Andre Pallante has a singular supply and an atypical motion profile. He’s additionally adept at killing worms. Since debuting with the St. Louis Cardinals final April, the 24-year-old right-hander has a a 64.6% ground-ball fee, which ranks second solely to Houston’s Framber Valdez amongst hurlers with a minimum of 100 innings. This yr he’s at 69.4%, behind solely Baltimore’s Yennier Cano (minimal 15 innings). Making these numbers particularly notable is the truth that Pallante’s major fastball is a four-seamer. More on that in a second.
Drafted within the fourth spherical by the Cardinals out of UC Irvine 4 years in the past, Pallante was a starter all through the minors, however he’s primarily labored out of the bullpen since reaching St. Louis. All advised, he’s 8-5 with a 3.34 ERA and a 4.17 FIP over 61 appearances, all however 10 of them as a reliever. And once more, his supply is exclusive. Last summer season, our lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen described it as “looking almost more like a tennis serve than a pitcher’s mechanics.”
I requested Pallante for the story behind his pitching movement when the Cardinals visited Fenway Park final week.
“Honestly, I feel like there really isn’t a story,” replied the righty, who’s 2-0 with a 4.50 ERA in 16 innings to this point this season. “It’s just kind of always how I’ve pitched. For as long as I can remember, it’s how I’ve thrown from the mound.”
There truly is a narrative. Elaborating, the Mission Viejo native defined that he started long-tossing when he was round 12 years outdated, this on the behest of his father — “a pretty big in-taker of baseball pitching books” — with a objective of constructing arm power. The finish end result, as Pallante put it, is “pitching mechanics that are kind of from long-toss mechanics, trying to throw the ball up in the air as high and hard as I can.”
Pallante throws arduous — at 95.8 MPH he ranks within the 83rd percentile for velocity — and he additionally has above-average spin, each along with his fastball and his two breaking balls. His father is aware of these numbers just like the again of his hand. Not solely does he watch video all of his son’s outings — usually greater than as soon as — he often peruses the information on Baseball Savant and right here at FanGraphs.
Which brings us to Pallante’s fastballs, that are each bit as atypical as his supply. He throws predominantly four-seamers, and when he periodically mixes in a two-seamer… effectively, it acts extra like a four-seamer than his four-seamer.
“The numbers on it, metrically, are very similar to an average IVB [induced vertical break] four-seam fastball,” defined Pallante. “I actually get more ride on it that I do with my four-seam, which has a very low amount of IVB and is actually kind of like a sinking cutter. It’s not what you’d expect. It’s kind of weird, but that’s who I am.”
Ditto his tennis-serve/long-toss supply, of which he supplied the next perspective:
“Uniqueness is how you excel in this game,” Pallante advised me.”MLB averages don’t stand out an excessive amount of, proper? You have to be distinctive in your individual manner.”
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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
Andy Van Slyke went 10 for 16 towards Ben Rivera.
John Vander Wal went 11 for 16 towards Elmer Dessens.
Mo Vaughn went 10 for 18 towards Tomo Ohka.
John Valentin went 11 for 18 towards Buddy Groom.
Danny Valencia went 15 for 25 towards David Price.
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Brandon Hughes was a very good hitter at Michigan State University, however that expertise didn’t translate to professional ball. Drafted as an outfielder by the Chicago Cubs in 2017, the Sixteenth-rounder proceeded to place up a .625 OPS in a pair of A-ball seasons. When spring coaching got here to a detailed in 2019, he was introduced with an ultimatum.
“They came up to me and said, ‘You can either pitch or get released as a position player,’ said Hughes, who throws from the left side. “I definitely didn’t see it coming — being given that choice — but that’s how it happened.”
Hughes had pitched at MSU, however that was in his freshman yr, and he solely threw six-and-a-third innings. Then got here a torn labrum and shoulder surgical procedure, ostensibly ending his pitching profession. He’d been recruited out of Sterling Heights, Michigan’s Stevenson High School as a two-way participant, and never solely did he possess plus pace and a strong bat, he’d beforehand torn his labrum as a prep. It made sense that he would go ahead as a hitter.
That he finally did not show that he might punish skilled pitching ended up working to his benefit. Hughes went on to develop a slider that’s now his greatest pitch, and his fastball velocity is a strong 93.7 MPH. Thanks partly to a low-three-quarters arm slot, he’s been particularly efficient towards same-sided hitters.
Hughes debuted with the Cubs a yr in the past this week and went on to log a 3.12 ERA and a 4.64 FIP over 57 reduction appearances, with two wins and eight saves. So far this season he’s 0-2 with a 4.70 ERA and a 3.82 FIP in 9 appearances.
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A quiz:
Kenny Lofton has six of the highest seven single-season stolen base totals in Cleveland Guardians franchise historical past. Who is the opposite participant in that top-seven? (a touch: he performed within the Nineteen Eighties.)
The reply may be discovered under.
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NEWS NOTES
Japanese Baseball Hall of Famer Futoshi Nakanishi died earlier this week at age 90. A 3rd baseman for the Nishitetsu Lions from 1952-1969, he was the workforce’s player-manager for the latter portion of his profession.
There might be over two dozen analysis shows at this summer season’s 51st-annual SABR conference, which might be held in Chicago from July 5-9. The various array will embody: Daniel R. Levitt, “The Coming of the Farm System and the Manipulation of Player Control Rights,” Gary Gillette, “Turkey Stearnes: One-Man Wrecking Crew in 1930s Negro Leagues,” David Firstman, “Dan Uggla: History’s Most Unlikely Hitting Streak,” and Melissa (Missy) Booker, “Snoopy: Baseball’s Top Dog.” The full listing can discovered right here.
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The reply to the quiz is Miguel Diloné, with 61 steals in 1980. If you guessed Brett Butler, he ranks eighth in franchise historical past with 52 steals in 1984.
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Yonder Alonso supplied an attention-grabbing perspective after I requested him how in a different way he views the sport now that he’s a broadcast analyst. Four years faraway from his taking part in profession, the 36-year-old Cuban-born former first baseman not seems like Superman.
“It’s very easy to judge a player when you’re not playing anymore,” admitted Alonso, who’s with MLB Network. “But then it also really brings you back to how difficult the game is. It’s very hard, and there is so much pressure. It’s funny, when I played baseball, I didn’t feel pressure. With the everyday grind, you’re just thinking about the day, thinking about competing. Being outside of it, I’m watching all my friends, all my former teammates, and I feel pressure for them. It’s kind of surreal. It’s, ‘Man, are they going to be able to handle this certain day, this certain pitching?’ When I was playing, I felt like I could handle anything. It’s like I was Superman.”
Alonso performed for seven groups in a big-league profession that spanned the 2010-2019 seasons. His greatest yr was 2017 when he logged a 133 wRC+ and hit 28 residence runs whereas seeing motion with each the Oakland Athletics and the Seattle Mariners.
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Roki Sasaki will reportedly make his subsequent begin on May twenty eighth. The 21-year-old Chiba Lotte Marines right-hander, who has a 0.84 ERA with 13 hits allowed and 50 strikeouts in 32 innings, hasn’t pitched since May 5 on account of a blister on his center finger.
Trevor Bauer is 1-2 with an 8.40 ERA in three begins for NPB’s Yokohama BayStars. The 32-year-old right-hander has allowed 26 hits in 15 innings, and can reportedly make his subsequent begin n the minors.
Foster Griffin is 4-1 with a 2.68 ERA and 47 strikeouts in as many innings for the Yomiuri Giants. The 27-year-old left-hander is in his first NPB season after beforehand pitching for the Kansas City Royals and the Toronto Blue Jays.
Guillermo Heredia is slashing .345/.405/.486 with for residence runs for SSG Landers in his first KBO season. The 32-year-old native of Matanzas, Cuba gained a World Series ring with the Atlanta Braves in 2021.
Young Jin Song is 3-0 with a 3.95 ERA in 27-and-a-third innings for SSG Landers. The 18-year-old right-hander has 22 strikeouts on the season.
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Quite a lot of followers attend video games carrying jerseys and shirtseys with a participant’s title emblazoned on the again. More usually than not it’s the title of a present participant, however former gamers are standard as effectively. I generally make observe of these names when strolling across the Fenway Park concourse — visiting groups with wealthy histories are my major curiosity — and I did so just lately when St. Louis visited Boston for a three-game sequence. Along with present Cardinals, I noticed Berkman, Brock, Gibson, Hernandez, Holliday, LaRussa, Molina, Musial, Ozuna, Pujols, Rolen, and Smith. Quite the spectacular listing. Cardinals followers have been effectively represented at Fenway, so I’m positive there have been different former-player names on the again of shirts as effectively.
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FARM NOTES
Colt Keith hit for the cycle whereas going 6-for-6 with two residence runs for the Double-A Erie SeaWolves on Tuesday. No. 1 on our Detroit Tigers Top Prospects listing, the 21-year-old third baseman is slashing .297/.366/.545 with eight residence runs in 164 plate appearances on the season.
Justice Bigbie is slashing .344/.418/.594 with 5 residence runs in 110 plate appearances for the High-A West Michigan Whitecaps. The 24-year-old outfielder/first baseman was drafted within the nineteenth spherical out of Western Carolina University by the Tigers in 2021.
Henry Davis is slashing .311/.463/.660 with 10 residence runs in 136 plate appearances for the Double-A Altoona Curve. Drafted first total in 2021 out of the University of Louisville, the 23-year-old cacher is No. 3 on our Pittsburgh Pirates Top Prospects listing.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand is slashing .365/.391/.748 with 10 residence runs in 110 plate appearances for the Triple-A Louisville Bats. Drafted within the fourth spherical out of Oklahoma State University by Minnesota in 2021, and subsequently swapped from the Twin Cities to the Queen City, the 23-year-old nook infielder is No. 11 on our Cincinnati Reds Top Prospects listing.
Amos Willingham is 2-0 with 5 saves and a 0.00 ERA in 13 appearances between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester. Drafted within the seventeenth spherical out of Georgia Tech in 2019 by the Washington Nationals, the 24-year-old right-hander has fanned 17 batters and allowed seven hits and 4 walks in 14 innings.
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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE
Has prolonged spring coaching outlived its usefulness to MLB golf equipment? J.J. Cooper delved into that query at Baseball America.
The Score’s Travis Sawchik weighed in on quite a lot of topic, together with how the Houston Astros have begun their preliminary descent from baseball’s high echelon.
Sports Illustrated’s Stephanie Apstein talked to Daniel Bard about his current bout of the yips.
Purple Row’s Joelle Milholm introduced us with a plethora of attention-grabbing Colorado Rockies stats, together with the membership’s having MLB’s longest grand slam drought.
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
Triston Casas has had 31 plate appearances go to a full depend, and solely 4 of them have ended with a ball in play. The Red Sox rookie has 13 strikeouts, 14 walks, and one hit on 3-2 counts.
Cavan Biggio has been profitable on 26 of 27 profession stolen base makes an attempt. Craig Biggio was profitable in 25 of his first 27 profession stolen base makes an attempt.
Greg Maddux confronted the Chicago Cubs 24 occasions and went 12-3 with a 2.65 ERA. He confronted the Arizona Diamondbacks 20 occasions and went 3-11 with a 5.37 ERA.
Sandy Koufax went 17-2 with a 1.44 ERA versus the New York Mets. He went 14-2 with a 1.90 ERA versus the Houston Colt .45s/Astros.
Walter Johnson hit 41 triples, probably the most by a pitcher in MLB historical past. Gaylord Perry, Tommy John, Lefty Gomez, and Whitey Ford every had over 1,000 plate appearances and by no means hit a three-bagger.
Jim Thome stole residence on the entrance finish of a double steal on as we speak’s date in 1997 because the Cleveland Indians beat the Kansas City Royals 1-0. The Hall of Fame slugger was profitable on 19 of 39 profession stolen base makes an attempt.
On as we speak’s date in 2003, Geoff Jenkins homered thrice off Jake Peavy because the Milwaukee Brewers beat the San Diego Padres 10-0 at Miller Park. Wayne Franklin went the space for the win.
On as we speak’s date in 1977, Merv Rettenmund hit a 3 run homer off Jeff Terpko within the high of the twenty first inning to carry the Padres to an 11-8 win over the Montreal Expos at Stade Olympique. Rick Sawyer went eight scoreless in reduction for the win.
Players born on as we speak’s date embody Moe Thacker, a catcher who performed for the Chicago Cubs from 1958-1962, and for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1963. His first two hits have been his solely profession residence runs, one coming in his debut, and the opposite two days later.
Also born on as we speak’s date was Elmer Sexauer, a pitcher who appeared in two video games for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1948. The right-hander retired the one two batters he confronted in his first outing, and walked the one two he confronted in his final outing. His B-Ref bio clip consists of the next: “Ernie Harwell once joked about a sportswriter trying to reach Elmer for an interview at a hotel and asking the telephone operator “Do you have a Sexauer at your hotel?”, and getting the reply, “Sexauer? Honey, we barely get coffee breaks here!”
Content Source: blogs.fangraphs.com