I've been too busy this week to write a lenghty post, but I have been able to classify all the Rays starters' pitches for this season. Now my handy database can easily compute metrics like run values and contact rates. Some brief notes after the jump.
| Pitches | Number | Pitch | rv100 | rv | Whiff% | Contact% | OTP% | Swing% | SLGCON |
| David Price | 64 | CH | 0.36 | 0.23 | 3.1% | 93.8% | 51.6% | 50.0% | .474 |
| David Price | 304 | CU | 0.17 | 0.51 | 7.6% | 82.6% | 46.4% | 43.4% | .528 |
| David Price | 1039 | FF | -0.82 | -8.48 | 9.8% | 79.4% | 47.4% | 47.5% | .466 |
| David Price | 297 | FT | -1.72 | -5.12 | 9.1% | 80.0% | 46.1% | 45.5% | .353 |
| David Price | 126 | SL | -1.79 | -2.25 | 9.5% | 78.9% | 39.7% | 45.2% | .345 |
| James Shields | 413 | CH | -1.81 | -7.47 | 22.8% | 62.5% | 37.0% | 60.8% | .481 |
| James Shields | 219 | CU | -0.43 | -0.94 | 10.5% | 75.8% | 41.1% | 43.4% | .333 |
| James Shields | 327 | FC | 0.13 | 0.41 | 5.8% | 86.8% | 45.9% | 44.0% | .429 |
| James Shields | 574 | FF | 0.96 | 5.49 | 3.5% | 92.4% | 60.3% | 45.8% | .720 |
| James Shields | 180 | FT | 5.73 | 10.32 | 2.2% | 94.6% | 42.2% | 41.1% | .975 |
| James Shields | 8 | SL | -6.16 | -0.49 | 0.0% | 100.0% | 75.0% | 75.0% | .200 |
| Jeff Niemann | 217 | CU | 0.62 | 1.34 | 12.0% | 67.5% | 40.6% | 36.9% | .667 |
| Jeff Niemann | 196 | FC | 0.19 | 0.37 | 9.2% | 77.5% | 46.9% | 40.8% | .537 |
| Jeff Niemann | 507 | FF | -1.09 | -5.55 | 4.3% | 88.5% | 50.1% | 37.7% | .410 |
| Jeff Niemann | 158 | FS | 0.40 | 0.63 | 17.1% | 72.2% | 36.7% | 61.4% | .579 |
| Jeff Niemann | 489 | FT | -2.57 | -12.58 | 5.9% | 89.1% | 51.5% | 54.6% | .346 |
| Jeff Niemann | 7 | SL | -8.76 | -0.61 | 14.3% | 80.0% | 71.4% | 71.4% | .000 |
| Matt Garza | 87 | CH | 1.58 | 1.37 | 10.3% | 67.9% | 34.5% | 32.2% | .545 |
| Matt Garza | 153 | CU | 0.90 | 1.38 | 6.5% | 76.2% | 35.9% | 27.5% | .529 |
| Matt Garza | 814 | FF | -0.87 | -7.07 | 5.3% | 88.6% | 48.0% | 46.2% | .467 |
| Matt Garza | 414 | FT | 1.14 | 4.72 | 5.1% | 88.3% | 39.1% | 43.2% | .548 |
| Matt Garza | 288 | SL | 1.23 | 3.53 | 18.4% | 65.8% | 37.8% | 54.9% | .738 |
| Wade Davis | 64 | CH | 5.24 | 3.36 | 3.1% | 93.1% | 31.3% | 45.3% | .750 |
| Wade Davis | 199 | CU | -0.10 | -0.21 | 5.0% | 87.2% | 49.7% | 39.2% | .419 |
| Wade Davis | 893 | FF | 0.19 | 1.74 | 4.7% | 89.9% | 49.7% | 46.4% | .603 |
| Wade Davis | 214 | FT | 0.83 | 1.77 | 7.5% | 84.0% | 35.5% | 46.7% | .571 |
| Wade Davis | 171 | SL | 0.54 | 0.92 | 9.9% | 78.2% | 35.1% | 45.6% | .452 |
*Definitions at the end of the post.
**If you cannot see the full chart, click the "Wide" screen option on the right.
Brief Notes:
- Wade Davis's best pitch is his curve which he appropriately uses more than his slider.
- Remember my article on David Price's slider for the DRB annual? Price has toned downed the usage but it has been much better than it was last season.
- Yes, Jeff Niemann does throw a cutter, it is just a slow cutter (like Cliff Lee). But his two seamer isn't slow. Niemann can throw it harder on average than his four seam fastball.
- Garza isn't having a good year. His slider is getting the whiffs if it isn't getting beat hard by opposing hitters (look at the SLGCON).
Notice anything else interesting? Want to know something else? Comment away.
Definitions: rv100 (run values per 100 pitches, negative good). rv (run values, negative good), whiff% (swinging strikes divided by total pitches, the higher the better), contact% (fouls and fair balls divided by total swings), OTP% (pitches over a 20 inch wide plate divided by total pitches), swing% (swings divided by total pitches), SLGCON (total bases divided by fair balls).