April 11, 201214 yr If Blackburn stays healthy, I'm confident he'll be – at the very least – serviceable. Injuries have derailed him the past couple years. One thing that his stats don't really capture is his willingness to throw hard inside, and the positive effect that has on his game. Makes hitters uncomfortable.
April 11, 201214 yr Awesome article! I can't wait to see how Blackburn does in more starts and what his platoon split looks like as the year goes on.
April 11, 201214 yr Author One thing that his stats don't really capture is his willingness to throw hard inside, and the positive effect that has on his game. Makes hitters uncomfortable.Blackburn has been able to do this well to left-handed opponents -- starting his two-seamer off at their hip and having it run back over in the inside half of the plate. However, to right-handers, as you can see from the 2011 heat map of his fastball, he wasn't pounding the ball in as much as he probably should have. If he maintains what he did in his first start - keeping the ball in on righties - over the course of the season, he should have a good year pending, as you mentioned, his health.
April 11, 201214 yr Good Article. When you see actual changes that lead to improved performance it gives you a lot more confidence that it will continue. We've all seen the "good and the bad" of Blackburn over the last few years, it would be nice if we could see the good on a consistent basis this year. Hopefully, his health will hold this year too!
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