Jake Irvin during the offseason Added a slider In his repertoire. This was what I proposed in January when I wrote about how Irvin could build a 2024 campaign. It felt like the pitch that Irvin really needed to take the next step.
After a strong start to 2024, Irvin tormented the stretch as he had a real case to make an All-Star Game. In his final 15 start, Irvin posted an ERA 6.50. The batsman found Irvin and was acclimating to Arsenal.
The problem was that Jake Irvin was becoming too predictable. He was trying to throw some sort of fastball in the mid-90s or throw a low 80s car ball. It is composed Almost 90% His Arsenal. He desperately needed a pitch between his fastball and his curveball. Everything was very hard or very soft, and there was nothing in between.
In 2024 he tried to solve it with a cutter. He almost exclusively threw the pitch to the left-handed, but that wasn’t very good. It also had a speed of 90 mph, which was on the difficult side too. Irvin had to find something between a 94 mph fastball and an 81 mph curveball. this graph Visualize the problem.
The slider always felt like the perfect pitch to solve this challenge. Its speed range lies between the fastball and the curveball. The slider is also a weapon against right-handed pitching. Irvin threw a fastball or a curveball 97.7% of the time Against the right wing. That’s too predictable for starting pitchers like Irvin who want to go deeper into the game.
Irvin, who recently turned 28, isn’t that young anymore, but he’s still learning Major League Rope. This is his third season on the show, with Irvin aiming to build in the first half of his 2024 season. After his dominant July 4 start, Irvin’s ERA sat at 2.80. However, he finished the season with a 4.41 ERA. Irvin was tired as he recorded more innings and became more predictable than ever before.
Jake Irvin has something good, but it’s not elite. He needs to keep the batsman out of balance to achieve success. It helps you add sliders. There is a reason that sliders are the most common secondary pitch. They are more difficult to pick up for the batter than for the big overhand curveball. It adds a deception and reflects fastball.
Irvin now has another weapon at his freedom. Even if the slider wiped out the maximum Scherzer-style pitch, it would make his overall Arsenal better. The slider supports his sharp curveball. Having pitches in three different speed bands makes it difficult for each pitch to pick up as each pitch plays the other pitch.
I really believe this tweak will help Irvin reach his mid-turn upside down. Irvin has all the makers in the middle of a spinning inning that can record 200 innings at a solid speed. That pitch to bridge the gap between his fastball and curveball is everything he lacked.
I’m excited to see what Irvin can do this season. He has the ability to push 200 innings while having a sub-4 era. This slider may take him to that level.
