In his first year back from Tommy John surgery, De Leon used his changeup twice as much as he did in his previous two stints in the big leagues. The injury had an effect on its velocity, as he lost 4 mph compared to his season prior to getting hurt. However, despite the drop in velocity, he did generate six more inches of vertical drop, which helped him keep half of the batted balls on the ground. Next season, with a fresh start on a new team, he’ll look to get his changeup velocity back to where it was while still maintaining the higher vertical break.
GIF made by Ryan Amore.
Blurb written by Justin Filteau