Pitcher Notes - Tuesday, April 30

The Commish breaks down the performance of each MLB starting pitcher who took the mound on Tuesday.

(STL) Kyle Gibson

15 whiffs on 46 swings / 98 pitches
55.6% first-pitch strikes
3.63 pitches per batter faced

Kyle Gibson has been worth every penny for the Cardinals so far in 2024. His 5.55 xERA and 4.87 FIP are unflattering, but he’s recorded at least 18 outs in each of his first 6 turns through the rotation this season. On Tuesday, he actually missed some bats as well.

(DET) Jack Flaherty

24 whiffs on 47 swings / 93 pitches
65.2% first-pitch strikes
4.04 pitches per batter faced

Revenge game much? Jack Flaherty’s velocity was up across the board against his former team on Tuesday. He generated an astounding 24 whiffs and career-high 14 strikeouts. Flaherty once again pounded the zone and continues to look as though these improvements are sustainable. He probably won’t average 95.1 mph with his 4-seamer very often, but he won’t need to if he keeps pounding the zone and missing bats.

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(NYY) Nestor Cortes

10 whiffs on 49 swings / 92 pitches
50.0% first-pitch strikes
3.29 pitches per batter faced

First-pitch strikes are 100% in the control of the pitcher, which means it’s always a little bit concerning when a pitcher doesn’t pound the zone, regardless of the matchup. Cortes had only 10 whiffs against the Orioles, but his stuff looked fine.

(BAL) Dean Kremer

7 whiffs on 38 swings / 93 pitches
65.4% first-pitch strikes
3.58 pitches per batter faced

We can’t let him keep getting away with this! Dean Kremer generated 7 whiffs on 93 pitches on Tuesday, but recorded 21 outs and allowed only 2 earned runs. He’s one of the most hittable pitchers in the big leagues, but he’s once again significantly outperforming his 5.73 xERA and 5.26 FIP. Regression is coming sooner rather than later — trust me.

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