Pirates pitching: How Vince Velasquez has adjusted in Pittsburgh

Vince Velasquez was an under-the-radar pickup for the Pittsburgh Pirates, not expected to do much besides eat innings on a non-contending team. Instead, Velasquez has turned in his best work of his career with a 3.06 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 32.1 innings. Thanks in part to Velasquez, Pittsburgh has been red hot to begin the season. So, what changes have been made to drop his ERA nearly two points?

How Vince Velasquez has morphed this season with the Pittsburgh Pirates

First, Velasquez has basically ditched his curveball. While the curveball was not necessarily bad, batters slugged .436 against it last season. Now, Velasquez has thrown his slider the most of his career at 42.9 percent, with batters mustering a measly .156 batting average against it. Batters have whiffed on 32.1 percent of their swings against the slider.

Velasquez’s fastball has actually performed worse than last season, but mixing in a slider more often has mitigated those fastballs. Last season, Velasquez ranked in the first percentile of average exit velocity, improving to the 75th percentile this season.

Is it as simple as throwing his best offspeed more? Well, maybe and maybe not. The movement on the slider this season is a bit better, notably in the vertical plane. Velasquez’s slider has actually lost velocity, instead obtaining a better movement profile. Now, Velasquez is mainly a two-pitch pitcher, which is usually taboo for a starter.

There is good reason to believe that this start is legit, as Velasquez’s FIP is 3.82, relatively close to his actual ERA. At worst, Velasquez and the Pirates are a fun, feel-good story that we can enjoy.

Note: Velasquez is next scheduled to pitch on Friday in the opener of a three-game series at PNC Park against the Toronto Blue Jays.