Michael Kopech's Strategic Fastball Use is Key for Dodgers
Transforming Fastball Strategy: Michael Kopech's Journey
LOS ANGELES — With the tying run on base in the eighth inning on Sunday’s 100-degree afternoon, reliever Michael Kopech reared back and fired an equally hot 101 mph fastball above the zone. Seemingly impossible to hit, and equally impossible for the first baseman to lay off, the pitch delivered the strike three that Kopech needed. The righty kicked his leg up, swung his body back toward the home dugout, and nonchalantly walked off the mound.
This pitch — the very fast fastball — was the reason the Dodgers acquired Kopech from the Chicago White Sox at the trade deadline. Specifically, they did so with the idea of turning one of the game’s best fastballs into one of its most effective. “The conversation comes down to pitching, rather than throwing,” Kopech said, “which I felt like I was doing a lot of this year.”
Shifting the Fastball Focus
What Kopech did on Sunday was pitching. Right before throwing the strike-three heater, he tossed in a slider just off the outside corner. In the past, Kopech would go full outings only throwing fastballs, one after another. Any plan of attack had given way to brute and oft-ineffective power. Like many of his ex-teammates on Chicago’s South Side, Kopech was not having a great season. In 43 2/3 innings before getting traded, Kopech was 2-8 with a 4.74 ERA, and 1.351 WHIP.
- Post-trade performance: 21 strikeouts, 4 walks, 5 hits allowed over 17 innings
- ERA post-trade: 0.53
- WHIP post-trade: 0.551
In a single season, Kopech will have played for what may be the worst team in modern history, and also be a critical piece for the Dodgers, a team with the best odds to win the World Series. He has his dominant heater to thank — because he’s throwing it a little bit less often.
Finding Balance with Fastballs and Cutters
“When everyone’s selling out to the fastball,” Kopech said, “it doesn’t matter what kind of movement it has or how hard it is, they’re eventually going to get to it.” The movement to limit Kopech’s fastball usage actually started during his final outings in Chicago. And on the day the Dodgers traded for Kopech, GM Brandon Gomes made it clear they wanted to continue that process.
- Fastball usage: 83% in June, causing a drop in effectiveness (5.06 ERA).
- Fastball usage since joining Dodgers: Reduced to 78% in August and September, leading to increased effectiveness.
Kopech has mastered his fastball, using a combination of release point, speed, and movement that has made him one of the best in MLB.
This article was prepared using information from open sources in accordance with the principles of Ethical Policy. The editorial team is not responsible for absolute accuracy, as it relies on data from the sources referenced.