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Post by GyIantosca on Jan 6, 2019 10:20:30 GMT -5
This season is the key for ERod. He has the best teaching him.
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Post by fenwaythehardway on Jan 6, 2019 13:11:17 GMT -5
I'm not sure if there's enough of a difference of MPH between Rodriguez's slider and cutter to transform Rodriguez the same way Corbin just did. Rodriguez's cutter looked really good this past year too, but I'm not sure if that's the pitch that's going to make him a number one type. Rodriguez might be better off trying to find a slurve (slower slider) or a curveball like Corbin just did in order to make that transformation. Eduardo needs to improve command to become that guy too. He has a great arm but he leaves too many pitches down the middle. He also needs to stay healthy for a full season for once. It's cool that Corbin and Rich Hill can utilize their breaking pitches the way they do, but it's a pitching strategy born out of deficiencies. They don't have good fastballs and they don't have good changeups, Eduardo has both. He could always theoretically improve his arsenal, but he really doesn't need to. It's all about health with him.
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Post by pedrofanforever45 on Jan 6, 2019 15:01:25 GMT -5
I'm not sure if there's enough of a difference of MPH between Rodriguez's slider and cutter to transform Rodriguez the same way Corbin just did. Rodriguez's cutter looked really good this past year too, but I'm not sure if that's the pitch that's going to make him a number one type. Rodriguez might be better off trying to find a slurve (slower slider) or a curveball like Corbin just did in order to make that transformation. Eduardo needs to improve command to become that guy too. He has a great arm but he leaves too many pitches down the middle. He also needs to stay healthy for a full season for once. It's cool that Corbin and Rich Hill can utilize their breaking pitches the way they do, but it's a pitching strategy born out of deficiencies. They don't have good fastballs and they don't have good changeups, Eduardo has both. He could always theoretically improve his arsenal, but he really doesn't need to. It's all about health with him. And command.
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Post by telson13 on Jan 6, 2019 16:18:35 GMT -5
I'm not sure if there's enough of a difference of MPH between Rodriguez's slider and cutter to transform Rodriguez the same way Corbin just did. Rodriguez's cutter looked really good this past year too, but I'm not sure if that's the pitch that's going to make him a number one type. Rodriguez might be better off trying to find a slurve (slower slider) or a curveball like Corbin just did in order to make that transformation. Eduardo needs to improve command to become that guy too. He has a great arm but he leaves too many pitches down the middle. He also needs to stay healthy for a full season for once. Yeah, that’s more my point. Rodriguez actually has a nice CH, although it’s clearly his third pitch. And the velo separation from FB-CH isn’t much, making it suboptimal. But if he were to develop a slow slider/slurve using the same grip as his SL (like what’s being described here for Corbin), then he’s got a full range of pitch velocities from FB 92-95, a CH at 85-90, a SL at 82-87 or so, and a slow SL at say 75-80. It would give him more ability to change speeds and disrupt timing, which right now he’s not great at because he throws everything hard. The CH has different action from the FB and SL, but when you’re throwing your CH at 89 to follow a 95 FB, there’s not a lot of timing disruption there. And go CH to SL and it’s maybe 89 to 84. But going 93FB-77SL-88CH-95FB-86SL...now that’s gonna start messing with guys, especially when 77SL and 87SL look pretty much exactly the same until they’re halfway there in the air. Idk how much the cFB is adding for him, since it’s sitting right in that tight velocity clump he has around 88-90 mph. Pulling a Corbin with his SL (or what Sonny Gray does, when he’s right, with his CB)...seems like the perfect wrinkle to expand his repertoire AND velocity range, while not needing to learn a new pitch, per se. Regardless, I think this year is when Eddie breaks out. I’m predicting 17-7, 2.96 with a 213:58 K:BB ratio in 190 innings, with just 146 hits. It’s really bullish I know, but I think he’s arrived. As a nice aside, he’s been apparently incredible at limiting flyball distance: (https://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/which-statcast-measures-correlate-best-with-pitcher-hr-fb-and-babip/) “Over the last four seasons, no one has limited average flyball distance more than Eduardo Rodriguez has (min. 250 flyballs).” So give him a little more velo range, maybe adding to his swing-and-miss, and you’ve got a legit 1a starter and possibly, should he be able to sustain it for the long haul, a bona fide ace. I think he’s one of the most underrated players on the team, probably THE most underrated. People forget he was just 22 and a couple weeks when he debuted. He’s entering his historical prime now, at 26. It’s all going to come together.
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Post by sarasoxer on Jan 6, 2019 18:10:29 GMT -5
Rodriguez could make all those changes and be tougher no question. But until he commands better, he will not be top tier IMO. I hate seeing him, seemingly, at 90+ pitches after 5 innings game after game.
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Post by orion09 on Jan 7, 2019 1:47:38 GMT -5
Rodriguez could make all those changes and be tougher no question. But until he commands better, he will not be top tier IMO. I hate seeing him, seemingly, at 90+ pitches after 5 innings game after game. He had thrown 67 pitches through 5.1 innings when he got hurt in July. I remember watching that start and thinking, as did several others in the Gameday thread, that he was finally putting it together. FWIW I share the same concern, but E-Rod is the player I'm most excited to watch develop in 2019. (Eovaldi is #2.)
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ericmvan
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Posts: 8,925
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Post by ericmvan on Jan 7, 2019 2:01:14 GMT -5
The thing that makes E-Rod unusual is that he doesn't have a pitch that breaks glove-side (away from lefty hitters). His slider breaks straight down.
I'm not going to assert that this will limit him to the ace / #2 border, but it would be surprising and perhaps unprecedented if he could be better than that with that kind of limitation on his pitch movement.
Contrast Rivera, who threw two pitches that differed only in whether they broke arm-side or glove-side. People marvel at the success he had throwing his cutter as often as he did, but I always thought the key to his success was that you couldn't tell it from his fastball.
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Post by telson13 on Jan 7, 2019 14:52:01 GMT -5
Rodriguez could make all those changes and be tougher no question. But until he commands better, he will not be top tier IMO. I hate seeing him, seemingly, at 90+ pitches after 5 innings game after game. Absolutely. But he does have plenty of games where he commands really well. I think staying healthy and having more velo range will boost his confidence to work in the zone more. I really think health is the biggest issue for him so far; he’s had a major but highly correctable injury that robbed him of some valuable developmental time. I just keep going back to the fact that he’s still very young, baseball-wise. He’s essentially had just three full seasons’ worth of pitching, starting the year at 26. I strongly believe that the next step will be consistency of command, and we’ll see those 5/90 games (I’m with you 100% there...it’s painful to watch, especially with how great his stuff is) dramatically decrease. My hope on his adding a SL wrinkle is that it would enable him to steal a few more strikes and/or get a few more swings-and-misses, keeping him in more favorable counts, or not letting batters down 1-2 come back to get on base with 8-pitch at-bats. It’s frustrating to watch and probably very demoralizing to be on the mound for. I just think he’s so, so close...he just needs to make a few small adjustments.
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Post by grandsalami on Mar 31, 2019 11:02:44 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier 55m55 minutes ago Dana LeVangie said Rodriguez didn’t stick with the game plan entering the game, particularly with failure to use his changeup vs lefties. Alex Speier @alexspeier 40m40 minutes ago LeVangie thought Mariners righties would be sitting on changeups away so wanted Rodriguez to attack with cutter in, but he didn’t do so aggressively enough to open the plate. And he wanted left-on-left changeups, but Rodriguez threw fastballs in ABs 2 and 3 vs Bruce. Alex Speier @alexspeier 38m38 minutes ago How do you fix unsuccessful implementation of gameplan? LeVangie: ‘A little kick in the teeth here and there, a wakeup call. ... Maybe it’s a little bit of a wakeup call for all of us.’ twitter.com/search?q=LeVangie%20&src=typd
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Post by grandsalami on Apr 12, 2019 21:55:58 GMT -5
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Post by jimed14 on Apr 12, 2019 21:57:23 GMT -5
Another reason to ❤️Pedro.
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Post by telson13 on Apr 12, 2019 22:27:37 GMT -5
I erred when I wrote earlier in this thread. That’s what I get for not doing my research before speaking. Rodriguez’s CH is probably his best pitch. I’m not sold on the cutter, which is why I really hope he can get a true hard slider going. His FB velo is obviously quite good for a LH, and it’s got movement. The FB/CH combo is terrific when he has command, but I really think he needs a breaker for when his FB or CH command wavers. I’m sticking by my prediction, which is a tall order after his first two disastrous starts. But tonight was super encouraging (against O’s caveat). I think if he stays healthy this year the command comes (and the excruciating shades-of-Daisuke nibbling stops). He seems very confidence (situational)-dependent. As in, things unravel quickly and he has trouble stopping the snowball effect. A good run with some consistency will be, I think, the sign he’s turning the corner.
Having Pedro around is just awesome. He’s such an incredible resource. I know with him it was a lot about pure stuff and pinpoint command/control, but he’s also an exceptionally intelligent and articulate guy. Basically, a pitching genius in the true sense of the word.
Man, do I miss watching him pitch. My favorite player ever. He made the game SO fun to watch...I’ve gotta believe he makes working on this stuff with the young guys a helluva lot of fun, too.
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Post by grandsalami on Apr 24, 2019 22:19:31 GMT -5
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Apr 24, 2019 22:22:18 GMT -5
Dustin Pedroia's playing career is winding down to a finish, but his coaching career could be taking off soon. He's pretty useful to have in the dugout and around the clubhouse.
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Post by grandsalami on Apr 24, 2019 22:37:27 GMT -5
Pedroia should be our bench coach when he retires
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Post by fenwaythehardway on Apr 24, 2019 22:43:45 GMT -5
I give up. There is no logic or reason to this world. Truth itself a fallacy.
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Post by grandsalami on Apr 24, 2019 22:47:59 GMT -5
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Post by grandsalami on Apr 24, 2019 23:20:09 GMT -5
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ericmvan
Veteran
Supposed to be working on something more important
Posts: 8,925
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Post by ericmvan on Apr 25, 2019 1:01:06 GMT -5
The thing that makes E-Rod unusual is that he doesn't have a pitch that breaks glove-side (away from lefty hitters). His slider breaks straight down.
I'm not going to assert that this will limit him to the ace / #2 border, but it would be surprising and perhaps unprecedented if he could be better than that with that kind of limitation on his pitch movement.
Contrast Rivera, who threw two pitches that differed only in whether they broke arm-side or glove-side. People marvel at the success he had throwing his cutter as often as he did, but I always thought the key to his success was that you couldn't tell it from his fastball.
E-Rod switched to Sale's slider grip during ST.
This had a profound effect. He went from a slider that broke 0.3" gloveside in 2017 and 1.2" gloveside last year to one that broke 6.6" gloveside this year. Velo went from 85 to 80.
The Pedroia slider is another profound alteration. It was breaking just 3.3" gloveside (and the difference from last year appears to be largely arm angle, since the movement relative to FB is only 1" more than 2017-18), but with 4.8" more drop than the Sale version. It's no longer has the really significantly gloveside break, it's instead the first time he's had a pitch with an absolute vertical drop compared to no spin. Velo was 79 (no change in FB velo).
Total slider break relative to FB:
Old: 8.5" (6.7" away, 5.3" down)
Sale: 12.7" (11.6", 5.3")
Pedey: 12.6" (7.7", 10.0")
The Pedroia and Sale sliders are different pitches. The Pedroia "slider" is really a slurve, and could be used as a hard curve. Hr really should use them both, and that would make him a monster.
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