The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Criswell releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 8 degrees above horizontal and 1.8 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
642 tracked release points, averaging 4.8 feet off the ground.
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his fastballs: a .344 expected average against them, against .195 on his breaking balls.
147 of his fastballs thrown.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Criswell's sweeper moves 18.9 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
118 thrown, averaging 78.5 mph.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Criswell's sinker leaves the bat at 90.0 mph, against 82.1 off his cutter.
182 and 134 of them thrown.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Criswell throws a strike on the first pitch 70% of the time.
170 plate appearances started in 2026.
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Criswell averages 86.3 mph across his arsenal, 12th percentile in the league.
279 pitches in 2026. 12th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 470th in MLB.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Criswell's sinker averages 90.7 mph, and has touched 93.2.
182 thrown, 28.3% of his pitches.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Criswell goes to the changeup: 36.5% of his two-strike pitches, against 21.9% the rest of the time.
200 two-strike pitches in 2026.
He cannot find the zone often enough
Criswell works off the plate, with only 39.4% of his pitches in the zone, 17th percentile.
279 pitches in 2026. 17th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 444th in MLB.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Criswell lands 45.6% of his fastballs in the zone and only 25.3% of his offspeed pitches.
147 of his fastballs, 79 of his offspeed pitches.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Criswell puts 58.3% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 33.8% when he is ahead.
139 located pitches behind, 204 ahead.
His ball is straighter than it should be
Criswell's stuff spins at 2,092 rpm, 18th percentile in the league.
279 pitches in 2026. 18th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 438th in MLB.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Criswell works with 5 pitches: Sinker, Changeup, Cutter and Sweeper, and a little else. The sinker is 28.3% of everything he throws.
642 classified pitches in 2026.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Criswell lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.31 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
642 located pitches in 2026.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Criswell's sweeper spins at 2,630 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
118 thrown in 2026.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Criswell throws the sinker 36.2% of the time against right-handers and 19.4% against left-handers.
343 pitches to right-handers, 299 to left-handers.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Criswell throws a fastball 59% of the time, against 49.5% when he is ahead.
139 pitches behind in the count, 204 ahead.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
17.9% of Criswell's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
115 of 642 located pitches.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
12.2 mph separates Criswell's sinker from his sweeper, 90.7 against 78.5.
182 and 118 of them respectively.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
Criswell releases the ball 6.6 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
572 tracked pitches in 2026.
When hitters connect off him, they hit it hard
Hitters average 89.2 mph off the bat against Criswell, 38th percentile.
279 pitches in 2026. 38th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 331st in MLB.
Too much of the contact against him is loud
42% of the contact Criswell gives up is hit hard, 38th percentile.
279 pitches in 2026. 38th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 332nd in MLB.
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The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Criswell releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 8 degrees above horizontal and 1.8 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
642 tracked release points, averaging 4.8 feet off the ground.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
Criswell releases the ball 6.6 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
572 tracked pitches in 2026.
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 .344 expected average against them, against .195 on his breaking balls.
147 of his fastballs thrown.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Criswell lands 45.6% of his fastballs in the zone and only 25.3% of his offspeed pitches.
147 of his fastballs, 79 of his offspeed pitches.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Criswell's sweeper moves 18.9 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
118 thrown, averaging 78.5 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Criswell's sinker leaves the bat at 90.0 mph, against 82.1 off his cutter.
182 and 134 of them thrown.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Criswell's sinker averages 90.7 mph, and has touched 93.2.
182 thrown, 28.3% of his pitches.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Criswell works with 5 pitches: Sinker, Changeup, Cutter and Sweeper, and a little else. The sinker is 28.3% of everything he throws.
642 classified pitches in 2026.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Criswell's sweeper spins at 2,630 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
118 thrown in 2026.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Criswell throws the sinker 36.2% of the time against right-handers and 19.4% against left-handers.
343 pitches to right-handers, 299 to left-handers.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
12.2 mph separates Criswell's sinker from his sweeper, 90.7 against 78.5.
182 and 118 of them respectively.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Criswell throws a strike on the first pitch 70% of the time.
170 plate appearances started in 2026.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Criswell goes to the changeup: 36.5% of his two-strike pitches, against 21.9% the rest of the time.
200 two-strike pitches in 2026.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Criswell puts 58.3% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 33.8% when he is ahead.
139 located pitches behind, 204 ahead.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Criswell throws a fastball 59% of the time, against 49.5% when he is ahead.
139 pitches behind in the count, 204 ahead.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Criswell averages 86.3 mph across his arsenal, 12th percentile in the league.
279 pitches in 2026. 12th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 470th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He cannot find the zone often enough
Criswell works off the plate, with only 39.4% of his pitches in the zone, 17th percentile.
279 pitches in 2026. 17th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 444th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His ball is straighter than it should be
Criswell's stuff spins at 2,092 rpm, 18th percentile in the league.
279 pitches in 2026. 18th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 438th 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
Criswell lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.31 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
642 located pitches in 2026.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
17.9% of Criswell's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
115 of 642 located pitches.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
When hitters connect off him, they hit it hard
Hitters average 89.2 mph off the bat against Criswell, 38th percentile.
279 pitches in 2026. 38th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 331st in MLB.
Too much of the contact against him is loud
42% of the contact Criswell gives up is hit hard, 38th percentile.
279 pitches in 2026. 38th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 332nd in MLB.
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