One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his fastballs: a .460 expected average against them, against .254 on his offspeed pitches.
292 of his fastballs thrown.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Gonzalez's sinker moves 106.3 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
86 thrown, averaging 89.3 mph.
He cannot find the zone often enough
Gonzalez works off the plate, with only 34.5% of his pitches in the zone, 3rd percentile.
620 pitches in 2020. 3rd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2020, 637th in MLB.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Gonzalez's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 90.5 mph, against 81.5 off his changeup.
206 and 202 of them thrown.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Gonzalez's 4-seam fastball averages 90.2 mph, and has touched 97.7.
206 thrown, 33.2% of his pitches.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Gonzalez lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.05 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
620 located pitches in 2020.
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Gonzalez averages 85.0 mph across his arsenal, 11th percentile in the league.
620 pitches in 2020. 11th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2020, 582nd in MLB.
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Gonzalez releases the ball from a low three-quarters slot, about 28 degrees above horizontal and 2.4 feet to the first-base side of the rubber.
620 tracked release points, averaging 5.5 feet off the ground.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Gonzalez's 4-seam fastball carries 15.6 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
206 thrown, averaging 90.2 mph.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
12.1% of Gonzalez's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
75 of 620 located pitches.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Gonzalez throws a fastball 55.9% of the time, against 41.3% when he is ahead.
177 pitches behind in the count, 172 ahead.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Gonzalez puts 42.9% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 23.8% when he is ahead.
177 located pitches behind, 172 ahead.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
13.5 mph separates Gonzalez's 4-seam fastball from his curveball, 90.2 against 76.7.
206 and 118 of them respectively.
His ball is straighter than it should be
Gonzalez's stuff spins at 2,097 rpm, 22nd percentile in the league.
620 pitches in 2020. 22nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2020, 515th in MLB.
Hitters cannot square him up, the contact is weak
Contact against Gonzalez is weak: 86.3 mph off the bat on average, 76th percentile.
620 pitches in 2020. 76th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2020, 159th in MLB.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Gonzalez lands 41.1% of his fastballs in the zone and only 26.2% of his breaking balls.
292 of his fastballs, 126 of his breaking balls.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Gonzalez's curveball spins at 2,708 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
118 thrown in 2020.
He pitches differently depending on which hand is up
Gonzalez puts 33.6% of his pitches to right-handers in the zone and 36.7% of his pitches to left-handers.
432 pitches to right-handed hitters, 188 to left-handed hitters.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Gonzalez goes to the curveball: 24.1% of his two-strike pitches, against 17.2% the rest of the time.
166 two-strike pitches in 2020.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Gonzalez works with 4 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball, Changeup, Curveball and Sinker. The 4-seam fastball is 33.2% of everything he throws.
620 classified pitches in 2020.
The contact he allows is the kind that finds grass
The quality of contact against Gonzalez projects a .376 average, 27th percentile.
620 pitches in 2020. 27th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2020, 480th in MLB.
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
Gonzalez throws 36.3% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 33.9% with the bases empty.
171 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 449 with the bases empty.
Almost nothing hit off him is hit well
Only 33.3% of the contact Gonzalez gives up is hit hard, 72nd percentile.
620 pitches in 2020. 72nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2020, 186th in MLB.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Gonzalez throws the sinker 25% of the time against left-handers and 9% against right-handers.
432 pitches to right-handers, 188 to left-handers.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Gonzalez throws a strike on the first pitch 63% of the time.
154 plate appearances started in 2020.
One pitch exists only to make the hitter think
Gonzalez has thrown 8 sliders this season, 1.3% of his pitches, at 85.4 mph: a look rather than a weapon.
620 classified pitches in 2020.
Show more
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 .460 expected average against them, against .254 on his offspeed pitches.
292 of his fastballs thrown.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Gonzalez lands 41.1% of his fastballs in the zone and only 26.2% of his breaking balls.
292 of his fastballs, 126 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
Gonzalez's sinker moves 106.3 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
86 thrown, averaging 89.3 mph.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Gonzalez's 4-seam fastball carries 15.6 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
206 thrown, averaging 90.2 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He cannot find the zone often enough
Gonzalez works off the plate, with only 34.5% of his pitches in the zone, 3rd percentile.
620 pitches in 2020. 3rd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2020, 637th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Gonzalez's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 90.5 mph, against 81.5 off his changeup.
206 and 202 of them thrown.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Gonzalez's 4-seam fastball averages 90.2 mph, and has touched 97.7.
206 thrown, 33.2% of his pitches.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
13.5 mph separates Gonzalez's 4-seam fastball from his curveball, 90.2 against 76.7.
206 and 118 of them respectively.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Gonzalez's curveball spins at 2,708 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
118 thrown in 2020.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Gonzalez works with 4 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball, Changeup, Curveball and Sinker. The 4-seam fastball is 33.2% of everything he throws.
620 classified pitches in 2020.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Gonzalez throws the sinker 25% of the time against left-handers and 9% against right-handers.
432 pitches to right-handers, 188 to left-handers.
One pitch exists only to make the hitter think
Gonzalez has thrown 8 sliders this season, 1.3% of his pitches, at 85.4 mph: a look rather than a weapon.
620 classified pitches in 2020.
Show more
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Gonzalez lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.05 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
620 located pitches in 2020.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
12.1% of Gonzalez's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
75 of 620 located pitches.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Gonzalez averages 85.0 mph across his arsenal, 11th percentile in the league.
620 pitches in 2020. 11th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2020, 582nd in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Gonzalez releases the ball from a low three-quarters slot, about 28 degrees above horizontal and 2.4 feet to the first-base side of the rubber.
620 tracked release points, averaging 5.5 feet off the ground.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Gonzalez throws a fastball 55.9% of the time, against 41.3% when he is ahead.
177 pitches behind in the count, 172 ahead.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Gonzalez puts 42.9% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 23.8% when he is ahead.
177 located pitches behind, 172 ahead.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Gonzalez goes to the curveball: 24.1% of his two-strike pitches, against 17.2% the rest of the time.
166 two-strike pitches in 2020.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Gonzalez throws a strike on the first pitch 63% of the time.
154 plate appearances started in 2020.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His ball is straighter than it should be
Gonzalez's stuff spins at 2,097 rpm, 22nd percentile in the league.
620 pitches in 2020. 22nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2020, 515th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
Hitters cannot square him up, the contact is weak
Contact against Gonzalez is weak: 86.3 mph off the bat on average, 76th percentile.
620 pitches in 2020. 76th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2020, 159th in MLB.
The contact he allows is the kind that finds grass
The quality of contact against Gonzalez projects a .376 average, 27th percentile.
620 pitches in 2020. 27th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2020, 480th in MLB.
Almost nothing hit off him is hit well
Only 33.3% of the contact Gonzalez gives up is hit hard, 72nd percentile.
620 pitches in 2020. 72nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2020, 186th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Matchups.
Take me there
He pitches differently depending on which hand is up
Gonzalez puts 33.6% of his pitches to right-handers in the zone and 36.7% of his pitches to left-handers.
432 pitches to right-handed hitters, 188 to left-handed hitters.
The numbers behind these live in Matchups.
Take me there
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
Gonzalez throws 36.3% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 33.9% with the bases empty.
171 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 449 with the bases empty.
Nationals
Career team 2012–2018