SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- In the aftermath of his second start of spring training on Wednesday, Zack Greinke gave some interesting insight on the evolution of his changeup.
Greinke was asked about the relative closeness between the velocity of his changeup and his fastball.
Last season, according to brooksbaseball.net, his four-seam fastball averaged 92.42 mph, and his changeup averaged 88.92. This compares with his first full season (2008), when his four-seamer was 94.11 and his change was 82.63.
"When I throw my changeup 6, 7 miles an hour slower, it's not a good pitch," he said. "Either my arm speed slows up or the movement isn't as sharp. Something makes it not a good pitch.
"I think ideally I'd rather have 6, 7 miles an hour difference, but I don't throw that well. I throw better when it's only 2, 3 miles an hour difference, so that's why I throw the harder one. It's just a better pitch overall. Ideally it'd be slower, but it's not good when I throw it slower, so I don't."
The numbers bear him out. Greinke had career-best numbers in a lot of areas last year, but the change was his piece de resistance. Batters hit .168 with a .196 slugging percentage against his change last season -- and because it was working so well, he threw it at the highest frequency of his career -- 21.65 percent of his pitches.
Greinke has been ramping up both the effectiveness and frequency of his changeup over the past three seasons.
| Year | 4-seam | Change | Diff. | BAA | SLGA | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 94.11 | 82.63 | 11.48 | .286 | .571 | 7.90 |
| 2009 | 94.13 | 83.99 | 10.14 | .357 | .452 | 5.92 |
| 2010 | 93.63 | 85.44 | 8.19 | .328 | .429 | 13.49 |
| 2011 | 93.33 | 85.49 | 7.84 | .216 | .294 | 8.24 |
| 2012 | 92.95 | 86.13 | 6.82 | .278 | .352 | 6.45 |
| 2013 | 92.46 | 87.10 | 5.36 | .245 | .347 | 12.15 |
| 2014 | 92.49 | 87.75 | 4.74 | .206 | .313 | 16.18 |
| 2015 | 92.42 | 88.92 | 3.50 | .168 | .196 | 21.65 |
He said he isn't sure why the slower change is less effective, but offered this possible explanation.
"I feel like the hitters see it a little better," he said. "When I throw it for a ball, they take it more. If I did throw it for a strike, they hit it better."
