Comments on: Game 15 Recap: Cubs 7 Brewers 4 http://wrigleyville.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/04/19/game-15-recap-brewers-4-cubs-7/ Just another Baseball Prospectus Local Sites site Sat, 16 Feb 2019 21:04:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1 By: JoePepitone http://wrigleyville.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/04/19/game-15-recap-brewers-4-cubs-7/#comment-18098 Thu, 20 Apr 2017 03:03:05 +0000 http://wrigleyville.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=18920#comment-18098 I would further note that Fangraphs has his average fastball velocity at 89.2, 89.9 & 89.7 mph in 2014, 2015 & 2016, respectively. He has failed to reach his average fastball speed for the past three years even once so far this year.

]]> By: JoePepitone http://wrigleyville.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/04/19/game-15-recap-brewers-4-cubs-7/#comment-18097 Thu, 20 Apr 2017 02:58:11 +0000 http://wrigleyville.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=18920#comment-18097 There was some discussion over at The Cub Reporter about Hendrick’s drop in the speed of his pitches. I’ll copy what I posted over there —

The speed of his pitches is definitely dropping from start to start. I went through his last four starts (going back to his last start in the World Series) and noted the speeds of his pitches (using the Gameday velocity readings). Here is what I came up with:

November 2 start
63 pitches
Max speed: 88.7
No. of Pitches @ 85mph or more: 34 (54.0% of total pitches)

April 8 start
93 pitches
Max speed: 88.1
No. of Pitches @ 85mph or more: 55 (59.1% of total pitches)

April 14 start
91 pitches
Max speed: 87.1
No. of Pitches @ 85mph or more: 39 (42.8% of total pitches)

April 19 start
91 pitches
Max speed: 86.9.
No. of Pitches @ 85mph or more: 17 (18.7% of total pitches)
(NOTE: no velocity readings for the first 7 pitches)

The most concerning thing I see from this is his decreasing ability to reach 85mph in his last two starts — especially today — with only 18.7% of his pitches reaching 85.

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