The San Diego Padres have one final season of Padres co-ace Dylan Stop. He’s represented by Scott Boras, who has a historical past of taking his purchasers into free company fairly than signing extensions with their present workforce. The probabilities of retaining him past 2025 appear slim.
Throughout spring coaching and early-season interviews, Stop has spoken in regards to the changes he has made to his pitches and his repertoire for this season. Particularly, a brand new changeup and a two-seam fastball might be more and more utilized.
His four-seam fastball and slider have been used equally, which is uncommon for an influence pitcher. The norm for a starter with an distinctive fastball is to make use of it predominantly and throw every thing else off that pitch because the arrange. Stop has such a dominant slider that he typically makes use of it as a lot or greater than his fastball throughout video games. His curve and sweeper have been each used lower than 10% and his cutter was used very hardly ever.
Given it’s a small pattern dimension, simply two appearances (10.2 innings), that is what Stop talked about through the spring. Elevated use of off-speed and the addition of a two-seam pitch, his sinker, in addition to a brand new changeup. These numbers will undoubtedly change because the season goes on however Stop continues to pitch in opposition to trendy conference.
He has an distinctive four-seamer however his secondary pitches give him a dimension most different pitchers don’t have; three plus pitches which are complemented by three others that he can throw for strikes in order that hitters have challenges in all areas of the strike zone.
Because the 2025 season goes alongside, it will likely be attention-grabbing to see how these numbers change and the way efficient his two new pitches turn into in getting hitters out.