Chicago Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish is known for his ability to throw virtually every pitch created. On Saturday, he unveiled his latest offering.
Yu Darvish is, quite simply, a pitching savant. His mastery of the art of pitching is legendary, as the Chicago Cubs hurler has 11 workable pitches that he can throw to hitters. With that amount of offerings literally at his fingers, Darvish can keep the opposition guessing as to what is coming.
On Saturday, he may have unveiled another new pitch. As Jordan Bastain said, let’s call this one The Glover.
Just think of the concentration for Darvish as the glove falls off, but he still throws that strike on the outer corner of the plate. The hitter deserves a great deal of credit, ignoring the distraction of the falling glove to make just enough contact to foul that offering off. An incredible performance on every end.
That ability to find a new pitch at seemingly any moment is helping fuel Darvish’s success. He is having a masterful season this year, with a 1.70 ERA and a 0.919 WHiP in his 37 innings. Darvish is showing exquisite command of his varied arsenal as well, with 44 strikeouts and just six walks.
Signed to a six year deal worth $126 million, there is the perception that Darvish has disappointed. His first season in Chicago was a disaster, as he battled injury and was ineffective whenever he was able to take the mound.
However, once healthy again, he has been a solid part of the Cubs rotation. He has a 3.59 ERA and a 1.066 WHiP in his 215.2 innings over the past two seasons, striking out 273 batters with only 62 walks. That is essentially the pitcher Darvish has been throughout his career.
Yu Darvish has found success this season in a Chicago Cubs uniform. If he keeps adding new pitches to his arsenal, that will just continue.