Red Sox starter Drew Pomeranz: An in-depth breakdown

Pomeranz Adds a Cutter

Drew Pomeranz has pitched in the Major Leagues from 2011 through the present and until this year only featured 2.5 pitches, a fastball, a great curveball that he will throw at any time and in any count, and a seldom used change-up. It is hard to work through a line-up multiple times with only two legitimate pitches, and that is the reason that Pomeranz has been a relatively unsuccessful pitcher until this season.

In Spring Training, a minor-league pitcher taught Pomeranz how to throw a cut-fastball, and it is the addition of said pitch to his repertoire that has enabled Pomeranz’s escalation from a fringe Major League pitcher to an All-Star pitcher.

In addition, as displayed in the chart below, Pomeranz had colossal lefty/righty splits prior to learning the cutter. From 2011 through 2015, he had tremendous difficulties with right-handed batters; however, the addition of the cutter in 2016 has provided him with the weaponry necessary to attack right-handed hitters. The staggering results are demonstrated in the chart below:

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