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Pitching Ratings

Summary: Pitching Ratings - what makes up the pitcher


Power (PO)

Power pitching - fastballs, hard sliders, splitters. High Power gives more strikeouts and makes it harder for the batters to get a hit, but has a tendency to give up the long ball. Power pitchers tend to give up more fly ball outs than ground ball outs. An average pitcher (9.5 H/9 innings, 3.5 BB/9, 7.0 SO/9, 1.0 HR/9) will see a big jump in effectiveness and strikeout totals when PO=100 (7.5 H/9, 3.5 BB/9, 11.0 SO/9, 0.7 HR/9). Famous players with high Power: Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling

Finesse (FI)

Changeups, curveballs, and those pitches that deceive. They won't generate the strikeout numbers of power pitches, but will get batters out just as effectively. Finesse pitchers tend to keep batters off-balance, making it harder to make solid contact and thus reducing extra-base hits more than Power pitchers. In addition, Finesse will create more ground balls than fly balls. Our average pitcher (9.5 H/9 innings, 3.5 BB/9, 7.0 SO/9, 1.0 HR/9) with a FI=100 will be a much more valuable member of a pitching staff (7.5 H/9, 3.5 BB/9, 8.0 SO/9, 0.5 HR/9). Famous players with high Finesse: Greg Maddux, Tommy John

Control (CO)

How well can the pitcher throw the ball where he wants. Obviously this affects walks and (to a degree) strikeouts, but it also affects an opponent's batting average a bit by allowing the pitcher to throw to the corners with confidence and keeps the pitcher ahead in the count. The average pitcher (9.5 H/9 innings, 3.5 BB/9, 7.0 SO/9, 1.0 HR/9) with CN=100 can really keep the walk numbers down (9.2 H/9, 0.7 BB/9, 7.5 SO/9, 1.0 HR/9). Famous players with high Control: Mike Mussina, Christy Matthewson

Specialty (SY)

Some pitchers have good "stuff" - they make the most of their talents, or they know how to do something other pitcher's don't. A guy like David Cone would throw from different arm angles to make his four pitches look like twelve pitches to maximize his effectiveness. Phil Neikro, who threw a lot of junk, threw lots of knuckleballs and spitballs. Although nowhere near critical, Specialty can make an average pitcher good, a good pitcher average, an average pitcher poor, and so forth. The average pitcher (9.0 H/9 innings, 3.5 BB/9, 7.0 SO/9, 1.0 HR/9) sees a mixture of changes with SY=100 (7.5 H/9 innings, 3.5 BB/9, 8.0 SO/9, 0.6 HR/9). SY is unique in pitching ratings in that it is the only rating which is not affected by fatigue (a distinct advantage for a low-Endurance pitcher). Famous players with high Specialty: Phil Niekro, Charlie Hough

Hold Runner (HR)

Some pitchers have great pickoff moves, some don't. If you can hold the runner better, base runners are less likely to try stealing, less likely to succeed when they try, and more likely to be picked off. As well, runners who get smaller leads typically have a slightly harder time taking an extra base or breaking up double plays. It's been said that base runners steal off the pitcher, not off the catcher.Famous players with high Hold Runner: Andy Pettitte, Terry Mulholland

Pitches

On the player page, the different pitches a pitcher throws are listed. These may change over time as a player's skills change. Their primary (best) pitch is listed first. Pitchers have four pitches and they can vary depending on their skills. A finesse pitcher may throw a Changeup, Sinker, and Curveball; a power pitcher may throw a Splitter and a Fastball. And some pitchers throw garbage. But quite effectively.