Jordan Hicks pitch reportoire

[clamel]

Well, I've been asking this a lot over the years.
How much important are the different pitches thrown ?

Looking at the new speed-king Jordan Hicks I find out that he has a fastball, curve and change-up in the game
As I understand it he throws a massive slider IRL, which he doesn't in this game.

Even checking a list of the fastes pitches this year, shows him throw 4-seam, 2-seam and sinker.

Overall if the type of pitch (beside the fastball) isn't of any concern in this game everything is OK, but else some pitches do tend to induce certain results more often than not.

Should Hicks be listed with another rep. than what it is now ?
Or does it not matter ?

Fangraphs list him as fastball-sinker-slider only, so perhaps that should be the case.

[Lukas Berger]

Originally Posted by clamel

Well, I've been asking this a lot over the years.
How much important are the different pitches thrown ?

Looking at the new speed-king Jordan Hicks I find out that he has a fastball, curve and change-up in the game
As I understand it he throws a massive slider IRL, which he doesn't in this game.

Even checking a list of the fastes pitches this year, shows him throw 4-seam, 2-seam and sinker.

Overall if the type of pitch (beside the fastball) isn't of any concern in this game everything is OK, but else some pitches do tend to induce certain results more often than not.

Should Hicks be listed with another rep. than what it is now ?
Or does it not matter ?

Fangraphs list him as fastball-sinker-slider only, so perhaps that should be the case.

They type of pitch doesn't matter too much in game.

The one exception to that is the sinker. So it's important to note that a sinker in OOTP is intended ti be a classic worm killer type of true sinker, not so much a regular 2-seam fb, which is what sites like Fangraphs or Brooks often mean when they call a pitch a sinker.

So it's WAD that less pitchers have sinkers in OOTP than you might think from a casual review of their real-life repertoire.

Hicks fb isn't a true sinker imo more of a true 2 seamer that Fangraphs compared to Noah Syndergaard's fb, which we also don't classify as a sinker in OOTP.

As for the slider, I've changed that now since it does look like he's throwing a true slider more now than the kind of slurvy mix or a curve and slow slider he'd thrown in the minors.

[Lukas Berger]

The other thing to note with Hicks is that what he's throwing now as a RP is likely different than what he'd throw if he returns to starting. He'd likely add the curve back at a minimum. I don't want to artificially limit him to a RP only type in-game, so I'll keep his curve as well, but maybe eliminate or lower the change.

[Cryomaniac]

Originally Posted by Lukas Berger

The one exception to that is the sinker.

Knuckleballs too, right?

Not that that effects Hicks, but still.

[Orcin]

Can I expect Hicks to have the same velocity as Chapman after the adjustments?

[Matt Arnold]

Originally Posted by Cryomaniac

Knuckleballs too, right?

Not that that effects Hicks, but still.

Knuckleball makes the most difference.

The other pitches do matter to a certain extent, especially when talking about platoon splits. So a guy who's a sinker/slider guy will tend to have a high GB rate, but also likely a high platoon split unless if he's a real over-the-top thrower, or also mixes in something else to get oppo hitters out (changeup, curve).

[Lukas Berger]

Originally Posted by Cryomaniac

Knuckleballs too, right?

Not that that effects Hicks, but still.

Yes, of course, forgot that!

EDIT: I see Matt has it covered

[Lukas Berger]

Originally Posted by Orcin

Can I expect Hicks to have the same velocity as Chapman after the adjustments?

No, because as I alluded to above, he's actually set up in OOTP right now to be a potential starter and in that case his velocity would be lower.

If we were going to make him a pure RP only, then sure. But since the ultimate outcome for him is still undetermined we have to try to hit a reasonable midpoint in giving him ratings and abilities that can allow him to develop somewhat realistically in either direction.

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by Lukas Berger

No, because as I alluded to above, he's actually set up in OOTP right now to be a potential starter and in that case his velocity would be lower.

If we were going to make him a pure RP only, then sure. But since the ultimate outcome for him is still undetermined we have to try to hit a reasonable midpoint in giving him ratings and abilities that can allow him to develop somewhat realistically in either direction.

That makes sense.

BTW Hicks hit 105 MPH twice in the ninth inning today!

[Mark82]

That was amazing!!!

[Cryomaniac]

Speaking of velocity, would it be possible to, instead of having the current velocity ratings in the editor, have it as a 1-250 scale in the editor that then gets translated to a velocity in the UI? With a 250 rating being I dunno about 107 or something.

[torpidbeaver]

I recently had a draft in which just one player threw a sinker. Very small sample size, but it surprised me. Is that deliberate?

[GmOfTheYear]

I think the fastest pitch i've seen in game was 104 mph. I don't think they can do 105 yet.