His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Cecil's sinker averages 89.7 mph, and has touched 92.6.
112 thrown, 19.7% of his pitches.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Cecil goes to the knuckle curve: 51% of his two-strike pitches, against 31.7% the rest of the time.
149 two-strike pitches in 2018.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Cecil's sinker moves 89.4 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
112 thrown, averaging 89.7 mph.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Cecil's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 92.3 mph, against 83.4 off his cutter.
102 and 93 of them thrown.
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Cecil averages 85.4 mph across his arsenal, 13th percentile in the league.
569 pitches in 2018. 13th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2018, 636th in MLB.
He releases the ball about where everyone else does
Cecil releases the ball 5.4 feet down the mound, a shorter stride than most.
569 tracked pitches in 2018.
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Cecil releases the ball from over the top, about 73 degrees above horizontal and 0.6 feet to the first-base side of the rubber.
569 tracked release points, averaging 6.3 feet off the ground.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Cecil's 4-seam fastball carries 15.5 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
102 thrown, averaging 89.9 mph.
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his fastballs: a .397 expected average against them, against .338 on his breaking balls.
307 of his fastballs thrown.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Cecil throws a fastball 59.4% of the time, against 46% when he is ahead.
165 pitches behind in the count, 150 ahead.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Cecil works with 5 pitches: Knuckle Curve, Sinker, 4-Seam Fastball and Cutter, and a little else. The knuckle curve is 36.7% of everything he throws.
569 classified pitches in 2018.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
17.4% of Cecil's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
99 of 569 located pitches.
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
Cecil throws 48.7% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 45.5% with the bases empty.
156 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 413 with the bases empty.
His ball is straighter than it should be
Cecil's stuff spins at 2,125 rpm, 28th percentile in the league.
569 pitches in 2018. 28th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2018, 526th in MLB.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Cecil puts 50.9% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 38.7% when he is ahead.
165 located pitches behind, 150 ahead.
The contact he allows is the kind that finds grass
The quality of contact against Cecil projects a .371 average, 32nd percentile.
569 pitches in 2018. 32nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2018, 496th in MLB.
He fills the strike zone and makes hitters beat him
Cecil lives in the strike zone: 46.4% of his pitches are in it, 62nd percentile.
569 pitches in 2018. 62nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2018, 276th in MLB.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Cecil throws the cutter 22.4% of the time against left-handers and 11.7% against right-handers.
324 pitches to right-handers, 245 to left-handers.
Too much of the contact against him is loud
41.1% of the contact Cecil gives up is hit hard, 38th percentile.
569 pitches in 2018. 38th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2018, 452nd in MLB.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Cecil's knuckle curve spins at 2,352 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
209 thrown in 2018.
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The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Cecil's sinker averages 89.7 mph, and has touched 92.6.
112 thrown, 19.7% of his pitches.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Cecil's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 92.3 mph, against 83.4 off his cutter.
102 and 93 of them thrown.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Cecil works with 5 pitches: Knuckle Curve, Sinker, 4-Seam Fastball and Cutter, and a little else. The knuckle curve is 36.7% of everything he throws.
569 classified pitches in 2018.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Cecil throws the cutter 22.4% of the time against left-handers and 11.7% against right-handers.
324 pitches to right-handers, 245 to left-handers.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Cecil's knuckle curve spins at 2,352 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
209 thrown in 2018.
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 Cecil goes to the knuckle curve: 51% of his two-strike pitches, against 31.7% the rest of the time.
149 two-strike pitches in 2018.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Cecil throws a fastball 59.4% of the time, against 46% when he is ahead.
165 pitches behind in the count, 150 ahead.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Cecil puts 50.9% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 38.7% when he is ahead.
165 located pitches behind, 150 ahead.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Cecil's sinker moves 89.4 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
112 thrown, averaging 89.7 mph.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Cecil's 4-seam fastball carries 15.5 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
102 thrown, averaging 89.9 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Cecil averages 85.4 mph across his arsenal, 13th percentile in the league.
569 pitches in 2018. 13th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2018, 636th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He releases the ball about where everyone else does
Cecil releases the ball 5.4 feet down the mound, a shorter stride than most.
569 tracked pitches in 2018.
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Cecil releases the ball from over the top, about 73 degrees above horizontal and 0.6 feet to the first-base side of the rubber.
569 tracked release points, averaging 6.3 feet off the ground.
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 .397 expected average against them, against .338 on his breaking balls.
307 of his fastballs thrown.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
17.4% of Cecil's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
99 of 569 located pitches.
The numbers behind these live in Matchups.
Take me there
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
Cecil throws 48.7% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 45.5% with the bases empty.
156 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 413 with the bases empty.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His ball is straighter than it should be
Cecil's stuff spins at 2,125 rpm, 28th percentile in the league.
569 pitches in 2018. 28th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2018, 526th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
The contact he allows is the kind that finds grass
The quality of contact against Cecil projects a .371 average, 32nd percentile.
569 pitches in 2018. 32nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2018, 496th in MLB.
Too much of the contact against him is loud
41.1% of the contact Cecil gives up is hit hard, 38th percentile.
569 pitches in 2018. 38th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2018, 452nd in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He fills the strike zone and makes hitters beat him
Cecil lives in the strike zone: 46.4% of his pitches are in it, 62nd percentile.
569 pitches in 2018. 62nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2018, 276th in MLB.
Blue Jays
Career team 2009–2016