Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann, quietly one of baseball’s best pitchers last year, threw six change-ups in his latest spring training outing against the Atlanta Braves. Adam Kilgore writes that Zimmermann has been attempting to add the pitch to his repertoire since 2010, but just hasn’t felt good enough about it to make it a featured part of his arsenal. He’s very confident in it now.
Over his career, spanning 479.1 innings, Zimmermann has thrown 235 change-ups out of 7,684 total pitches (3%). Averaging 86 MPH, seven MPH slower than his fastball, opposing hitters have feasted on his change-up. Of the 63 put in play, 25 have been hits (a .397 average) including five doubles and a home run. Of 280 pitchers with at least 50 change-ups put in play since 2009, Zimmermann’s OPS allowed on change-ups ranks 259th. It has certainly been a work in progress. Since becoming a fixture in the Nationals’ rotation, the right-hander has relied on a fastball-slider-curve combination.
Zimmermann allowed two earned runs on five hits, including a solo homer by Jason Heyward, and no walks while striking out four. He fired 39 strikes. Afterward, all he wanted to talk about was his changeup.
“It feels really, really good right now,” Zimmermann said. “I wanted to throw it about every pitch if I could, but I know that wasn’t the right thing to do. It’s definitely learning when to throw it, the right times. That’s the next step.”
Zimmermann thought all six changeups were “really good.”
Over his career, spanning 479.1 innings, Zimmermann has thrown 235 change-ups out of 7,684 total pitches (3%). Averaging 86 MPH, seven MPH slower than his fastball, opposing hitters have feasted on his change-up. Of the 63 put in play, 25 have been hits (a .397 average) including five doubles and a home run. Of 280 pitchers with at least 50 change-ups put in play since 2009, Zimmermann’s OPS allowed on change-ups ranks 259th. It has certainly been a work in progress. Since becoming a fixture in the Nationals’ rotation, the right-hander has relied on a fastball-slider-curve combination.
