The difference between fastballs and breaking pitches becomes more nuanced and elusive to me, not less. Just like all the important issues of the day.

The difference between fastballs and breaking pitches becomes more nuanced and elusive to me, not less. Just like all the important issues of the day.

And people wonder why strikeouts are going up.

Parker,

Would you say that it's a modified cutter grip? 

Would you say that it's a modified cutter grip? 

I would say it does close to the opposite (and is a bit less subtle). I think a cutter is usually held closer to the outside seam with a bit more pressure from the middle finger, causing it to bear in on the lefthanded hitters.

(I ignored that fact that you were asking Parker, but I wouldn't mind hearing his more-informed take too.)

This is very interesting and helpful, thanks.  Back when I was learning to pitch, in the mid-90's, there was just no help like this unless you knew somebody who can already throw the pitches.  Just some books that say "grip here" without any subtext.  I had a cousin who taught me to throw a mean curveball, but I never could figure out how to make a 2-seamer run without throwing it sidearm.  The pressure with the thumb on the bottom is a good suggestion I never heard or thought to try.

Parker,

 

Would you say that it's a modified cutter grip? 

More or less what Gil4 said. 

When it comes to throwing a cutter, the pressure on the middle finger is emphasized vs the index finger, as with McCullers. Notably, too, is that most cutters are thrown with a modified four-seam grip or along the horseshoe of the baseball. 

Here is Kenley Jansen talking about his grip:

And, of course, perhaps the Godfather of the Cutter, Mariano Rivera:

Now, Dan Warthen of the New York Mets and purveyor of the Warthen Slider, has taught his pitchers a variation of the slider/cutter combo referred to as a slutter in which the pitcher's thumb is moved similarly to how McCullers throws his new two-seamer, giving it a better whip-action out of the hand. 

This is very interesting and helpful, thanks.  Back when I was learning to pitch, in the mid-90's, there was just no help like this unless you knew somebody who can already throw the pitches.  Just some books that say "grip here" without any subtext.  I had a cousin who taught me to throw a mean curveball, but I never could figure out how to make a 2-seamer run without throwing it sidearm.  The pressure with the thumb on the bottom is a good suggestion I never heard or thought to try.

Absolutely. The amount of information and insight that is available to today's pitchers is amazing. 

When I was in high school in the late 1990s, I was more or less self-taught. I picked up a copy of Tom House's The Pitching Edge and used that as my reference point of almost everything (which was both good and bad).

As far as learning new pitches, it was something that spread word-of-mouth. A coach would try to teach you something, or a dad or a teammate goofing around. There was a guy in my high school who graduated and was drafted by the Marlins a few years ahead of me. He came back to our school for winter workouts and tried to teach the pitchers how to throw sliders. His cue was "throw one half of the ball away" while you were throwing. I don't think any of us wound up with a killer slider from that instruction. 

I learned how to throw a breaking ball by trial and error. Now, with the amount of high resolution/slo-mo video available of a ball leaving a pitcher's hand, I realize now how wrong my release actual was. 

The spin and speed of a fastball, the break of a curve. Hitters have no chance. That pitch to Adrianza was Maddux-ian.

The spin and speed of a fastball, the break of a curve. Hitters have no chance. That pitch to Adrianza was Maddux-ian.

Yeah, that pitch looks impressive. 

But, I would bet, if he tries that pitch again on a MLB hitter next AB, they rock it into right center field for extra bases.

Just that, MLB baseball=adjustments.  If you can't adapt, you never really get to MLB.

Yeah, that pitch looks impressive.

 

But, I would bet, if he tries that pitch again on a MLB hitter next AB, they rock it into right center field for extra bases.

 

Just that, MLB baseball=adjustments. If you can't adapt, you never really get to MLB.

Nobody ever really adjusts to the best pitchers, and McCullors might be poised to be one. The best AL hitters can hope for is he loses his feel for it when they are facing him.

Yeah, that pitch looks impressive. 

 

But, I would bet, if he tries that pitch again on a MLB hitter next AB, they rock it into right center field for extra bases.

 

Just that, MLB baseball=adjustments.  If you can't adapt, you never really get to MLB.

I mean, Mariano Rivera threw the exact same pitch for 20 years. 

But the idea of sequencing is huge. He can set that pitch up with one of three pitches he uses effectively -- including his outstanding curveball and change. 

Check out this sequence of 2 straight curveballs and then a backdoor two-seamer.