Andrew Miller's success is a changeup

by craig on May 15, 2008 9:14 AM EDT in News and Rumors

Andrew Miller's changeup is the reason for his recent success ?

A key to left-hander Andrew Miller's success has been an improved changeup. Among his 103 pitches in seven scoreless innings Saturday were a career-high 20 changeups.

Pitching coach Mark Wiley was encouraged because "even the ones he didn't throw well for strikes were pretty good. It seemed like his arm speed got better and better on it."

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"The more comfortable he gets with it, the more he'll be able to throw it for strikes,'' Wiley said. "It helps all your other pitches. You relax on your fastball and you feel like you've got them off balance.''

That sounds great and all, and don't get me wrong, I am very happy with his recent progress. But, if I remember correctly, and I think I do, his problem in the past wasn't that he couldn't get his changeup over the plate. It was he couldn't get anything over the plate. There is no doubt that Wiley knows more about pitching than I ever will. But I must admit, this is the first I have heard that if a pitcher can master his changeup. all of the other pitches fall into place.

Has anyone heard this about a changeup before?

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Comments

Changeups

Well by establishing your change to hitters, you are improving your overall arsenal. If a hitter knows you can’t locate your change, they can ignore it and focus on your other pitches.

There’s actually a big difference in looking for a fastball, slider, or change and just looking for fastball or slider. In that respect, it helps your other pitches in the sense that hitters will be slower to react to them.

Not to mention the fact that if you have the same arm action for both pitches, fastball-change is the best combo you can throw.

NoBiasBaseball.com

by Matt Wilson on May 15, 2008 11:09 AM EDT reply actions

Thanks...

but what I meant to ask was why being able to get a changeup over the plate will lead to getting the other pitches over the plate. If all one can do is throw a changeup for a strike, the hitters will just sit on it and ignore everything else.

The article led me to believe that being able to throw a changeup for strikes consistently somehow improves the pitcher’s control (ability to get it over the plate) of his other pitches.

by craig on May 16, 2008 8:57 AM EDT up reply actions

Well

Maybe it’s just a confidence issue for Miller. If he thinks the change is his best pitch, and he loses confidence in it, it may degrade his overall control. Probably reaching here, but aside from a psychological edge, there can’t be much of a connection there.

NoBiasBaseball.com

by Matt Wilson on May 16, 2008 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions