Stuck changeup

[Ted]

Has this always been a thing? I'm noticing it a lot in '17, but didn't before that. I'll admit, though, that I wasn't very aware of it until recently. Just curious because I'm seeing it all over the place now, almost to where I don't want to draft guys with changeups anymore.

[aaronweiner]

Psssssst - I've been writing about this for a while.

[aaronweiner]

What's nice is that this actually apes real life in that a very effective changeup is probably one of the hardest pitches to throw. Anyone can throw a changeup; personally, that's MY fastball. But to get it over AND get it to be effective is hard.

[Ted]

Thanks Aaron. Guess I just wasn't paying attention. Still, it seems kind of ridiculous to me that it's the only pitch OOTP seems to treat this way. AND now we have all the sudden miracle changeup guys.

[Cliche]

It seems like that's the lever they've chosen to have some SP prospects just end up as relievers instead. Frustrating when you have a guy like that, but I get it.

I don't give up on a guy moving it right away myself.

[aaronweiner]

As I said, I think that's actually realistic rather than the opposite. The hardest thing in the game is to change speeds and be effective with pitches that aren't your best stuff.

[udlb58]

I have noticed it being especially common in 17, but I know it was a thing in 16 (remember the discussions on Greenwood?)

[Ted]

I have noticed it being especially common in 17, but I know it was a thing in 16 (remember the discussions on Greenwood?)

Yeah, i wasn't sure what version that was in, and that's when I really started paying attention. Noe I see it all the time, but again, not really sure if it's more common or I'm just more aware. Probably the latter.