Oct 7, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Shelby Miller throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning during game four of the 2014 NLDS baseball playoff game at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
2.) Shelby Miller (Atlanta Braves):
Rank among qualified starters- 3
Percentage of fastballs thrown in 2014- 72.3%
Average fastball velocity in 2014- 93.5 mph
If you have been paying attention to the Major League Baseball offseason, you might have noticed that Shelby Miller, who had spent his entire career in St. Louis, will no longer be sporting a Cardinals uniform. Instead, he will be looking to prove that the Atlanta Braves were justified dealing one year of Jayson Heyward for the right-hander and, of course, pitching prospect Tyrell Jenkins.
Though Miller will not be contributing to the N.L. Central’s fastball fetish in ’15, he did so in a big way in ’14. His 13.3 run value on his fastball last year actually ranked higher than Lynn, placing him 13th among starting pitcher’s fastballs. Unlike his former teammate, Miller really only relied on one fastball type, his four-seam fastball (67.82%), to accumulate that spectacular score. His main secondary pitch was the curveball, mixing in a sinker and cutter ever so often.