It’s all about velocity.
And elite velocity is the holy grail.
However, there’s usually a price to be paid.
The ability to command a fastball that approaches triple-digit mph with movement certainly isn’t easy to harness. In fact, it’s downright rare. After all, how important is command if you can simply zip the heater by opposing hitters?
Of the fastest pitches thrown this season by average mph, we have to go all the way down to the 13th – Seattle Mariners reliever Gregory Santos’ 98.9 mph two-seam fastball – before we see a pitch with above-average command+.
Command+, for which the MLB average is 100, allows us to make a distinction between pitchers who are throwing balls because they are struggling with command and those who are purposefully missing the plate in an effort to get hitters out.
If we widen our search to the 100 pitches with the highest-average mph, only 16 pitchers have a command+ above the league average on those offerings. On the flip side, of the 100 pitches with the highest command+, only three average more than 96.0 mph.
So it becomes apparent just how devastating a pitcher can be if he’s able to effectively combine elite command with high velocity. But how many of these mound unicorns exist?
Let’s try to find out by identifying the pitchers who have both a whiff+ – the ability to generate swings and misses – and command+ of at least 105 on a pitch type (minimum 200 pitches) while throwing it above 96.0 mph on average (the average fastball across MLB is 93.8 mph heading into Thursday’s action).
There are only seven pitchers who meet these qualifications while also owning a raw value- (RV-) under 95 (lower is better with 100 being league average) to give us an overall indication of performance on the pitch. RV- measures a pitcher’s ability to get hitters to chase, limit contact and generate soft contact.
Here’s the list of the elite power pitches that have a command+ and whiff+ of 105 or greater, an RV- of 95 or better and an average velocity of at least 96.0 mph, ordered by the top command+.
Griffin Jax, Minnesota Twins
- Pitch Type: Four-Seam Fastball
- Average Velocity: 97.0
- Whiff+: 143
- Command+: 115
Jax has blossomed as a high-leverage setup man for the Twins and his four-seam fastball is a big reason why. Though it’s a secondary pitch for him (29.5% usage compared to 37.9% for his sweeper), the right-hander’s raw value- (RV-) of 46 on the four-seamer is the best of this list and more than 50% better than league average. RV- measures a pitcher’s ability to get hitters to chase, limit contact and generate soft contact. Lower is better with 100 being league average. And his strike+, which measures a pitcher’s ability to generate both whiffs and called strikes, on the pitch leads this group at 115, though most of the time he tries to get a high chase on it (like below).
Yimi Garcia, Seattle Mariners
- Pitch Type: Four-Seam Fastball
- Average Velocity: 96.5
- Whiff+: 215
- Command+: 114
Garcia was considered to be one of the top relievers available at the MLB trade deadline when the Mariners got him from the Toronto Blue Jays. The right-hander’s best trait as a late-inning setup man is his ability to rack up swings and misses. His whiff+ is easily the highest on this list and more than twice the league average. A 96.5 mph average, 215 whiff+ and 114 command+ on a four-seam fastball is a pretty ridiculous combination. It’s his go-to pitch with two strikes (52.2%), usually up and out of the zone.
Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates
- Pitch Type: Four-Seam Fastball
- Average Velocity: 98.9
- Whiff+: 153
- Command+: 108
Here’s proof that Skenes is already more of a well-rounded pitcher than a thrower who’s just looking to blow people away. Remarkably, the rookie All-Star starter owns the fastest pitch on this list while also possessing a well above-average command+. And what also sets the four-seamer apart is the horizontal movement with arm-side run rather than traditional backspin rise. On average, it’s eighth in terms of the pitches with the highest average velo. Overall, he’s sixth in the league with 11.3 K/9 among those with at least 90 innings.
Will Vest, Detroit Tigers
- Pitch Type: Four-Seam Fastball
- Average Velocity: 96.0
- Whiff+: 118
- Command+: 108
For more than a three-month period, Vest was one of the best relievers in baseball. The right-hander was sixth in the majors with just 0.24 home runs allowed per nine innings, tied for ninth in holds with seven and 10th with a 2.13 ERA among those with at least 38.0 innings between May 1 and Aug. 6. He leans heavily on his four-seamer, throwing it 54.8% of the time and peppering it all over the zone. His 122 strike+ on the pitch is the highest of anyone on this list.
Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers
- Pitch Type: Four-Seam Fastball
- Average Velocity: 96.4
- Whiff+: 146
- Command+: 106
Skubal has one characteristic that arguably puts him ahead of the rest… he’s left-handed. The All-Star has become the ace of Detroit’s rotation, pacing MLB with 14 victories and ranking second in strikeouts (180) and third in ERA (2.53). Thanks in large part to his blazing four-seamer, which he can shove at or around triple-digits (like below), Skubal also leads the majors with a 125 strike+ and sits second with a 133 whiff+.
Dedniel Nunez, New York Mets
- Pitch Type: Four-Seam Fastball
- Average Velocity: 96.3
- Whiff+: 162
- Command+: 106
Before landing on the injured list in late July, the rookie right-hander had earned his way into a major role in the Mets’ bullpen. He had a 2.43 ERA and a stellar 0.93 WHIP while ranking 21st in MLB with 12.2 K/9 among those with at least 33.0 innings. Of course, the four-seamer is a big weapon with the second-best whiff+ out of this group and the third-best RV- (52).
Hunter Greene, Cincinnati Reds
- Pitch Type: Four-Seam Fastball
- Average Velocity: 97.6
- Whiff+: 146
- Command+: 105
Greene has taken steps in 2024 toward reaching his immense potential, becoming an All-Star for the first time and ranking second in overall RV- (59). His four-seamer has been key to his emergence, developing from a high-velocity fastball to one of the most valuable pitches in baseball. In fact, it ranks third in the majors in accumulated raw value (-19.9) behind the sliders of Atlanta Braves lefty Chris Sale (-22.4) and San Diego Padres righty Dylan Cease (-20.1).
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