Chris Sale in Crisis: Rookie Andrew Abbott's Emergence Sparks Pitching Revolution
It wouldn’t be a stretch to think that lowering his arm angle has made it harder for Sale to elevate his fastball as much as he did last year. He’s fastballs have landed middle far too often this year, and that has led to a staggering 72.7% Ideal Contact Rate (ICR), which is a Pitcher List stat that measures barrels and solid contact and hard groundballs allowed. That means 73% of Sale’s four-seam fastballs have ended in ideal contact for a hitter, which is why the pitch has allowed a .536 average, 13.6% barrel rate, and .630 wOBA. The pitch also has just a 14% PutAway Rate this season, down from 22% last season, which means he’s missing far fewer bats in two-strike counts.
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