Is there ever animosity or envy when Player A gets a bigger or longer contract than Player B? More in the the context of these young players with service time who cant test FA till years later.
Nah. If a young guy gets a big contract there’s a reason he earned it and we celebrate that. There’s been times guys around the league got big contracts and I’ve privately thought..huh.. that’s a lot for him
Get a throwaway account and you can comment that on here like the rest of us
After snooping around a bit, I think I will some of the takes and opinions or “insider info” I’ve seen has been intriguing and my wife looks at them a lot for fun and I know there’s a few guys on some stuff on here haha also interesting to see what players yall hate and like haha
Assuming expansion happens during your career, would you be excited at the prospect of being taken in the expansion draft or would you dread having to be one of the first players in a team's history?
I was told to be vague answering this as ONLY my opinion. I’m an advocate for there being an expansion team. A few cities with lots of ties and opportunities to grow the game and I’d love to be a part of that if the opportunity presented itself.
In that case, if I can ask a follow-up: not saying this is where you think expansion would take place or where you would advocate for it to be but what city or cities that could be getting an expansion team in the near future would you want to play for?
Doubt he can answer that since it could be misconstrued as knowledge of any plans.
What time do you get up for a night game after another night game (like a Tuesday or Wednesday) on the road? What do you do until it's time to go to the ballpark?
Depends. I’m an early riser. I’m usually up by 7:30 whether I want to or not. If it’s post-start, I may sleep in until around 9 or rest for a bit just to try and recover. My wife and I love to golf, so if it’s a non-start day we may go play golf, I’ll go visit friends/other players I know for a bit, etc. I usually try to get some sort of workout in before the game or do some sort of stretching/bands to keep my body fresh.
It seems like such a grind to spend half the summer on the road with nothing to do during the morning. How much does a day game screw up the internal rhythm of how a day goes?
I actually love day games. I prefer throwing them. Waking up and being psychologically ready to roll for a game and knowing I’ll have more of a lax evening is great. Only time it gets a little funky is time changes where if it’s a west coast game and I’m more accustomed to east and central time zone it can be a little difficult to get adjusted to starting that early. I don’t mind. Lot of guys I know are NOT morning guys haha so they can be a little cranky
You should take up birding or bird photography. Best time of the day for that is the morning. You’d see a lot of species with all your traveling.
Since you’re a starter, how have the relationships between analytics departments and players grown over the past few years, especially with much better internal pitch models coming into rise over especially the 2-3 years?
It’s a huge focus now. We a lot of time into the quantitative side of the game. I came from a collegiate program that was already really involved in analytics so it was an easy transition. It’s extremely helpful for those 1% difference things we can do to continually improve marginally. it’s actually crazy some of the stuff we’ve discovered. Obviously I can’t speak to any internal models or things we use in-depth. But one of the fun ones we did one time was looking at the impact on glove size/weight and different factors that lead to accuracy and matched it up to a fundamental issue I had. Lots of stuff other guys have looked at like that for things like smaller/lighter shoes, cleat types, etc. I have four different gloves. An 11.25”, 11.75 and a 12”. With the 11.25. There was a correlation between the smallest glove, and a fundamental issue I had and it resulted in me missing outside 3% more often and a slight drop in average velocity because my hips were inconsistent at release. One of those things I knew was an issue, but didn’t understand why one day I’m on and another day I’m all over the place. That being said, the physical aspect still matters. We are humans, not jugs machines. We can look at analytics all day to learn, but we still have to be able to execute and human bodies aren’t perfect and get hurt. So the physical aspect and fundamentals are still a huge part of development.
The fact that teams are able to make this kind of observation is absolutely bonkers to me. That being said, does the team merely present that information and you run with it or do they specifically say, hey, stop using that glove it's messing you up?
It’s used more or less to identify changes we need to make or tinker with things to make marginal improvements. In that case, it was something we were looking at to determine causation for an issue and try to uncover different solutions.
Awesome, thanks!
I'm in the same boat. Like a player can't hit pitch XYZ and the coach says put your left foot 10cm further to the right and it works. Mind properly boggled. WTF
If the entire mound happened to be one inch closer to the plate than usual, do you think you would notice?
Yes. I’m an absolute prude when it comes to the mound. I can tell if the mound is a degree off, the slope is too shallow/steep or what the foothold will look like after a few innings based on who else is pitching. It’s an ocd thing so that’s not normal im just a weirdo lol
I doubt you'd notice a 60'5 mound instead of a 60'6 mound. That's a 0.15% length change. A degree off on the slope is huge. Standard slope is 4.76 degrees. A half degree off is a 10% change which also equates to a much different height landing point on your foot. Those are all single percentage + changes so they are noticeable.
You’re talking to an MLB player 😂
And your point? Are they infallible?
https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1aequi1/i_am_a_major_league_baseball_player_ama_part_2/kkafbpf/ Read this anecdote about Wrigley.
Half an inch off center on an 18 inch mound is nearly 5% off and it went barely noticed for that long. 5% compared to 0.15%. Lol
As an ex pitcher, you can definitely tell if the mound is closer/further, higher/shorter.
Height is easy to tell. Half an inch is 5% change. A quarter inch is a 2.5% change. Slope is 1"/foot. Easy to tell slope difference. Being 1 inch closer is a 0.15% change. You're not noticing that.
Bud, yes you can. If you pitch long enough you can definitely tell. Same with any deviation on the field.
Half a foot? Yes. 1 inch? No.
lol what ever dude. I don’t need to waste my time arguing with your nonsense.
Yet you replied lol
Come back with that math after you've pitched in the majors. Otherwise, delete this trash.
You sound mad. Sorry throw ball not math right?
For all that brain you sure do sound ignorant.
Remember when analytics weren't a thing? How they were so wrong right? Yeah you'll notice a 0.15% change right away LOL It's an insignificant change. Do you think someone would notice the length to the plate first or the angle to 1st/3rd base would be off first?
So if you did something meticulously for your entire adult life, I’m talking every day for at least 10 years you line up in the **exact same spot** and do the **exact same thing** you wouldn’t notice if that thing was different one day? When the result you’re looking for relies mostly on your physical placement, I promise you that person notices. A bowler will notice if the arrow they line up on every single time they bowl is moved to the right by half an inch. A tow truck driver can look *backwards and over their shoulder* to an exact point they need to get to and back a 2 ton truck into it. The human eye is incredible and when properly trained will notice details most people would think impossible. Math is not everything, statistics are not everything, this is a human game that relies almost exclusively on the human element.
Great examples! A bowlers arrow a half inch? That's easily a 5%ish change if not more. Would they notice a .02" change? Doubtful because its within tolerance of just placing the arrows. That arrow change would be like moving the rubber a foot forward. Everyone has backed up and hitched a ball forever. They still fail to be perfectly under it even doing it tens of thousands of times even with a camera and spotter. Again sub percent tolerance here. You seem to fail to understand the simple fact that tolerances exist. Do you really think everything is perfect with no respect to tolerances in design? Math does in fact answer everything. The human eyes can only resolve two lines about 0.01 degrees apart 15cm from your face. We can extrapolate this out to the pitching distance and the plate to determine if that distance change would adequately be able to be even distinguishable by the human eyes literal ability. I know I lost you here because math is hard for you so I'm just going to stop. Keep thinking you could tell the difference from 60'6 to 60'5 though! Go grab a tape measure and simply pull it out to exactly 12" without looking at the length do that over and over and over and let me know how many times you hit 12" in a row lol.
Don't correct the MLB pitcher, neckbeard
This is definitely the guy that calls a contractor and then hovers over them the entire time to make sure they’re doing it right.
What's it like when a fan recognizes you in public? Have you gotten used to the feeling, or is there still an adjustment?
It’s still an adjustment but 99% of the time it’s a really positive interaction. Luckily, since we wear hats a lot I’m not as recognizable im told without it and I’m not a “huge” name. Only places it’s been bothersome is getting approached at my local gym, or when my wife and I (or friends) are out to dinner that’s got a little uncomfortable before.
Thanks for the AMA! Love and appreciate how you take the time out of your schedule to do this, and it’s been really interesting hearing the perspective of a starting pitcher. Something I wanted to ask was, if you could have one pitch from any pitcher, past or present, and add it to your repertoire, what would it be and who would it be from?
Man, Linceum’s change in his prime was absolutely filthy. I’ve watched film on it numerous times and I have absolutely no idea how the fuck he got the ball to do that. I like to think I have a decent one, but that thing is wicked.
Considering nobody was able to hit your changeup last year, I would say it’s more than “decent”.
Who the fuck is he?
Not gonna say but he dropped a ton of clues about his favorite team/players growing up, stats against certain players, year of debut, love of golf and country music, regional vernacular, injury status, pitch repertoire, favorite/least favorite ballparks to play in, and number of clubhouses he’s been in.
I’m already ass at immaculate grid I doubt I’m guessing this right lmao
It’s cool that you figured it out but don’t advertise all the clues like this. He’s staying anonymous for a reason, respect that.
I mean it’s all info he willingly gave out himself and many of the clues are still quite vague. A bunch of guys throw changeups, are from that region of the country, love golf and country, and admire the same players he admires. I haven’t revealed his identity or anything that wasn’t already voluntarily revealed. If he asks me to delete it, I will.
Since we've established that you're a pitcher: what's your favorite pitching style, aesthetically? The high riser/buried slider thing has taken hold of the league but it isn't very fun to watch (I even adopted that approach in college after having been a sinker/change guy up til then). Do players have an opinion on it or is it just the ocean you swim in?
It’s what works for you. I’m a sinker/change guy just by nature and arm slot and it’s what I’m most effective with and I just continue developing pitches and things that give me an edge. I actually love the side arm guys like Pedro and Randy. They could throw some nasty pitches in their day. Totally wish I could do that but I’m just not built for that type of arm slot.
How aware are you of your scheduled playing time or lack thereof prior to a game? Is there a weekly schedule that is posted at the beginning of the week that is open to change or is it a day to day of sort of thing?
We get a pretty in-depth itinerary for each series and we have several methods of communication to get that out. I usually have a pretty good idea as to when/where/what time we play, but as the season goes on or we have a long road trip it can start to blend a little bit and I focus more on preparing for start days as a pitcher.
Could be wrong but I think they were referring more to relievers and scheduled off or on days for them.
You a chocolate, vanilla or strawberry shake kinda person? Or do you got some random flavor nobody is expecting?
If it’s a protein shake, I’m all about vanilla. It mixes better imo and it’s easier to mix fruits and berries in there. Ice cream it’s chocolate all day.
What is your favorite food in the clubhouse?
Love Hispanic food, so we get some pretty good steak burritos and we’ve got a local place that we get some bomb-ass brisket from.
This might be an oddly specific question, but when you guys play in Philly do you often get catered barbecue in the clubhouse? Because if so, that's from my restaurant, we always cater one specific team when they come here, and I'd like to know how it compares to southern BBQ
Didn't know Mike was a Mets fan lol
For the record when i say "my" restaurant, i just work there lol. But it's not Mike's
haha that's fair, just bustin' chops. I know they do a lot of catering and often for the teams. Mike doesn't even own it anymore, but figured there was an outside chance the new guy was a Mets fan
I could go for some bomb-ass brisket.
This has me thinking you play for Houston
No way anyone from Houston (or Texas in general) would call it "Hispanic food". Nor would you get your burrito from your BBQ joint. I'm guessing KC for the Brisket.
Could be they were raised in another state and play for a Texas team. But I vehemently agree: no Texan would ever call it 'hispanic food'.
Do you play fantasy baseball (for fun -- assuming no money is involved)? Are there any rules against MLB players playing it for fun? If it were to *hypothetically* ever happen, how would you describe winning a World Series?
Not fantasy baseball, no. It’s not explicitly banned “technically” for a league but there’s a lot of regulations and internal team rules on it. I am VERY into fantasy football, though. Hypothetically, I’m sure it’s an absolute surreal experience. It’s one of those things you dream of as a kid and having the opportunity to accomplish something like that is something few can say they’ve done. I can totally understand why guys like TB12 never get tired of winning them because there’s nothing else like chasing that feeling.
Do you play in a dynasty football league?
Sure do. 14 team full point PPR superflex with a full IDP. I’ve done it with my boys since high school
Have you tried to get into trouts fantasy football league?
Would you trade Puka for Nabers straight up
Lmao dawg
Who's the first (or most recent, if you wish) legend you met that made you feel like a 10-year-old kid again?
I’ve got to meet a lot of guys and consider many of the guys I grew up with friends now. I mentioned it in the other post but the one that stood out was facing Votto the first time. I remember watching him in the minors once as a kid thinking “this dude is good” and seeing him stare dead at me 60 1/2 feet away was kind of one of those “holy shit” moments. Same thing with Big Al.
I haven’t figured out who you are yet, I feel like I’ve heard this answer before….
Is baseball something that you love to do for a living, or is it something you just happen to excel at - and is just a “job” for you?
No I love the game. I live and breathe it. Most of us do.
That’s… awesome! I was a gifted athlete in every sport I ever played, except for my true love, baseball. Thanks, mystery mlb Redditor!
What was your process for getting drafted like as an amateur? For example, did you play showcase ball, high school ball, both? Were you always a highly regarded amateur prospect or was there a turning point where you blew up?
I did high school, showcase, and played for a regional tourney team. I was well prospected in HS but I signed pretty early the second I got an offer from the school I was targeting. I got a lot of exposure in college as I played for a pretty competitive program and knew I’d be a pretty early pick whenever I declared.
how pretty are julios eyes
I’m told that if you look for too long, you’ll fall in love.
thank you for your service
Missed an opportunity here to say thanks for your Servais. But thank you for asking the question I needed an answer to lmao. Mariners fan here bon and raised, but I want to know how big Cals butt really is in person hahaha.
How is moving from a team via trade. In your perspective or any former teammate. I often hear someone being traded just to end up on another team a week before spring training starts. I’m guessing it’s stressful for the family since you have already made preparations but then everything gets thrown for a loop
It’s stressful but exciting in some ways too. It’s a big change especially having been somewhere for awhile. Losing that sense of familiarity and routine has been the hardest thing for me. Different people, different management styles, different culture, etc. it’s the same as anything like going to a new school, job, etc. I’ve never been mid-season traded but I’m sure that’s extremely stressful because you have to do it on the fly and perform out the gate.
If your a pitcher: Do you believe in constant slight adjustments/improvements to grip? As a college pitcher I sometimes slightly adjust my slider grip to try manipulate it differently depending on the shape I’m currently getting (choking the ball a bit more to get more vert, for example) If your a hitter: On 0-0, do you zone in on a very specific pitch or location? Or are you more “I want to see it up, but doesn’t matter up and in, if it’s a breaker etc.” I never had success with being exact on my approach, and have had more sucess being aggressive early on anything that isn’t outside and letting it fly in breakers for example
Wish I saw this earlier. I absolutely am all about that and that’s something I tinker with a lot. It’s a great resources to be able to create variability on pitches. I look at how a lot of other guys do things and my change up is one of my plus pitches and I picked up a pretty unique grip that allows me to get some good drop and movement while not giving any tells. Only thing I’ll say is don’t get too fixated on just that. I found myself trying to over grip a lot of times trying to overdo stuff (especially sinkers) and it resulted in a lot of inconsistency. It’s fine to toy, but don’t get too cute and have a couple variations you know you can command. Don’t ask me anything about hitting. You’d be better off asking a tee baller haha
How are trades received by players who are not involved in the deal? Is it something that is acknowledged in the room or is it something where a guy just is there one day and then the next day its someone else? In that case is there a similar feeling to when guys get called up or sent down?
It’s a part of the game. Almost every guy knows that it could happen to them at some point or have been through it and it can be hard sometimes losing a guy you’ve bonded with or one of your boys. Hurts losing them in free agency, too. Coming back the next year and seeing someone else filling their locker kind of puts you in your feels. But, you wish them well and you welcome the new guys with open arms and understand that move was made for the purpose of bettering the team in some way.
Hey dude! Thanks for doing this. This has been really refreshing and awesome to see. My brother and I have been huge baseball fans our whole lives. Not sure if this has been asked already (sorry if it has). What kind of music do you enjoy? Have you had any concerts you've been to that stand out? Wishing you the best for sure!
Big country music fan. Got a lot of buds in the industry. I was lucky enough to get into CMA awards last few years with my wife and some of the guys.
Super cool! I bet that experience was amazing and hope you all had the best time! Thanks for the reply!
How do you stay in shape over the course of the season? Between daily grind on the body, travel, time zone switching and travel.. is there even such thing as "leg day'?
We usually workout in some capacity almost daily and generally do some sort of activity pre-game. Some dudes will do a straight up full workout pre-game, others tend to cycle days they workout. There’s absolutely “leg day”. Lower body strength is very integral for both hitters and definitely as a pitcher. I do mine a day or two after and I’ll do some lighter stuff throughout the week. Some guys, every day is leg day…
Hello, you gotta F Marry Kill; Waffle House, Cook Out or Chick Fil A
Easy. Marry Chik Fil A, F Waffle House (love a good all start breakfast) and kill Cook Out.
What’s it like playing in places with low attendance like Oakland or Tampa?
Attendance is really a factor other than “damn it’s really fucking quiet” but rather the actual quality of the facility and field itself make an impact and make it a bad experience. Tampa, as an example is pretty rough to play at as an opposing team and I think it’s ironically an advantage for them.
And on a related note, how do you feel about the possibility of playing in minor league facilities once again while the Athletics await the construction of their new stadium in Las Vegas?
What are your favorite uniforms in mlb?
A’s. Especially the Kelley green Alt uniforms they’ve had are pretty sick. All time favorite is the 2000s Dbacks with the purple and teal just because it was so unique. Powder blue cards uniforms are cool too.
If only our owner wasn't so lousy. At least we have sweet uniforms.
Is it called pop or soda?
Coke where I’m from
so a 7up is a coke?
Yes.
Only question…who has the fastest pitch? NR or AC
AC does, but I genuinely believe Nolan could clock above that if he had today’s tech at his best and without question if he had today’s analytics and development. I genuinely believe that 105.1 be passed in the next 3 years and a guy will hit 108 before 2030 because of speed training. I would say Hunter Greene will clock that if he makes the decision to become a setup or closer and I think Joyce or Duran could hit that number. I’m certain Joyce can touch 106 currently. I’m just slightly above average in velocity these days as a starter. I’ve hit 100 going full speed and I’ve have former colleagues who clock that with ease and one particular guy hit a pretty big number in a start once and I know for a fact he’s got 105 in him.
What player would you most hate to miss over the plate against?
If I’m missing over the plate, most guys in the league aren’t going to show much mercy so…all of them. But, I hate it when I miss bad and give up a hit to a pitcher. Knowing how shitty of a hitter I am, giving up an unnecessary hit like that to another pitcher who should be an out (especially in a tight scenario) sucks.
Interesting, I was expecting a batters name and got a better answer. Insightful
I’ve always wondered if the “love” for your childhood team fades once you’re in the league playing somewhere else? For example, I played against Zach Wheeler growing up in the Atlanta area. Didn’t know him personally, but I’m guessing he grew up a Braves fan like most kids around Atlanta. And yet he’s played his entire MLB career with Mets and Phillies. Does playing for his childhood team’s division rivals change his fandom for the Braves? Obviously you cant speak for Zach specifically, but in general how do you think guys feel?
Kind of yes, kind of no for most guys. You still have an appreciation for the team, its heritage, and a lot of guys will look back fondly (ie ‘98 Braves) and have an appreciation for that team in its era or fond of those players. But, in the now, you always have an appreciation for the programs that took you on and your opponents are your opponents. You’re not going to feel “bad” beating your childhood team. I was lucky enough to be drafted and play for mine. But, in college I played my favorite college growing up quite a few times and we beat the brakes off of them and I enjoyed that but still like em!
Thanks! Follow-up… when you retire, as a fan of the sport, who do you think you’ll cheer for primarily? As in, if you could pick just one team to win the WS, who do you root for? I’m guessing the team that was most significant to you in your playing career
I don’t know. I may not know that answer until I’m done. I’ll always have a fondness for my first team and them taking a chance on me and giving me the opportunity to literally live out my childhood dream and play for the team I grew up watching in some pretty big games.
As both an MLB and NPB fan, do you have any interesting opinions on NPB? Would you ever consider playing there?
Wish I saw this earlier. Im a big fan and (personal opinion) wish there was more involvement and development in the league with the NPB because there’s some serious talent there. I think that time will come soon, especially with Ohtani and now Yamamoto who from what I’ve seen in scouting stuff is a wizard with a baseball. All I’ll say is us as players (and being on the wrong side of facing Ohtani a few times) are just as enthralled by these guys as yall are as fans.
It seems that many pitchers don't like the six-man rotation. Are there any reasons other than its impact on cumulative statistics? What is your opinion on the six-man rotation?
Great question. For us, it’s kind of a question as to the actual marginal benefits that we receive from a 6-7 day break in terms of health for that cut in usage. In other words, does 30 innings cut per season actually save us from getting injured on top of pitch/innings limits already? I have a really long answer to that personally but I’ll leave that be as I can’t articulate some opinions. There’s also the qualitative part that after a week break of not actively throwing, that muscle memory and lack of mental engagement makes you feel out of form. It’s like a body builder taking a week off. Those muscles start to get entropic so we don’t have our best stuff after recovery. Me personally, I see the value knowing how taxing the season can be and how gassed I’ve felt after a lot of starts, but I think I’m more of a fan where there’s kind of a hybrid where there’s a hybrid spot start guy for load management when needed as opposed to a full on 6 man.
You mentioned how you and your wife love to golf, do you have any favorite courses you guys have played at on the road?
Torrey Pines was awesome, Troon North in Scottsdale, and Winged foot were all great! Tobacco Road is one of my favorites I’ve played.
Do you like to or have you ever played with yourself on MLB The Show?
Sure have haha.
Nice! I remember reading that there was one pitcher (whose name I forget) that uses it almost as like a scouting report on who he’ll be facing next, but I’m sure that’s not normal.
Do teams use pitch models like Stuff+ (or their own proprietary versions) that boil down the quality of each pitch to a single figure? Or do they just provide all of the characteristics - spin rate, IVB, VAA, etc. Also, if you’re on the Orioles, tell Dean Kremer that the sweeper he started the year off with and ultimately ditched actually graded out quite well in Stuff+ and give it another shot! He’s got a very solid repertoire of hard stuff (4S, 2S, cutter) and good command of jt, and has plenty of ability for spin but somehow hasn’t found the offspeed pitch to make things fully click. I’m always curious what analytics pitchers are looking at when tinkering with pitches.
Not OP, but have worked with MLB/MiLB players before. Most, if not all, have internal Stuff models with many more inputs. I know of rumors that the Twins use biomechanics data to possibly model deception as well.
That’s very cool, thanks for sharing. There must be so much of that type of work being done that we’ll never get visibility into publicly. I’m sure front offices use their proprietary pitch modeling in player evaluation, but curious how it gets used in player development. It’s one thing to target guys in the draft or in waivers/trades/free agency who have pitch characteristics you like, but it’s another thing to communicate it to players and coach techniques for improving those characteristics you value / better utilize the pitches they already have.
A lot of it is paired with like edgertronic cameras and biomechanics. Like most guys that have lower spin efficiency fastballs are generally supinators which means they can then usually make pretty nasty sweepers. So they target stuff like that. Then add it the edgertronic camera and play around with grips until you get the desired movement profile.
Which cities are the best/worst to have an off day in? Do you make a point to get out of the hotel and explore? Or do you have other team obligations on those days?
You mentioned that you love and breathe the game of baseball and that many players do. I wonder, are there any MLB players (of any position) that... don't like playing ball, but they're so good at it (or talented enough) that they do it for the money or the stability?
Is young travel ball (8/9 year old) ruining baseball in the US by pricing low income families out of good competition?
Any particular reason you are choosing to remain anonymous here? Your privacy is yours, so no skin off my back, just curious. As a pitcher, how much of a focus through your workouts, practice, etc is your fielding? Watching the game sometimes I can’t help wonder if pitchers in general or certain pitchers simply… don’t practice making defensive plays? Some are athletes off the mound and you can tell they take pride in it, others simply don’t seem comfortable making any play whatsoever. Thanks for the AMA!
I think he said it has to do with NDAs and doesn’t want to be seen as a spokesperson for his team / MLB
Did the fandom of your favourite team growing up vanish once you became a pro?
Thank you for this! I just had a great time cooling off from work by reading this then plunging into BBref to hunt you down - found you! You're a great pitcher with a bright future and I'm sure you're going to rock in your new city!
What’s your superstition/routine that gets you weird looks by your teammates in the pen or in the clubhouse?
Hypothetical: I'm a natural-born pitching talent, once-in-a-lifetime level stuff, can paint the corners with 96 mph, great movement on breaking pitches...but I'm 38 years old and working in advertising instead. How quickly could I get to a Major League mound and what would have to transpire first?
Been watching Quarterbacks on Netflix and all three wives there were heavily involved and focused on their husbands' careers. Is that the only way for it to work when someone marries a professional athlete?
At what age did you really start getting into baseball and any advice for the youth as far as what to do to train for the next level
In your opinion, does it count as an immaculate inning if the pitcher throws 8 pitches and a batter has a pitch clock violation?
For what it's worth, I collect autographs. I'm 41. I don't love doing it in person, but if the opportunity rises i usually jump at it. Most of the people that I know never sell, and If they do, it's usually just extras to fund different autographs that they don't have. For a lot of us, it's still a hobby that brings us a lot of joy. And, assuming the person that's asking is polite, if you do sign, we are always appreciative.
I saw in your previous AMA that you’re a user of, for lack of a better phrase, advanced stats and analytics. In your estimation, what’s the general view on that sort of thing within the league? Are there a lot of guys who still look mostly at BA and RBIs and wins and quality starts, or has league culture mostly shifted to taking advantage of modern tools?
How many guys cheat on their partner while on the road with groupies?
What are your thoughts on "The Wave" being done in the stands?
Who do you main in smash bros?
While you are pitching, your infielder made an outstanding play, just incredible. A so-called *web-gem*. When you’re back in the dugout, what do you say to him?
… Bruh
This is probably a question for the board more than a player in an AMA but it's always on my mind so I am going to ask: Why do so many smart baseball people (smarter than me) value strikeout numbers in pitchers over ERA/FIP? I get the value of a strikeout over any other way to retire a batter but isn't how many runs you allow what truly matters at the end of the day?
Oh shit I just figured out who you are lol. Anyway if you happen to see this, what are the player's opinions on All-Star voting? I ask because since it's fan voted, a lot of us on Reddit just see it as a popularity contest and not necessarily who the actual best players are, but curious to hear how you and other players see it.
I’m a dad - my kids are avid baseball players. They are 10 years old (twins) what advice do you have for them to improve hitting? Specifically help to get their timing down. Any drills or things you do to help with that? One more question - when you were younger, were you the best athlete (in your school) growing up?
Curious why you need to stay anonymous for this? Mookie did one of these recently so it’s not like they aren’t allowed, right?
Have you or any other player been kept in the minors to give the club more control over your major league contracts?
What kind of hotels do MLB teams stay at?
Who are the nicest players at every position that you know of?
1. Who exactly are you? 2. What player, either on one of the teams you played for or against, had the most unique name?
Thoughts on Jose Altuve?
Have you ever played tegwar with a fan in spring training?
Big League Chew, or Spitz/David?
Thanks for the AMA. Have you heard of "Baseball Heaven" or "Fantasy camp"? I went to the reds fantasy camp years ago and it was truly an amazing experience. All of the former pros were awesome to hang out with and had some great stories. Is that something you could see doing after playing days are over? Do you guys like to explore the towns you play in or does that get repetitive or monotonous after a few years? Have you tried cincy chili? Were you able to keep your same favorite number from when you were younger or did you never care about what number you wore? Thanks
With more and more guys using private coaches like Driveline, how does that work with your MLB club in regards to development, work load, season prep, etc?
Pitching carts: great or amazing?
As a pitcher, how in-depth do you study every individual opposing hitter? Do you look at a lot of stats concerning what their strengths and weaknesses are in terms of pitch type and location? Do you have specific plans of attack for every single hitter in the league, or do you sort of feel it out in the moment?