For O's pitchers less (fastballs) could be more

In October in this space, we took a look at fastball usage around Major League Baseball and how the Orioles stacked up in a comparison. We found that while the Orioles' average velocity ranked pretty low compared to other teams, their usage of the fastball ranked pretty high.

Orioles pitchers threw the sixth-highest percentage of fastballs among 30 MLB teams in 2019 at 54.9 percent. But the average velocity for the Orioles of 92.4 mph rated 27th.

By the way, this shows how velocity has increased in the game if 92.4 mph ranks 27th.

In the earlier look, we compared the Orioles to the World Series teams in Houston and Washington. In 2019, Houston threw the lowest percentage of fastballs of all 30 teams at 45.6 percent. This despite the fact that Houston's average velocity of 94.2 mph ranked second in the big leagues, according to FanGraphs.com stats.

As for Washington, the Nationals rated 15th in fastball usage at 52.5 percent. Their average velocity of 93.2 mph rated 13th.

Here is pitch usage in percentage for non-fastballs for the two World Series teams and the Orioles, and where that ranks in the majors.

Sliders: Astros 19.9 (11), Nats 16.3 (22), Orioles 21.5 (eighth)
Curves: Astros 13.5 (fifth), Nats 8.5 (24), Orioles 4.8 (30)
Changeups: Astros 11.2 (13), Nats 13.5 (sixth), Orioles 15.0 (third)
Cutters: Astros 9.8 (fourth), Nats 9.3 (fifth), Orioles 3.5 (25)

So Houston is among the top six in throwing curves and cutters. The Nats are in the top six in changeups and cutters. The Orioles are in the top six in fastballs and changeups.

The Orioles' fastball usage did lessen from 57.8 percent in 2018 (which was 10th-most) to 54.9 percent in 2019 (sixth-most). Fastballs by the way, are not exactly disappearing from the game. There were 27 teams that averaged 50 percent or more in 2018 and 25 percent last year.

The front office staffers that came from Houston to Baltimore came from an organization where its minor league teams did well on the mound with strong strikeout rates. We saw that on the O's farm in 2019. Single-A Delmarva, for instance, didn't just lead its league in strikeouts but set a league record.

Moving forward, we can expect strikeouts rates to remain important to the O's brass. But along with percentage of usage for each pitch, when that pitch is thrown is pretty important. Director of pitching Chris Holt (and he's far from alone, of course) is a fan of unpredictability on the mound. The hitter can't guess on the pitcher since he strays away from consistent pitching patterns.

John Means could be an example of the organization's belief that a breaking ball is pretty important. Early last year, even as Means was having success with his fastball and plus changeup, manager Brandon Hyde was pushing him to use his breaking pitches more to give him more to show the hitters. Means threw his curve and slider a combined 14 percent of the time in April. That usage was up to 23 percent in August and 25 percent in September.

Command and control of these pitches is pretty important as well. A lower velocity fastball can be better than one thrown with more velocity based on movement and command of the pitch. Elevating pitches is big in today's game. Pitchers like to bury breaking balls down in the zone and then elevate a fastball that the hitters miss and/or can't square up.

There is so much involved with quality pitching: pitch mix, being unpredictable, working to a scouting report, being able to make in-game adjustments, command and control, and more.

Houston found ways to help its pitchers improve in many of these facets of the game and it's a good gameplan for the future of O's pitchers as well.