Arsenal Analysis: Dodgers Worst Pitches Of 2014

Last time I took a look at the best pitches of 2014, so it’s only fair that take a look at the worst as well. It would be hard for the pitches to be worse than last year’s crop, but everybody sure tried their best.

All the rules and disclaimers from last time apply here as well.

Leggo.

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Worst Overall Pitches – Starters

Roberto Hernandez – Slider – .306

Hyun Jin Ryu – Changeup – .304

Josh Beckett – Fastball – .297

Two usual suspects and one surprise in Hyun Jin Ryu’s changeup, the pitch who many scouts predicted was the only weapon he’d have against MLB hitters. I think the pitch itself is still a plus offering, but the consistent theme seemed to be what you witness in the clip: the ball is up.

Worst Overall Pitches – Relievers

Brian Wilson – Sinker – .420

Paco Rodriguez – Cutter – .351

Kevin Correia – Cutter – .347

Again, two usual suspects and a pitcher who you’d expect to have success with the pitch in question. Similar to Ryu, though, cutters up over the heart of the plate tend not to go so well.

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Worst Individual Pitches

Fastball/Sinker/Cutter

Starters

Josh Beckett – Fastball – .297
Roberto Hernandez – Sinker – .284
Zack Greinke – Sinker – .276

Relievers

Brian Wilson – Sinker – .420
Paco Rodriguez – Cutter – .351
Kevin Correia – Cutter – .347

Curve/Slider

Starters

Roberto Hernandez – Slider – .306
Zack Greinke – Curve – .277
Zack Greinke – Slider – .229

Relievers

Paul Maholm – Curve – .286
Brian Wilson – Curve – .266
Chris Perez – Slider – .255

Change/Split

Starters

Hyun Jin Ryu – Changeup – .304

Relievers

Jamey Wright – Changeup – .295

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Worst Pitch Of 2014

Starter

Zack Greinke – Curve – .277

Zack Greinke has four quality pitches, and that allows him to throw his fastball only 53% of the time while he uses three off-speed pitches over 10% of the time each. So mixing it up like that and still having his least thrown pitch (10%) get hammered might indicate that the pitch struggled.

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Reliever

Brian Wilson – Sinker – .420

Fastballs don’t normally end up here because they’re thrown frequently and thus they’re generally going to be hit harder. However, Wilson throws his cutter 59% of the time and his sinker around 11% of the time, so for the pitch to still get shelled at such a ridiculous rate when nobody expects the pitch to be thrown is … sort of amazing.