Sarris: Is Max Scherzer adding a fourth breaking pitch?
From SABR member Eno Sarris at The Athletic on August 13, 2018:
When Max Scherzer thinks about the most important things he’s learned in his career, he thinks of the pitches he’s added over time. We know this because that’s exactly what he said when he was asked to detail the most important adjustment in his career at the 2016 All-Star Game.
“What really what separated me and allowed me to be the pitcher I am today was in 2012, when I was able to add the curveball,” Scherzer told me then. “I went from trying to throw a back-door slider and slow it down and slow it down and then all of a sudden I threw a curveball, and that gave me another pitch to throw to a left-handed hitter, and it really opened my eyes to ‘Hey, I can add pitches, I can make myself a better pitcher.’”
It is with a light heart that we can report: Max Scherzer is at it again. The Nationals righty has recently begun his unprecedented quest to throw a fourth breaking ball.
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Originally published: August 15, 2018. Last Updated: August 15, 2018.