Problems with fastballs

It is no secret that this has been a year of struggles for Cuban players in MLB. Some have been hit by injuries. For others, the drop in performance. But there is one common point that has been difficult for most Cuban hitters to overcome this year: problems against fastballs.

That is something we have seen every day. Hitters in the Major Leagues have posted the lowest batting average (.261) over the last 17 seasons (in the Stat Cast era). Pitchers are not throwing more fastballs, quite the opposite. So the mix of more pitches is what has probably put the fastball in a less predictable spot. The average speed of the fastball has also taken an upward turn.

In 2008, when the last 17-year span I sampled began, the fastball average was 91.1 mph. In the last two seasons, 693,232 fastballs have been thrown, and the average has been the highest ever recorded at 93.3 mph. Along with velocity, fastball spin is also hitting record numbers. This season, pitchers are averaging a spin rate of 2,267 rpm.