The Pirates’ Pitching Lab Is On Full Display

Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve finally made it. After months of waiting around for baseball to return, spring training games have officially begun! Even though it’s only been a few games, we’ve still seen some very intriguing performances.

For the Pittsburgh Pirates, these exciting pitching performances have come in the form of their young pitching staff, which continues to pump out stars effortlessly. For many of these arms, spring training games serve as the first time we’ve seen their data be measured by systems like Statcast, which can help validate the legitimacy of their arsenals.

It seems like every day, a new Pirates pitcher emerges with dominant, lights-out stuff. At this point, it almost feels like the team is cloning its pitchers. While they aren’t actually running a cloning operation, the real magic happens in the team’s pitching development lab, where the club is carefully constructing exceptional arms.

Most notably, this data shows that the Pirates are also carefully molding their arms to fit a certain archetype, and that has been a huge reason they’ve been able to develop pitchers so effortlessly.

If the Pirates are to contend this year, their pitching will be a major driving force behind it. This spring has served as an early indication that their depth will hold up and strengthen them as the season progresses.

Let’s dive into the Pirates’ pitching lab and take a closer look at the strengths of this group and what the first few spring training games have shown us.

The Pirates’ Desired Pitching Archetype

Aside from the encouraging outings we’ve seen from multiple players during the first games of spring training, the Pirates’ focus on one specific archetype of pitchers has been on full display.

Prioritizing Plus Fastballs

In the Ben Cherington era, the Pirates have prioritized chasing after pitchers with high-velocity fastballs that generate well-above-average vertical break. This has been something that has stood out when looking at data from the team’s first spring training games, as many of these pitchers have this trait in common.

Fastballs with lots of vertical break often give off the illusion that they’re rising, which makes these pitches quite difficult to square up. Especially at the top of the strike zone, high-ride, high-velocity heaters are some of the most effective pitches in baseball.

Given their effectiveness, pitchers who possess these types of fastballs immediately have an advantage when they get into professional baseball. Pitchers who can get above-average vertical break often have a higher floor, as this is a trait that’s safe to fall back on.

While it’s become a little less rare in past seasons, fastballs with these characteristics are often less common in the lower levels, which makes it a lot tougher for hitters to handle. For example, if a hitter is mostly facing less-efficient fastballs that struggle to touch 95, someone who touches the upper 90s with fantastic characteristics acts as an outlier, making it trickier to adjust.

So far this spring, the Pirates have had 38 pitchers appear in major-league games, and numerous arms have showcased remarkable fastball characteristics.

For reference, pitchers who possess fastballs with 17 or more inches of induced vertical break are generally considered decently above average. The Pirates have had 23 of their 38 pitchers (~60.5%) reach this mark, which is truly spectacular. It’s especially impressive considering the team has pitchers who throw from many different arm angles, a trait that can affect IVB.

Pitchers with 20 or more inches of induced vertical break are in very elite territory, as few pitchers actually reach this mark. So far, the Pirates have had seven pitchers reach this number, with many of these pitchers hitting this number multiple times.

This emphasis on high-velocity fastballs with substantial vertical break is already paying dividends for the Pirates, as it helps establish a clear pitching identity within the organization.

With more than half of the pitchers in spring training reaching above-average vertical break, and several surpassing the 20-inch threshold, the team is not only setting themselves up for success in the present but also building a pipeline of pitchers with elite fastball traits.

Finding One “Plus” Breaking Ball

While prioritizing high-velocity, high-vertical break fastballs is certainly a method for success and raising the floor among their young pitchers, this is far from the only thing needed to be successful as a pitcher.

This is where the second leg of the Pirates’ pitching philosophy comes in, as they also aim to have at least one plus breaking ball that plays well off their elite fastballs.

Similar to fastballs with elite characteristics, elite secondary offerings are much harder to come by in the lower minors. Seeing hundreds of hitters come through my hometown affiliate, the Double-A Altoona Curve, I can attest to the difficulty minor-league hitters have in handling these pitches due to their rarity.

With one strong secondary offering, a pitcher can elevate their game to another level, especially when paired with a high-velocity, high-ride fastball. Hitters will be caught off guard and left guessing more often if they need to gameplan around a pitch of this nature.

Taking this into consideration, it’s logical to conclude that two-pitch arms can be successful in the minor leagues, even if this doesn’t translate to the upper levels. This also gives the Pirates’ pitching development a very strong foundation to build on in the minor leagues, which is an important part of their organizational philosophy.

Rather than completely overhauling a pitcher’s arsenal or mechanics, the Pirates focus on building upon an already solid foundation, making small, targeted adjustments. The strong foundation allows them to immediately find their footing in professional baseball, giving the staff the ability to immediately begin refining rather than constructing.

Following this philosophy, the Pirates have had an easier time pumping out high-level pitching prospects than nearly any other club around the league. This is their recipe for success.

As the team’s Director of International Scouting said on Bucco Bantr, “It’s just, sell out to what you believe in and go get it.”

Who Has Impressed So Far?

Now that we’ve covered the types of pitchers the Pirates have been identifying and have had success developing, we can take a closer look at some of the arms who have impressed early on this spring.

Wilber Dotel

The first name I want to highlight in this group is RHP Wilber Dotel, who follows the Pirates’ mold to a tee. After racking up 131 strikeouts in 125.2 innings, the 22-year-old has showcased a very solid arsenal in his two appearances.

For starters, Dotel’s fastball has shown flashes of being an elite pitch. It’s topped out at 99 MPH on the dot, while also pushing upwards of 20 IVB. He’s paired this with an above-average slider and splitter that’s shown flashes of brilliance despite it being a relatively new pitch in his arsenal.