The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Barco releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 13 degrees above horizontal and 3.0 feet to the first-base side of the rubber.
229 tracked release points, averaging 5.1 feet off the ground.
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his fastballs: a .397 expected average against them, against .221 on his breaking balls.
142 of his fastballs thrown.
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
Barco throws 51.2% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 40.1% with the bases empty.
82 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 150 with the bases empty.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Barco's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 94.2 mph, against 83.4 off his slider.
82 and 41 of them thrown.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Barco's sinker moves 16.5 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
60 thrown, averaging 93.7 mph.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Barco goes to the sweeper: 19.7% of his two-strike pitches, against 5.3% the rest of the time.
61 two-strike pitches in 2026.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Barco throws a fastball 71.8% of the time, against 52.5% when he is ahead.
78 pitches behind in the count, 59 ahead.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Barco throws the sweeper 25% of the time against left-handers and 3% against right-handers.
168 pitches to right-handers, 64 to left-handers.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Barco's 4-seam fastball carries 11.8 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
82 thrown, averaging 94.3 mph.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Barco works with 6 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball, Sinker, Slider and Sweeper, and a little else. The 4-seam fastball is 35.3% of everything he throws.
232 classified pitches in 2026.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Barco lands 51.8% of his fastballs in the zone and only 36.7% of his breaking balls.
142 of his fastballs, 62 of his breaking balls.
His ball is straighter than it should be
Barco's stuff spins at 2,140 rpm, 27th percentile in the league.
232 pitches in 2026. 27th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 392nd in MLB.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
17.9% of Barco's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
41 of 229 located pitches.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
11.9 mph separates Barco's 4-seam fastball from his slider, 94.3 against 82.4.
82 and 41 of them respectively.
He fills the strike zone and makes hitters beat him
Barco lives in the strike zone: 44.1% of his pitches are in it, 64th percentile.
232 pitches in 2026. 64th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 194th in MLB.
He falls behind hitters far too often
Barco throws a strike on the first pitch 56.7% of the time.
60 plate appearances started in 2026.
Too much of the contact against him is loud
43.6% of the contact Barco gives up is hit hard, 32nd percentile.
232 pitches in 2026. 32nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 363rd in MLB.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Barco's 4-seam fastball averages 94.3 mph, and has touched 96.2.
82 thrown, 35.3% of his pitches.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Barco puts 57.7% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 46.6% when he is ahead.
78 located pitches behind, 58 ahead.
He releases the ball about where everyone else does
Barco releases the ball 6.2 feet down the mound, a shorter stride than most.
151 tracked pitches in 2026.
The contact he allows is the kind that finds grass
The quality of contact against Barco projects a .340 average, 36th percentile.
232 pitches in 2026. 36th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 342nd in MLB.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Barco's 4-seam fastball spins at 2,351 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
82 thrown in 2026.
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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
Barco releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 13 degrees above horizontal and 3.0 feet to the first-base side of the rubber.
229 tracked release points, averaging 5.1 feet off the ground.
He releases the ball about where everyone else does
Barco releases the ball 6.2 feet down the mound, a shorter stride than most.
151 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 .397 expected average against them, against .221 on his breaking balls.
142 of his fastballs thrown.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Barco lands 51.8% of his fastballs in the zone and only 36.7% of his breaking balls.
142 of his fastballs, 62 of his breaking balls.
The numbers behind these live in Matchups.
Take me there
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
Barco throws 51.2% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 40.1% with the bases empty.
82 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 150 with the bases empty.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Barco's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 94.2 mph, against 83.4 off his slider.
82 and 41 of them thrown.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Barco throws the sweeper 25% of the time against left-handers and 3% against right-handers.
168 pitches to right-handers, 64 to left-handers.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Barco works with 6 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball, Sinker, Slider and Sweeper, and a little else. The 4-seam fastball is 35.3% of everything he throws.
232 classified pitches in 2026.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
11.9 mph separates Barco's 4-seam fastball from his slider, 94.3 against 82.4.
82 and 41 of them respectively.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Barco's 4-seam fastball averages 94.3 mph, and has touched 96.2.
82 thrown, 35.3% of his pitches.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Barco's 4-seam fastball spins at 2,351 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
82 thrown in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Barco's sinker moves 16.5 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
60 thrown, averaging 93.7 mph.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Barco's 4-seam fastball carries 11.8 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
82 thrown, averaging 94.3 mph.
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 Barco goes to the sweeper: 19.7% of his two-strike pitches, against 5.3% the rest of the time.
61 two-strike pitches in 2026.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Barco throws a fastball 71.8% of the time, against 52.5% when he is ahead.
78 pitches behind in the count, 59 ahead.
He falls behind hitters far too often
Barco throws a strike on the first pitch 56.7% of the time.
60 plate appearances started in 2026.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Barco puts 57.7% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 46.6% when he is ahead.
78 located pitches behind, 58 ahead.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His ball is straighter than it should be
Barco's stuff spins at 2,140 rpm, 27th percentile in the league.
232 pitches in 2026. 27th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 392nd in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
17.9% of Barco's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
41 of 229 located pitches.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He fills the strike zone and makes hitters beat him
Barco lives in the strike zone: 44.1% of his pitches are in it, 64th percentile.
232 pitches in 2026. 64th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 194th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
Too much of the contact against him is loud
43.6% of the contact Barco gives up is hit hard, 32nd percentile.
232 pitches in 2026. 32nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 363rd in MLB.
The contact he allows is the kind that finds grass
The quality of contact against Barco projects a .340 average, 36th percentile.
232 pitches in 2026. 36th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 342nd in MLB.
Pirates
Career team 2025–2026