Fastball
The Death of the Fastball
Average fastball usage dropped from 65% in 2008 to 49% in 2025. Hitters got too good at timing velocity, so pitching evolved away from its own signature weapon.
Data-driven visual essays that make the invisible physics of baseball visible. Spin rates, swing decisions, and probability shifts, designed to be felt, not just read.
150 years of baseball. 20,000+ careers. Pick your ballot from the data. WAR, peak value, postseason performance, and the arguments that never end.
The forces behind every pitch, every swing, every season. Free.
Average fastball usage dropped from 65% in 2008 to 49% in 2025. Hitters got too good at timing velocity, so pitching evolved away from its own signature weapon.
Cutter usage tripled from 4.2% to 12.8% of all pitches between 2018 and 2025. It is now the third most common pitch in baseball.
How triple-digit fastballs evolved from 0.4% of pitches in 2010 to 3.8% in 2025, transforming what elite velocity means in baseball.
Data-driven analysis of baseball's biggest shifts. No fluff, no gatekeeping.
One essay a week. Free.