This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes DeSclafani goes to the knuckle curve: 37.1% of his two-strike pitches, against 15% the rest of the time.
186 two-strike pitches in 2025.
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his fastballs: a .405 expected average against them, against .197 on his offspeed pitches.
227 of his fastballs thrown.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
DeSclafani's sinker moves 120.7 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
113 thrown, averaging 94.1 mph.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off DeSclafani's sinker leaves the bat at 93.4 mph, against 77.6 off his splitter.
113 and 129 of them thrown.
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
DeSclafani throws 39.7% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 46.9% with the bases empty.
141 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 493 with the bases empty.
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
DeSclafani releases the ball from a low three-quarters slot, about 31 degrees above horizontal and 1.8 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
634 tracked release points, averaging 5.4 feet off the ground.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
DeSclafani's 4-seam fastball carries 15.3 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
114 thrown, averaging 93.9 mph.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
DeSclafani works with 5 pitches: Slider, Knuckle Curve, Splitter and 4-Seam Fastball, and a little else. The slider is 22.1% of everything he throws.
634 classified pitches in 2025.
His ball is straighter than it should be
DeSclafani's stuff spins at 2,095 rpm, 16th percentile in the league.
634 pitches in 2025. 16th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 657th in MLB.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
DeSclafani throws the splitter 31.8% of the time against left-handers and 10.7% against right-handers.
345 pitches to right-handers, 289 to left-handers.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
DeSclafani puts 58.8% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 39.4% when he is ahead.
187 located pitches behind, 170 ahead.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
DeSclafani lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.27 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
634 located pitches in 2025.
He lives on one side of the plate
DeSclafani works in on right-handers: his average pitch lands 2.6 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
634 located pitches in 2025.
The contact he allows should not turn into many hits
The quality of contact against DeSclafani projects a .315 average, 75th percentile.
634 pitches in 2025. 75th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 194th in MLB.
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
DeSclafani averages 88.2 mph across his arsenal, 33rd percentile in the league.
634 pitches in 2025. 33rd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 526th in MLB.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count DeSclafani throws a fastball 35.8% of the time, against 25.9% when he is ahead.
187 pitches behind in the count, 170 ahead.
He cannot find the zone often enough
DeSclafani works off the plate, with only 45.3% of his pitches in the zone, 35th percentile.
634 pitches in 2025. 35th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 506th in MLB.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
10.8 mph separates DeSclafani's sinker from his knuckle curve, 94.1 against 83.2.
113 and 136 of them respectively.
He falls behind hitters far too often
DeSclafani throws a strike on the first pitch 56.8% of the time.
169 plate appearances started in 2025.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
DeSclafani lands 54.6% of his fastballs in the zone and only 47.1% of his breaking balls.
227 of his fastballs, 278 of his breaking balls.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
DeSclafani releases the ball 6.6 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
634 tracked pitches in 2025.
Too much of the contact against him is loud
43.1% of the contact DeSclafani gives up is hit hard, 36th percentile.
634 pitches in 2025. 36th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 500th in MLB.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
DeSclafani's 4-seam fastball averages 93.9 mph, and has touched 96.5.
114 thrown, 18% of his pitches.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
DeSclafani's knuckle curve spins at 2,356 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
136 thrown in 2025.
Show more
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes DeSclafani goes to the knuckle curve: 37.1% of his two-strike pitches, against 15% the rest of the time.
186 two-strike pitches in 2025.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
DeSclafani puts 58.8% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 39.4% when he is ahead.
187 located pitches behind, 170 ahead.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count DeSclafani throws a fastball 35.8% of the time, against 25.9% when he is ahead.
187 pitches behind in the count, 170 ahead.
He falls behind hitters far too often
DeSclafani throws a strike on the first pitch 56.8% of the time.
169 plate appearances started in 2025.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his fastballs: a .405 expected average against them, against .197 on his offspeed pitches.
227 of his fastballs thrown.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
DeSclafani lands 54.6% of his fastballs in the zone and only 47.1% of his breaking balls.
227 of his fastballs, 278 of his breaking balls.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
DeSclafani's sinker moves 120.7 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
113 thrown, averaging 94.1 mph.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
DeSclafani's 4-seam fastball carries 15.3 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
114 thrown, averaging 93.9 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off DeSclafani's sinker leaves the bat at 93.4 mph, against 77.6 off his splitter.
113 and 129 of them thrown.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
DeSclafani works with 5 pitches: Slider, Knuckle Curve, Splitter and 4-Seam Fastball, and a little else. The slider is 22.1% of everything he throws.
634 classified pitches in 2025.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
DeSclafani throws the splitter 31.8% of the time against left-handers and 10.7% against right-handers.
345 pitches to right-handers, 289 to left-handers.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
10.8 mph separates DeSclafani's sinker from his knuckle curve, 94.1 against 83.2.
113 and 136 of them respectively.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
DeSclafani's 4-seam fastball averages 93.9 mph, and has touched 96.5.
114 thrown, 18% of his pitches.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
DeSclafani's knuckle curve spins at 2,356 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
136 thrown in 2025.
The numbers behind these live in Matchups.
Take me there
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
DeSclafani throws 39.7% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 46.9% with the bases empty.
141 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 493 with the bases empty.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
DeSclafani releases the ball from a low three-quarters slot, about 31 degrees above horizontal and 1.8 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
634 tracked release points, averaging 5.4 feet off the ground.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
DeSclafani releases the ball 6.6 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
634 tracked pitches in 2025.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His ball is straighter than it should be
DeSclafani's stuff spins at 2,095 rpm, 16th percentile in the league.
634 pitches in 2025. 16th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 657th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
DeSclafani lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.27 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
634 located pitches in 2025.
He lives on one side of the plate
DeSclafani works in on right-handers: his average pitch lands 2.6 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
634 located pitches in 2025.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
The contact he allows should not turn into many hits
The quality of contact against DeSclafani projects a .315 average, 75th percentile.
634 pitches in 2025. 75th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 194th in MLB.
Too much of the contact against him is loud
43.1% of the contact DeSclafani gives up is hit hard, 36th percentile.
634 pitches in 2025. 36th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 500th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
DeSclafani averages 88.2 mph across his arsenal, 33rd percentile in the league.
634 pitches in 2025. 33rd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 526th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He cannot find the zone often enough
DeSclafani works off the plate, with only 45.3% of his pitches in the zone, 35th percentile.
634 pitches in 2025. 35th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 506th in MLB.
Reds
Career team 2015–2020