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Fastball Command Dictates Success For Zack Wheeler

By Former Writers

October 5, 2013 No comments

zack-wheeler

Establishing your ability to throw fastballs for strikes is key for any pitcher — but Mark Simon has come out with some stats that show that it is even more important for our young co-ace, Zack Wheeler. Wheeler’s best starts and the starts where he has the highest strike rate with his fastball are one and the same — that is to say, he pitches much more effectively when he locates his fastball. This might seem like a straightforward kind of statement, but here’s a graphic that helps show it through the numbers:

wheels

Well, that speaks for itself, no? A WHIP standing at 0.89 and an ERA of 2.14 is pretty dominant. There’s a lot that isn’t shown in the numbers, too, that explains why he is successful. When you locate your fastball and establish it early in the game, it allows you a little freedom with your breaking pitches throughout the course of the game. Also, if hitters are locked into the fastball, the curveball that Wheeler throws becomes that much more devastating.

2014 could be a huge season for Zack Wheeler — and it all starts with location, location, location…