Charted territory: How pitching charts benefit Nationals starters

Pitching coach Mike Maddux has brought new strategies with him from the Rangers to the Nationals. One such strategy is that he requires his starting pitchers to chart the game the day before their scheduled outing.

Most of the Nationals starters did this when they were in college or in the minors, some more than others. The Nationals have a young starter in Joe Ross, who is mixed with veterans like Max Scherzer, Gio Gonzalez, Stephen Strasburg and Tanner Roark.

All of the starters agree that charting pitches helps them to focus on the game and sometimes see things they don't normally see when they just go out and pitch.

Earlier this month, Ross got the chance to chart Stephen Strasburg's start against the Mets at Citi Field. It won't occur during this series, but Ross can now take that knowledge into a future start against New York.

Ross took note of how Strasburg faced off against Mets first baseman Lucas Duda.

"(Last week) I was doing it with Stras through the game, just kind of seeing how he was getting guys," Ross said. "I think he struck out (Lucas) Duda three times. I kind of picked up on some tendencies he was using and you also kind of see pitches that maybe he doesn't like to swing at this early in the count. He goes back to it every at-bat early in the count and he'll take it for a strike every time.

"Or say someone was getting a few knocks and they were on (Strasburg's) off-speed, changeup or slider - things you can quickly pick up on through the game while you are charting. Right before I give it back to Maddux, I just look at it one more time and take a little mental note."

Maddux said each game is like a classroom for his pitcher to learn something about the way a teammate tries to beat a hitter.

"It's a free learning tool," Maddux said. "I think the veterans learn from it. I think everybody learns from it if you choose to do so. When we write stuff down, we retain it better. We learn better when we write stuff down."

Ross charting for Strasburg was an isolated chance to focus on the Mets. But Maddux said for the most part, this is how the pitching chart schedule plays out:

* Gonalez charts for Scherzer
* Strasburg charts for Gonzalez
* Roark charts for Strasburg
* Ross charts for Roark
* Scherzer charts for Ross

"These are guys in our division that we are going to play," Maddux said of the focus on the Marlins and the Mets this week. "The more you can learn about them, you just put it in your databank and it comes into play."

The starters agree that increased focus is one major benefit of charting pitches for your teammates.

"It just helps you stayed clued in to what they are swinging at, if they are swinging early, stuff like that," Strasburg said. "What they are swinging at with runners in scoring position. It's not really going to affect what the plan is, but I don't mind it at all. It just reminds me of doing it in college. It's kind of peaceful just following along."

"I think it helps out everybody in the rotation just to be able to make sure you are getting in tune, think with your other counterpart out there and what you want to do," Scherzer said. "We all know the scouting reports, but you're always looking for that edge on what you can do next and finding what each hitter does and what they see. Sometimes a sequence, and that's where charting comes from, can lead to finding that extra little edge."

Scherzer sees the overall benefits of charting pitches, but does say that he looks for other things when he watches a pitcher/batter matchup.

Sometimes looking down to write on a pitching chart results in him missing something from the at-bat.

"It's about paying attention to the game and finding the nuances that go on," Scherzer said. "I've actually had conversations with Mike whereas I don't like to chart because I'm watching little things that are going on that I don't want have to sit down and actually chart the game. But it keeps you focused on the game, it keeps you pitching with the other pitchers. So there is some benefit to it."

Before each game, the starting pitcher has a pregame strategy session with Maddux and that day's starting catcher. The findings from the pitch charts from the previous game have been a topic of those sessions.

"It has come up," Maddux said. "That this guy swung at the first pitch every at-bat or this guy hasn't swung for two games at the first pitch. This guy is swing-and-miss right on a given pitch was this and that. This guy got his hits here, but he wasn't hitting this. You see it right there in black and white, so you can kind of come up with a game plan while you're doing the chart even though you're not pitching."

Even the catcher sees how it helps his starter.

"I think that is something good," catcher Jose Lobaton said. "It's my opinion, just because during the game sometimes, you're watching the game (and) you don't really pay attention what the pitch was. I feel like if you know the sequence that the pitcher's been doing, so you can figure out for the next start."

Lobaton says his starter then devises a plan off of what he saw on the pitch chart.

"(The batter) wasn't hitting good sliders so I can try to do that or this guy hit a homer with a fastball in, so making sure the pitch was in and not over the middle," Lobaton said. "That's something that will help (the next starter). Not only him, but the other guys, too. Because if you see one guy doing that, but the other pitchers don't, they always talk.

"I made sure to (ask), 'How was the sequence today?' So tomorrow, when I try to do it, it's not going to be the same, but at least I got an idea. It's something really good for them."

Pitch charts, video review, previous experience and a hurler's ability all play a part in how the pitcher will do in that next start. Strasburg said every little bit helps.

"I think you can always improve," Strasburg said. "All it really comes down to is the execution part. I try and do my homework, but not like live and die by it. Sometimes you just got to go with your gut. It may blow up in your face, but that's baseball."

Ross said charting pitches and then reviewing the results has helped him visualize how he will try to go after a hitter the next time he faces him.

"It's definitely been beneficial, especially if there's one guy in particular that you struggle with, seeing how other guys attack (him) to take into your start the next day," Ross said.

"Whatever that you can take to help you in your start I think you want to have it," Lobaton said. "You got to take it. It helps everybody, it helps the pitcher and it also helps the team."