Every one of Hendriks’ main pitches saw a jump in velocity between 2018 and 2019 (82.3 mph vs. 84.32 mph), but none of his pitches have changed more than curveball over the past decade. Back when he pitched for the Twins, he averaged a 73.9 mph curveball at his peak, more than 10 mph slower than his current offering. He’s also throwing more often than he has since the very beginning of his career, with a 7.51% usage rate compared to a 1.8% usage rate in 2018.
GIF made by Myles Nelson.
Blurb written by Ryan Smythe