![]() ![]() He threw 64 of them and only allowed three singles. Whitley also had success with same sided changeups in 2021. If he did not throw his changeup to right-handers then he would be refusing to use his best offspeed pitch to more than half of the hitters that he faced. This is crucial for him because he is primarily a fastball/changeup pitcher. In 2021, the right-handed Whitley threw more changeups to right-handed hitters than he did to left handed hitters. Because of this, many pitchers almost exclusively throw their changeups to opposite-sided hitters. The thinking goes that changeups break in to same sided hitters instead of out, so when the pitch is hung it is much easier for a same sided hitter to do damage. He is also comfortable throwing it to right-handers, which is unusual because pitchers generally prefer to avoid same-sided changeups. It is his second most used pitch, behind his fastball, as he throws it 27.9% of the time. Whitley’s changeup is perhaps his most intriguing pitch. Thus, it is not surprise that he targets the upper part of the zone with great success (.281 wOBA allowed against the pitch in 2021). ![]() the 26-year-old’s four-seamer drops 11.7 inches, 18% less than the average four-seamer. It is not overpowering (93.7 mph), but it does have a strong rising effect. Whitley’s bread and butter is his fastball. SIERA (4.02) and xFIP (4.27) paint a less rosy picture, but Whitley’s quick ascent and minor league dominance give him plenty of promise. His walk rate was a bit high at 11.9%, but it improved significantly at the end of the year and his strikeout rate of 26.7% was solid. It was a small sample size, but overall in 2021, Whitley had a 2.49 ERA and 2.97 FIP. The right-hander did not give up a single run in 14 innings in September and October while fanning 19 hitters and walking just four. Whitley was injured for part of 2021 and spent part of the year in the minor leagues, but he came on strong in the final month of the season. The cancelled 2020 minor league season and shortened major league season meant that Whitley threw only 4 2⁄ 3 innings. Had there been a 2020 minor league season he likely would have spent the first half of the year in Triple-A, but if he had continued at the same pace he would have been in St. He was taken in the 27th round in 2017 and he had reached Triple-A by 2019 having never posted an ERA above 2.51 at any level. Kodi Whitley dominated throughout his minor league career. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |