The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Flaherty releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 20 degrees above horizontal and 2.2 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
786 tracked release points, averaging 5.2 feet off the ground.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Flaherty's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 93.9 mph, against 83.8 off his knuckle curve.
343 and 132 of them thrown.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Flaherty lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 1.89 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
786 located pitches in 2026.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Flaherty's 4-seam fastball carries 15.7 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
343 thrown, averaging 92.4 mph.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Flaherty lands 50.8% of his fastballs in the zone and only 30% of his breaking balls.
376 of his fastballs, 303 of his breaking balls.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
14.4 mph separates Flaherty's 4-seam fastball from his knuckle curve, 92.4 against 78.1.
343 and 132 of them respectively.
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Flaherty averages 87.5 mph across his arsenal, 21st percentile in the league.
786 pitches in 2026. 21st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 422nd in MLB.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Flaherty goes to the knuckle curve: 24.5% of his two-strike pitches, against 16.5% the rest of the time.
216 two-strike pitches in 2026.
Too much of the contact against him is loud
47.3% of the contact Flaherty gives up is hit hard, 17th percentile.
786 pitches in 2026. 17th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 445th in MLB.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Flaherty works with 3 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball, Slider and Knuckle Curve. The 4-seam fastball is 49.4% of everything he throws.
695 classified pitches in 2026.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Flaherty puts 53.4% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 36.3% when he is ahead.
236 located pitches behind, 215 ahead.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
15.9% of Flaherty's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
125 of 786 located pitches.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Flaherty's knuckle curve moves 11.1 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
132 thrown, averaging 78.1 mph.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Flaherty throws a fastball 58.7% of the time, against 48.9% when he is ahead.
208 pitches behind in the count, 188 ahead.
He cannot find the zone often enough
Flaherty works off the plate, with only 41.5% of his pitches in the zone, 34th percentile.
786 pitches in 2026. 34th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 355th in MLB.
His velocity drains away as the outing goes on
Flaherty's fastball averages 92.7 mph in his first 25 pitches of a start and 92.0 past his 75th.
113 early fastballs, 58 late ones.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Flaherty's 4-seam fastball averages 92.4 mph, and has touched 96.3.
343 thrown, 49.4% of his pitches.
He lives on one side of the plate
Flaherty works in on right-handers: his average pitch lands 2.0 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
786 located pitches in 2026.
The contact he allows is the kind that finds grass
The quality of contact against Flaherty projects a .344 average, 32nd percentile.
786 pitches in 2026. 32nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 364th in MLB.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
Flaherty releases the ball 6.6 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
591 tracked pitches in 2026.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Flaherty's slider spins at 2,403 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
171 thrown in 2026.
He falls behind hitters far too often
Flaherty throws a strike on the first pitch 58.8% of the time.
182 plate appearances started in 2026.
One pitch exists only to make the hitter think
Flaherty has thrown 33 sinkers this season, 4.7% of his pitches, at 90.5 mph: a look rather than a weapon.
695 classified pitches in 2026.
Show more
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Flaherty releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 20 degrees above horizontal and 2.2 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
786 tracked release points, averaging 5.2 feet off the ground.
His velocity drains away as the outing goes on
Flaherty's fastball averages 92.7 mph in his first 25 pitches of a start and 92.0 past his 75th.
113 early fastballs, 58 late ones.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
Flaherty releases the ball 6.6 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
591 tracked pitches in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Flaherty's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 93.9 mph, against 83.8 off his knuckle curve.
343 and 132 of them thrown.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
14.4 mph separates Flaherty's 4-seam fastball from his knuckle curve, 92.4 against 78.1.
343 and 132 of them respectively.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Flaherty works with 3 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball, Slider and Knuckle Curve. The 4-seam fastball is 49.4% of everything he throws.
695 classified pitches in 2026.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Flaherty's 4-seam fastball averages 92.4 mph, and has touched 96.3.
343 thrown, 49.4% of his pitches.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Flaherty's slider spins at 2,403 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
171 thrown in 2026.
One pitch exists only to make the hitter think
Flaherty has thrown 33 sinkers this season, 4.7% of his pitches, at 90.5 mph: a look rather than a weapon.
695 classified pitches in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Flaherty lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 1.89 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
786 located pitches in 2026.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
15.9% of Flaherty's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
125 of 786 located pitches.
He lives on one side of the plate
Flaherty works in on right-handers: his average pitch lands 2.0 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
786 located pitches in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Flaherty's 4-seam fastball carries 15.7 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
343 thrown, averaging 92.4 mph.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Flaherty's knuckle curve moves 11.1 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
132 thrown, averaging 78.1 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Flaherty lands 50.8% of his fastballs in the zone and only 30% of his breaking balls.
376 of his fastballs, 303 of his breaking balls.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Flaherty averages 87.5 mph across his arsenal, 21st percentile in the league.
786 pitches in 2026. 21st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 422nd in MLB.
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 Flaherty goes to the knuckle curve: 24.5% of his two-strike pitches, against 16.5% the rest of the time.
216 two-strike pitches in 2026.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Flaherty puts 53.4% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 36.3% when he is ahead.
236 located pitches behind, 215 ahead.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Flaherty throws a fastball 58.7% of the time, against 48.9% when he is ahead.
208 pitches behind in the count, 188 ahead.
He falls behind hitters far too often
Flaherty throws a strike on the first pitch 58.8% of the time.
182 plate appearances started in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
Too much of the contact against him is loud
47.3% of the contact Flaherty gives up is hit hard, 17th percentile.
786 pitches in 2026. 17th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 445th in MLB.
The contact he allows is the kind that finds grass
The quality of contact against Flaherty projects a .344 average, 32nd percentile.
786 pitches in 2026. 32nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 364th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He cannot find the zone often enough
Flaherty works off the plate, with only 41.5% of his pitches in the zone, 34th percentile.
786 pitches in 2026. 34th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 355th in MLB.
Cardinals
Career team 2017–2023