Doug Fister's Rising Pitch Location

by Jeff Sullivan on Sep 8, 2010 1:55 PM PDT in Seattle Mariners Stats

An observation, and not analysis, of Doug Fister's last two starts, as compared to his previous 22:

Maybe that's clear to you. Maybe that isn't. Here's another way of looking at it:

Fister, first 22 starts: 71% of pitches arrived home below three vertical feet
Fister, last two starts: 56% of pitches arrived home below three vertical feet

Fister, first 22 starts: 36% of pitches arrived home between 1.5 - 2.5 vertical feet
Fister, last two starts: 29% of pitches arrived home between 1.5 - 2.5 vertical feet

Over his previous two starts, Doug Fister has thrown just three-fifths of his pitches for strikes while keeping just eight of 35 balls in play on the ground. The reason, as has probably been visible to anyone watching, is that he's had a lot of trouble missing high - especially with his fastball. That's not where Doug Fister wants to be. Doug Fister wants to be down, and somewhere around the edges.

I don't know to where Fister's release point has wandered off, but someone might want to find it.

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The release point probably wandered down to the bars for a few beers

and stopped paying attention to this season 2 months ago like most of the fan base.

Mariners/D Broncos/BSU Broncos fan in Seattle
The first rule of Lookout Landing is...

by appleshampoo on Sep 8, 2010 2:06 PM PDT reply actions

Err

Just before Fister’s last 2 starts.

Mariners/D Broncos/BSU Broncos fan in Seattle
The first rule of Lookout Landing is...

by appleshampoo on Sep 8, 2010 2:06 PM PDT up reply actions

Release point doesn't seem to have changed much

But what I find interesting is that his whiff rate has inched up. Obviously, the samples are way too tiny to give us much, but I wonder if he’s trying to get a few more swings and misses by working up and out of the strike zone on fastballs.

That’d be fine and understandable for many types of pitchers, but probably not Fister. Even if he maintains a whiff rate on fastballs at 2x-3x his April-through-August rate it still wouldn’t be all that good.

His FB% has gone down a bit as well, which is interesting. If he could combine the September pitch mix with the April-August location…

by marc w on Sep 8, 2010 2:56 PM PDT reply actions

Getting tired perhaps?

Been a long season for him, and when I pitcher gets tired he tends to leave stuff up in the zone… Just a thought.

"I’m taking two beers and popping the slide"

by Thingray on Sep 8, 2010 3:16 PM PDT reply actions

Maybe Doug Fister is tired of being down and somewhere around the edges

Maybe he is tired of keeping up with what it takes to be down. Maybe he just wants to buy pants at Costco that are comfortable and fit well. Maybe he just wants to eat at California Pizza Kitchen because the food tastes all right and there is ample parking. Maybe he just wants to stay home and watch Two and a Half Men because he finds Charlie Sheen’s delivery amusing and none of the jokes go over head.

by G_ on Sep 8, 2010 4:07 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs