Beyond Flix Bautistas fastball: Pitches Orioles relievers want from bullpen mates

Publish date: 2024-05-07

Asking Orioles starters which pitch they’d steal from a rotation mate provided eclectic answers.

The same result was not expected when asking the question of Orioles relievers: Which pitch from a bullpen mate would you snag as your own?

Has to be only one answer, right?

Félix Bautista’s fastball, which runs up to 103 mph.

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As one reliever put it, if his buddies didn’t choose that offering, they should “re-evaluate their sanity.”

Félix Bautista, Wicked 2 pitch combo. 🤢

101mph Fastball
91mph Splitter. pic.twitter.com/PXJ2nHuC3Y

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 2, 2022

Well, there’s gonna be some soul-searching in that bullpen.

Of the seven relievers queried, only two said “The Mountain’s” heater. Three others chose Bautista’s devastating splitter, and two sliders were pilfered from other O’s relievers.

One of the most interesting things to me is what Bautista wanted to add to his repertoire. And, yes, he believes he is missing a little something. All pitchers do.

Included at the end of this piece are some thoughts from the Orioles rotation on which bullpen pitch they’d steal. One starter wants to take a full appendage.

Answers have been edited some for clarity and brevity. Bautista’s and Cionel Pérez’s answers were relayed through team interpreter Brandon Quinones. Velocity average and pitch usage are according to baseballsavant.mlb.com.

RHP Félix Bautista

Arsenal: Four-seam fastball (99.1 average mph, 62 percent usage), splitter (88.4 mph, 25 percent), slider (85 mph, 13 percent).

He’d steal: Dillon Tate’s slider (80.8 average mph)

Thoughts: “It’s a difficult pitch for hitters to pick up. It really has a lot of movement and has a really good effect on hitters. So, I think it would be a really good pitch to add to my repertoire. With a slider like that, it would help me a lot because I wouldn’t have to rely so much on my splitter, like I do now, and it would be a great third pitch to have.”

Dillon Tate, Nasty Sliders. 😨 pic.twitter.com/PKGT2r0ixF

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 27, 2022

RHP Dillon Tate

Arsenal: Sinker (94.1 average mph, 50 percent usage), changeup (84 mph, 25 percent), slider (80.8 mph, 24 percent), four-seam fastball (93 mph, 1 percent).

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He’d steal: Bautista’s splitter (88.4 mph).

Thoughts: “I want to say a cutter, but I could just learn that one. So, it would probably be the splitter from Bautista. Easily. That pitch has been so dominant for him, and I’ve seen what he’s been able to do with it this year. To be able to have that swing-and-miss type offering in my arsenal would be a luxury. But you can’t have it all, right? Yeah, it would be his split-finger.”

LHP Cionel Pérez

Arsenal: Four-seam fastball (97.0 average mph, 47 percent usage), slider (84 mph, 39 percent), sinker (96.5 mph, 15 percent).

He’d steal: Bautista’s splitter

Thoughts: “Obviously there are a lot of great pitchers here and they throw a lot of great pitches, but the splitter is always a pitch that has fascinated me. It’s one I’d like to throw, but I’d have to be a little careful because it can be a (difficult) pitch with your arm. You have to be a little careful throwing it. But if there’s one pitch I could steal, it would be Bautista’s splitter.”

RHP Joey Krehbiel

Arsenal: Four-seam fastball (94.3 average mph, 35 percent usage), changeup (84.1 mph, 33 percent), cutter (86 mph, 28 percent), slider (79.9 mph, 4 percent).

He’d steal: Bautista’s four-seam fastball (99.1 mph)

Thoughts: “If anyone is to answer this question differently than this, they need to go back and re-evaluate their sanity. It would be Félix’s fastball. There’re no other questions to be asked. I would take (Tate’s) sinker, Baker’s heater, Cionel’s heater. Everyone’s got good stuff. But it’s Félix’s fastball. Definitely.”

RHP Bryan Baker

Arsenal: Four-seam fastball (96.1 average mph, 57 percent usage), cutter (87.4 mph, 27 percent), changeup (83.9 mph, 16 percent).

He’d steal: Pérez’s slider (84 mph).

Thoughts: “That’s a good question. I like it. I think I’d go with probably Cionel’s slider or Bautista’s splitter. I’ll go with Cionel’s slider. I’ve never had a big, moving slider like the way he throws it. It’s still a power slider, but it moves so much. It’s an awesome pitch. Just for me personally, I’ve never had that type of slider, so I think I’d go with that.”

Cionel Pérez, Dirty 86mph Slider. 😨 pic.twitter.com/sMguBsp74p

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 28, 2022

LHP Keegan Akin

Arsenal: Four-seam fastball (93.5 average mph, 52 percent usage), slider (85.2 mph, 29 percent), changeup (84 mph, 18 percent).

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He’d steal: Bautista’s splitter

Thoughts: “That’s tough. If I had to pick one, I’d say Bautista’s splitter. I don’t think there is anything else in baseball that moves that much, really, with that velocity. Obviously, the heater is electric, but you see guys throwing 100 more often nowadays. I don’t know what the swing-and-miss rate is on that thing (55.6 percent), but it’s gotta be a lot, gotta be pretty high. Same with the batting average against it (.061). I’m taking that.”

LHP Nick Vespi

Arsenal: Four-seam fastball (88.5 average mph, 48 percent usage), slider (83.6 mph, 36 percent), curveball (80.5 mph, 16 percent).

He’d steal: Bautista’s fastball

Thoughts: “I’m going with that 100 mph fastball from Félix, no question. You can throw that and have a good breaking ball off that, you’re set. You’re good.”

Starters take from the relievers’ arsenals

John Means: “Bautista’s fastball. Or his splitter. It doesn’t really matter. Both of those pitches are plus-plus-plus-plus-plus. But I love his splitter.”

Tyler Wells: “Before (Jorge López) got traded, I probably would have taken Lopey’s curveball. Now, I’d probably take Tate’s sinker. That would be ideal. Four-seam-in sinker that runs a billion. That’s the way to do it.”

Jorge López, Wicked 84mph Curveball. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/P7UvmcgDOo

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 19, 2022

Spenser Watkins: “Probably Félix’s fastball, 102 mph at 22-plus inches of hop. I’ll take that any day.”

Dean Kremer: “Félix’s fastball? Eh, I don’t need it. (Laughs). No, I’d love to throw 102 mph. I feel like it would make my life a lot easier. But can I take an arm instead? I’ll take Cionel’s whippiness. He’s a little guy but he throws so dang hard. He just flies around, that’s probably what I would take. His arm, his whippiness.”

Kyle Bradish: “Bautista’s fastball. He hit 103 mph (recently). I think anyone’s taking that one.”

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Jordan Lyles: “You’ve got to go with Bautista’s splitter. A 102 (mph fastball) would be nice as well, but my changeup is inconsistent from start to start, and if I had that splitter in my back pocket, my life would be a lot easier.”

Austin Voth: “There are a lot of options, honestly. I’m sure people have said Bautista’s fastball or splitter. But I’ve played catch with Peréz, and his slider is really good. I would choose that, especially from the left side.”

(Photo: Jerome Miron / USA Today)

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