Breaking: I’m Leaving Milwaukee Brewers for Jackson Chourio, Shortstop Willy Adames Announce His Decision

I’m Leaving Milwaukee Brewers for Jackson Chourio, Shortstop Willy Adames Announce His Decision

This week, Freddy Peralta will take the mound to begin the Milwaukee Brewers’ 2024 season. He will do so with a slider, which is a testament to his gradual development into a true ace.

Quickball Although Freddy Peralta’s electric heater gave him his name, his slider has been a top-tier swing-and-miss pitch for a while now. It had more of a sweeper profile going into 2023, but a mid-season adjustment allowed him to give up horizontal movement in favor of better control, a bigger vertical drop, and a tiny boost in velocity, which set him up for huge second-half performances.

Peralta’s slider saw some major changes around June 2023, as you can see here. It now has a more vertical form and a higher velocity. Even though the little adjustments don’t seem like much, when combined, they make for an interesting mix. From a batter’s perspective, a low-speed slider that descends early is simpler to identify, whereas a pitch with more speed typically dips less. By raising both, Peralta was able to produce that much desired late break that is crisp and gives hitters with no time to change their swing and make contact, thereby making it more effective.

Because the break occurs later, producing that level of movement would imply the ball is arcing downhill at a steeper angle compared to a slower slider with the same vertical drop. This can best be seen at the angle at which the pitch enters the strike zone. The pitch’s vertical velocity vector, which shows how quickly it is falling, increases by 15% for Peralta from 13.2 feet per second in April to 15.2 feet per second in August, which increases his chances of getting beneath the barrel. His ground ball rate against this slider increased as a consequence, going from just 25% in the first half to 52.3% in the second, which helped him keep the ball in play.