http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/dallas-keuchel-and-weak-contact/ .... So, now that we’ve examined all of the data, we see that not only does Keuchel generate far more grounders than anyone else, he is the extreme upper tier when it comes to limiting ground ball authority. For most pitchers, grounder authority fluctuates a bit from year to year, but at the poles, the outliers tend to remain the same. Keuchel has outlier ground ball generating ability, compounded by outlier grounder authority limiting ability. The two-seam sinking fastball is the key to Keuchel’s repertoire, but obviously he can’t just rear back and throw it constantly. He has willed his four-seamer into a viable 89-90 MPH well-placed offering that must be respected, and has expertly fine tuned his slider and changeup into very useful secondary offerings. They all set up the two-seamer, thrown just as hard as the four-seamer, with late sink that usually proves impossible to lift in the air with any frequency or authority. Can Keuchel get any better? Probably not, but he is every bit as good as his gaudy 2014 ERA, and there is no reason to believe he will materially backslide anytime soon. He hasn’t even reached his first arbitration payday yet, so he clearly qualifies as one of the single best pitching bargains in the game at present. He might not look or quack like an ace, but Dallas Keuchel most certainly deserves to be classified as one at present.
Stupid Diaz cost him from getting a complete game last time out. Hopefully the offense keeps it up for him so he can get those overrated "wins" that voters still stupidly look at with Cy Young voting. I agree that barring injury, he shouldn't just allofasudden regress in his performance.
I heard one of the Astros announcer compare him to Greg Maddux. Maddux never had overpowering stuff either, but mixed his pitches up well and had pinpoint accuracy. I don't know if Keuchel has that level of accuracy but he mixes his pitches well and disguises them.
I think Glavine would be a better comparison, though neither were the groundball force Keuchel has become. The plate was closer to 30" wide when Glavine/Maddux pitched.
http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showpost.php?p=8985605&postcount=110 Ashby needs to get his own material. :grin: Keuchel has the accuracy well enough, he doesnt have that crazy 2 seam movement that Maddux had.
Nothing would irritate me more than the games when the ump was giving Glavine that far outside edge of the plate. That freaking guy lived out there and if he got an ump that would call that a strike he was almost unbeatable.
Nothing new that the abacus and slide-rule crew couldn't have told us. Pettitte should be his spirit animal. Once he gets the cutter working hard-in on righties he'll be crazily deadly.
I like Keuchel, seems like a great dude But he needs to get it together, his dang ERA is almost a full 1:grin:
My only worry about Keuchel is postseason. Contact pitchers dont typically dominate in the playoffs... Maddux included. Pitchers who make batters swing and miss fare better. There are less things that can go wrong if a ball isn't put in play. Maddux and Glavine were subpar in the playoffs unlike Smoltz who made batters K. Keuchel is ballin no doubt though. Houston is on the rise!!
Maddux had a lifetime postseason ERA of 3.27, and a 2.09 in the WS. He was incredibly successful in the postseason. Glavine had a lifetime postseason ERA of 3.30 and a 2.16 in the WS. I'd gladly take either.
At this point I'd gladly take the opportunity for Keuchel to prove that he isn't as effective in the postseason as regular season. Cause then we'd be in the postseason.
