As Pitchers Chase Higher Velocity, The Curveball Is Disappearing From Mlb

ATLANTA — Curveballs person been thrown a curve by a modern crippled valuing velocity complete variety, disappearing from nan awesome leagues by much than 20,000 annually.

The Athletics person thrown curves connected conscionable 2.5% of pitches this season. The wide large convention fig dropped from 10.7% successful 2019 to 8.1% past year, nan lowest since MLB started search successful 2008, earlier rising somewhat to 8.5% this season.

There were 22,962 less curveballs successful 2024 than 5 years earlier.

"You don't really spot a batch of group throwing 12-6 curveballs anymore," Tampa Bay pitcher Shane Baz said. "They'd alternatively person a difficult cutter/slider. It's a batch easier for guys to propulsion a sweeper than it is simply a 12-6 curveball."

Baz's 28.1% is seventh successful curveball usage among those who person thrown astatine slightest 1,000 pitches this season.

Baltimore's Charlie Morton, first astatine 39%, learned to propulsion a hook from his dad.

"He was reference immoderate article aliases possibly he was reference immoderate pitching book," Baltimore's 41-year-old right-hander said. "You fundamentally propulsion it for illustration you're re-throwing a knife."

Curveballs person been astir for a period and a half

Hall of Famer Candy Cummings, a 145-game winner, is credited pinch inventing nan curveball successful 1863 erstwhile he was 14, discovering nan activity erstwhile he threw seashells into nan Atlantic Ocean. Some property nan curve to amateur pitcher Fred Goldsmith successful 1870.

With an mean velocity of 80.2 mph, curves are nan slowest and loopiest of breaking pitches, often disrupting nan timing of batters group for smoke. The building "thrown a curveball" has go portion of nan English language, overmuch for illustration "screwball," much a building than a transportation these days.

Sandy Koufax, Nolan Ryan and Clayton Kershaw were among nan consummate curveballers, bamboozling batters arsenic balls they gave up connected dropped for illustration bent gliders into nan onslaught zone.

"It's go an manufacture of throwing complete pitching," New York Yankees elder advisor Omar Minaya said. "When you pitch, you usage different pitches. What we're seeing successful nan manufacture arsenic a whole, particularly pinch showcases, is group are looking much astatine velocity than pitchability — arsenic a scout, I said that unfortunately."

Former pitcher Dallas Braden, now a broadcaster, longs for those days of deception.

"You almost sympathize pinch nan hitter successful nan infinitesimal because you're like: Damn, I couldn't person deed that. He couldn't deed that. Nobody could person deed that," Braden said. "The eephus is now almost for illustration arsenic adjacent arsenic we get, erstwhile a position subordinate is connected nan mound, to an aesthetically pleasing transportation for illustration that, conscionable nan ocular position of nan transportation starting successful nan clouds and ending up astatine nan ankles."

Nike's "Chicks Dig nan Long Ball" commercialized defined shot successful nan Steroids Era. These days, nan motto mightiness arsenic good be: "Velo Rules!" There were conscionable 214 pitches of 100 mph aliases much successful 2008. There were a grounds 3,880 2 years agone and this twelvemonth is connected way for 3,252.

In tandem, starting pitcher usage has dropped. Starters person averaged conscionable nether 5 1/3 innings this season, down from 6 1/3 innings successful nan 1980s. Their transportation count averages 85.7, down from 97 successful 2010

Average four-seam fastball velocity is simply a grounds 94.4 mph this season, up from 91.9 mph erstwhile MLB started search successful 2008. But fastballs — four-seam, two-seam and cutters, person dropped from 62.1% to 55%.

Those missing hooks and heaters person been replaced by sliders, sweepers and slurves. They are 22.6% of pitches this year, up from 13.9% successful 2008, and their mean velocity has risen to 84.8 mph from 83.4 mph.

Colorado throws curves nan astir often astatine 15.6%, not that it has brought immoderate occurrence to a squad that entered nan break astatine 22-74, connected way for a 37-125 decorativeness and nan post-1900 grounds for losses.

The Athletics haven't thrown 10% curveballs since 2017.

"If you look astir nan game, plaything and miss has taken much of a priority, truthful guys are trying to propulsion much sweepers pinch much horizontal movement, aliases they're trying to propulsion nan slider really difficult astatine nan bottommost of nan zone," Athletics pitching coach Scott Emerson said. "They're worried astir interaction pinch nan curveball."

Veteran pitchers statement nan curve's diminution arsenic youngsters merge into staffs.

"As you're an amateur going to nan large leagues guys are looking astatine velo. Guys are conscionable looking astatine stuff," Yankees ace Gerrit Cole said. "Velo is important and it pays."

Maybe because nan pitchers who propulsion curves are committed, batters person a .225 mean this play connected curves, down from .263 connected fastballs and up somewhat from .222 connected sliders, sweepers and slurves.

"That's conscionable really nan crippled is trending: to propulsion it arsenic difficult arsenic you can, rotation it nan champion you tin and dream nan hitter doesn't deed it," Emerson said. "The hitters are up location trying to plaything arsenic difficult they can. If they deed it pinch difficult contact, make 27 swings that are really hard, you sewage a chance to deed a homer present and there. And it's taken distant from nan contact-type pitchers."