Welcome to Verducci’s View, a new weekly baseball newsletter from Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci. Every Monday, Tom will empty out his notebook and cover MLB’s hottest topics, provide in-depth analysis through both text and video breakdowns, look forward to what’s worth watching during the week and more. This week, we’re focusing on “lab-grown” pitches, the Mets’ dreadful start and more.
Hitting is more difficult than ever. Hitters must try to crack a code that involves more velocity, more spin and—here’s the latest subterfuge—more choices than ever. Over the past two seasons a massive change has gained widespread adoption among pitchers: adding pitches to make the ball move in multiple directions. Pitchers can call on a suite of pitches decided specifically for left- and right-handed hitters or certain swing paths.
