In the sweet science of pitching, velocity isn’t everything.
We have seen pitchers throwing a 92-mph fastball dominate and have long, successful careers.
It has been established, however, that velocity correlates highly with strikeouts, and the latter is indicative of future success in most cases.
In other words, you can succeed without top fastball velocity, but it will be a smoother ride the harder you throw.
This is why scouts, instructors, coaches, and development professionals are always fascinated by the radar gun.
In the specific case of Cleveland Guardians righty Triston McKenzie, getting a full understanding of early spring velocity readings will be crucial in trying to predict what kind of year he can have.
On Saturday, the 2022 stalwart sat in the 93-95 mph range with his heater, peaking at 95.4 mph.
Cleveland #Guardians pitching velocity leaders vs the Reds.
Triston McKenzie (4-Seam Fastball) 95.4
Tanner Burns (4-Seam Fastball) 95.2
Tanner Burns (4-Seam Fastball) 95.1
Triston McKenzie (4-Seam Fastball) 95.1
Tanner Burns (4-Seam Fastball) 95.0
Triston McKenzie (4-Seam…— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) February 23, 2025
In his breakout 2022 season, McKenzie averaged 92.5 mph with his four-seamer.
That year, he posted a 2.96 ERA and a 19.9 percent whiff rate with the heater.
Last year, his fastball velocity plummeted to 91.1 mph and the whiff rate of the pitch dropped to a mediocre 10.3 percent.
As a result, he delivered a poor 5.11 ERA and was demoted to Triple-A.
McKenzie worked hard over at the Cressey Sports Performance Center to regain his best fastball and his feel for pitching.
For an afternoon, he looked close to his old version.
We still need to see ‘Sticks’ sustain that velocity for five or six innings, but Saturday was an excellent day for him and his confidence.
If he can be at least 80 percent of the pitcher he was in 2022, the fine Guardians rotation will be in excellent shape.
Let’s all hope his arm and his UCL hold up.
NEXT: Guardians' Postseason Hero Homers In Losing Effort
