The signing of Jack Flaherty by the Detroit Tigers has faced widespread criticism from both fans and the media…
The signing of Jack Flaherty by the Detroit Tigers has faced widespread criticism from both fans and the media, a sentiment I personally shared from the beginning. I was skeptical about the signing, believing that Flaherty might be past his prime. However, recent developments suggest that I might be mistaken.
In the previous season, Flaherty’s fastball averaged just 93.2 mph, marking a notable drop of over 1 mph from his career season in 2019, where it stood at 94.5 mph. This decline in velocity, among other factors, fueled my skepticism about his capabilities. Yet, a recent spring training outing presents a compelling case for a remarkable increase in his fastball speed.
During a two-inning performance against the Pirates on Saturday, Flaherty threw 21 pitches, with 11 of them being fastballs. Notably, the fastball averaged 95.2 mph, reaching a peak of 96.7 mph according to Baseball Savant. Additionally, he managed to induce two whiffs with the pitch.
While it’s crucial to acknowledge that this is spring training, there are a couple of potential explanations for the surge in velocity. It could be attributed to the adrenaline of returning to the mound for only the second time in a while. Alternatively, there’s the possibility of a high reading due to equipment calibration in Lakeland. Nevertheless, the optimistic scenario is that this increase is genuine, a prospect that would be favorable for both Flaherty and the Tigers.
Considering these Statcast readings, such a significant boost in fastball velocity within one offseason implies a few potential factors. Flaherty might be in better health, having possibly overcome various injuries, particularly to his shoulder, which plagued him in recent seasons. Alternatively, he could have implemented mechanical adjustments, aligning with the Tigers’ initial belief that they could optimize his performance. The early signs of increased velocity offer hope that these optimizations may already be taking effect.
