One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Francis's curveball moves 99.3 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
160 thrown, averaging 73.7 mph.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
18.7 mph separates Francis's 4-seam fastball from his curveball, 92.5 against 73.7.
639 and 160 of them respectively.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Francis goes to the splitter: 34.1% of his two-strike pitches, against 17.8% the rest of the time.
323 two-strike pitches in 2025.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Francis's 4-seam fastball carries 18.5 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
639 thrown, averaging 92.5 mph.
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his breaking balls: a .433 expected average against them, against .345 on his fastballs.
226 of his breaking balls thrown.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Francis's slider leaves the bat at 95.6 mph, against 86.2 off his curveball.
66 and 160 of them thrown.
Too much of the contact against him is loud
52.2% of the contact Francis gives up is hit hard, 5th percentile.
1141 pitches in 2025. 5th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 738th in MLB.
His ball is straighter than it should be
Francis's stuff spins at 1,976 rpm, 7th percentile in the league.
1141 pitches in 2025. 7th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 724th in MLB.
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Francis averages 87.0 mph across his arsenal, 20th percentile in the league.
1141 pitches in 2025. 20th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 623rd in MLB.
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Francis releases the ball from a low three-quarters slot, about 35 degrees above horizontal and 2.0 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
1141 tracked release points, averaging 5.9 feet off the ground.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Francis lands 54.6% of his fastballs in the zone and only 33.2% of his offspeed pitches.
659 of his fastballs, 256 of his offspeed pitches.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Francis throws a fastball 63.2% of the time, against 48.1% when he is ahead.
337 pitches behind in the count, 316 ahead.
When hitters connect off him, they hit it hard
Hitters average 91.3 mph off the bat against Francis, 10th percentile.
1141 pitches in 2025. 10th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 703rd in MLB.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Francis works with 4 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball, Splitter, Curveball and Slider. The 4-seam fastball is 56% of everything he throws.
1141 classified pitches in 2025.
His velocity drains away as the outing goes on
Francis's fastball averages 92.8 mph in his first 25 pitches of a start and 91.6 past his 75th.
213 early fastballs, 74 late ones.
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
Francis throws 50.3% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 45.5% with the bases empty.
189 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 952 with the bases empty.
The contact he allows is the kind that finds grass
The quality of contact against Francis projects a .369 average, 15th percentile.
1141 pitches in 2025. 15th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 660th in MLB.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Francis puts 55.5% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 39.9% when he is ahead.
337 located pitches behind, 316 ahead.
He lives on one side of the plate
Francis works away from right-handers: his average pitch lands 1.7 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
1141 located pitches in 2025.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
Francis releases the ball 6.8 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
1141 tracked pitches in 2025.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Francis's 4-seam fastball averages 92.5 mph, and has touched 95.6.
639 thrown, 56% of his pitches.
He pitches differently depending on which hand is up
Francis puts 47.7% of his pitches to right-handers in the zone and 45.3% of his pitches to left-handers.
461 pitches to right-handed hitters, 680 to left-handed hitters.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Francis throws a strike on the first pitch 62.5% of the time.
288 plate appearances started in 2025.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Francis throws the slider 11.9% of the time against right-handers and 1.6% against left-handers.
461 pitches to right-handers, 680 to left-handers.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Francis's slider spins at 2,433 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
66 thrown in 2025.
One pitch exists only to make the hitter think
Francis has thrown 20 sinkers this season, 1.8% of his pitches, at 91.5 mph: a look rather than a weapon.
1141 classified pitches in 2025.
Show more
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Francis's curveball moves 99.3 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
160 thrown, averaging 73.7 mph.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Francis's 4-seam fastball carries 18.5 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
639 thrown, averaging 92.5 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
18.7 mph separates Francis's 4-seam fastball from his curveball, 92.5 against 73.7.
639 and 160 of them respectively.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Francis's slider leaves the bat at 95.6 mph, against 86.2 off his curveball.
66 and 160 of them thrown.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Francis works with 4 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball, Splitter, Curveball and Slider. The 4-seam fastball is 56% of everything he throws.
1141 classified pitches in 2025.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Francis's 4-seam fastball averages 92.5 mph, and has touched 95.6.
639 thrown, 56% of his pitches.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Francis throws the slider 11.9% of the time against right-handers and 1.6% against left-handers.
461 pitches to right-handers, 680 to left-handers.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Francis's slider spins at 2,433 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
66 thrown in 2025.
One pitch exists only to make the hitter think
Francis has thrown 20 sinkers this season, 1.8% of his pitches, at 91.5 mph: a look rather than a weapon.
1141 classified pitches 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 Francis goes to the splitter: 34.1% of his two-strike pitches, against 17.8% the rest of the time.
323 two-strike pitches in 2025.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Francis throws a fastball 63.2% of the time, against 48.1% when he is ahead.
337 pitches behind in the count, 316 ahead.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Francis puts 55.5% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 39.9% when he is ahead.
337 located pitches behind, 316 ahead.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Francis throws a strike on the first pitch 62.5% of the time.
288 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 breaking balls: a .433 expected average against them, against .345 on his fastballs.
226 of his breaking balls thrown.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Francis lands 54.6% of his fastballs in the zone and only 33.2% of his offspeed pitches.
659 of his fastballs, 256 of his offspeed pitches.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
Too much of the contact against him is loud
52.2% of the contact Francis gives up is hit hard, 5th percentile.
1141 pitches in 2025. 5th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 738th in MLB.
When hitters connect off him, they hit it hard
Hitters average 91.3 mph off the bat against Francis, 10th percentile.
1141 pitches in 2025. 10th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 703rd in MLB.
The contact he allows is the kind that finds grass
The quality of contact against Francis projects a .369 average, 15th percentile.
1141 pitches in 2025. 15th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 660th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His ball is straighter than it should be
Francis's stuff spins at 1,976 rpm, 7th percentile in the league.
1141 pitches in 2025. 7th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 724th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Francis averages 87.0 mph across his arsenal, 20th percentile in the league.
1141 pitches in 2025. 20th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 623rd in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Francis releases the ball from a low three-quarters slot, about 35 degrees above horizontal and 2.0 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
1141 tracked release points, averaging 5.9 feet off the ground.
His velocity drains away as the outing goes on
Francis's fastball averages 92.8 mph in his first 25 pitches of a start and 91.6 past his 75th.
213 early fastballs, 74 late ones.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
Francis releases the ball 6.8 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
1141 tracked pitches in 2025.
The numbers behind these live in Matchups.
Take me there
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
Francis throws 50.3% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 45.5% with the bases empty.
189 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 952 with the bases empty.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He lives on one side of the plate
Francis works away from right-handers: his average pitch lands 1.7 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
1141 located pitches in 2025.
The numbers behind these live in Matchups.
Take me there
He pitches differently depending on which hand is up
Francis puts 47.7% of his pitches to right-handers in the zone and 45.3% of his pitches to left-handers.
461 pitches to right-handed hitters, 680 to left-handed hitters.
Blue Jays
Career team 2022–2025