Sproat is becoming one of my favorites to watch. The arsenal (and his willingness to use all his pitches in various ways) seems to be growing. Sproat can dial up the heat but he’s dialing up the pitchability as well. His latest outing, he didn’t lean on a particular pitch often and unleashed anything from hammering away at a guy with the same pitch to more sophistication (and level of difficulty) in attack.
I like to look for triangles being executed. Three different speeds in three different locations, melding east/west with north/south with three different gears. Executing such sequencing well is often too much for even the best hitters in the world. You can find such triangles, or at least attempts, in Sproat’s game. Here was may favorite from this outing. Not the original put away plan, but the one that got it done vs Cal Stevenson.
Sproat offers up an inside slider first pitch to a hitter who has never been one aggressively looking to hit out in front. Stevenson’s career pull percentage hovers around 32%. The pitch does its job and earns a strike. Second offering, Sproat goes East. You want to look away? Look at this 98. Didn’t think so. Third pitch, Sproat’s asked to bury a back foot slider. He executes it well but Stevenson wasn’t biting. So what’s next? Sproat pulls a medium velo pitch, which he hadn’t yet, which I doubt registered on Stevenson’s radar at all, burying a 92 mph, down and away sinker with 17 Savant inches of horizontal run and 30 Savant inches of drop, completing a devastating triangle of locations and speeds. Good luck with that hitters.
Sproat’s Mussina Index is growing (his ability to come up with and use pitches) and he’s no Seth Lugo, yet, but Sproat has more dangerous upside in his offerings. I love where his game might be heading, which is a myraid of avenues. Pitching like this is a lot easier said than done, but if Sproat can execute it, he’s primed for a long and successful MLB career. Final line on the day:
