When Kyle Bradish ended the 2023 season fourth in AL Cy Young voting, fans were ready to see if he could continue this success moving into 2024.
But when February 15 hit, when teams disclosed offseason injuries for the first time, the 2023 Orioles ace found his name on the injury list with a UCL sprain, which are never a good sign when it comes to pitchers.
But with a touch of luck and proper rehab, Bradish was able to make a full recovery and made his 2024 debut on May 2. In the month of May, Bradish has made five starts and has been nothing short of elite. In those five starts, Bradish has posted a stat line of a 1.75 ERA, five earned runs, 11 walks, and 34 strikeouts.
This miraculous stat line includes a seven-inning no-hit outing on Sunday afternoon against a struggling Chicago White Sox team.
So, what has made Bradish a potential consecutive year Cy Young finalist? Let’s go in-depth on this edition of Battery Breakdown.
Development of the Sinker
In 2023, Bradish put less of an emphasis on the use of his four-seam fastball and developed a hard sinker. His sinker usage jumped from 4.4% in 2022 to 39.6% in 2024. And so far in 2024, Bradish’s sinker has been unhittable, generating a .096 xBA.
So what makes this pitch so hard for hitters to hit? Well, for starters, the average spin rate on Bradish’s sinker in 2024 is 2,202 RPM. To put this in perspective, the average sinker spin rate is 2,150, over 50 more rotations per pitch.
This spin rate does not equate to movement, where we only see an average vertical movement of 16.9 inches and average horizontal movement of 10.9 inches, both well under MLB average. The extra spin rate is found in the velocity.
Bradish’s sinker velocity is up to 95.3 mph, and that extra spin rate adds to how quickly this pitch gets up on hitters. This can explain why the sinker produces a whiff percentage of 19.2% and a put away percentage of 26.2%.
Generating Soft Contact
Bradish is one of the best in baseball right now when it comes to generating weak contact.
The average exit velocity off of Bradish is 84.4%, ranking in the top 2% of all pitchers in Major League Baseball. Hard hit contact percentage is currently sitting at 20.8%, slotting him as the best in the league.
Another impressive stat that stands out is that his barrel percentage is down to 4.2%, the best of his career. His pitches are missing bats more than ever.
The Stats Speak for Themselves
Considering the metrics, Bradish is pitching the best baseball of his career, including his 2023 AL Cy Young finalist campaign.
Through five outings, Bradish has posted a .190 xBA and .285 xSLG percentage, good for top 5% in all of Major League Baseball. He has also posted other career best stats, including strikeout rate (28%) and expected weighted OBA (.265).
Kyle Bradish was impressive in 2023, and at this current pace, he could exceed what he did last season, compete for another Cy Young selection and potentially solidify himself as the Orioles’ ace.
What are your thoughts on Bradish’s performance so far this season? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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