The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Bird releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 16 degrees above horizontal and 2.9 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
220 tracked release points, averaging 5.2 feet off the ground.
He fills the strike zone and makes hitters beat him
Bird lives in the strike zone: 51.4% of his pitches are in it, 97th percentile.
220 pitches in 2026. 97th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 17th in MLB.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Bird's sinker moves 16.5 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
71 thrown, averaging 94.9 mph.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Bird throws the curveball 34.4% of the time against left-handers and 10.3% against right-handers.
156 pitches to right-handers, 64 to left-handers.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Bird goes to the curveball: 25.8% of his two-strike pitches, against 13.9% the rest of the time.
62 two-strike pitches in 2026.
His ball moves more than the hitter expects it to
Bird's stuff spins at 2,553 rpm, 93rd percentile in the league.
220 pitches in 2026. 93rd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 40th in MLB.
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his breaking balls: a .345 expected average against them, against .279 on his fastballs.
126 of his breaking balls thrown.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Bird's sweeper spins at 2,705 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
88 thrown in 2026.
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
Bird throws 47.9% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 53% with the bases empty.
71 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 149 with the bases empty.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Bird throws a fastball 53.2% of the time, against 39.2% when he is ahead.
47 pitches behind in the count, 74 ahead.
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Bird averages 88.2 mph across his arsenal, 29th percentile in the league.
220 pitches in 2026. 29th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 382nd in MLB.
He releases the ball about where everyone else does
Bird releases the ball 5.9 feet down the mound, a shorter stride than most.
121 tracked pitches in 2026.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Bird's sinker averages 94.9 mph, and has touched 96.8.
71 thrown, 32.3% of his pitches.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Bird works with 4 pitches: Sweeper, Sinker, Curveball and Cutter. The sweeper is 40% of everything he throws.
220 classified pitches in 2026.
He lives on one side of the plate
Bird works away from right-handers: his average pitch lands 1.6 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
220 located pitches in 2026.
When hitters connect off him, they hit it hard
Hitters average 89.7 mph off the bat against Bird, 32nd percentile.
220 pitches in 2026. 32nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 366th in MLB.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Bird lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.38 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
220 located pitches in 2026.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Bird's sinker leaves the bat at 90.6 mph, against 87.5 off his sweeper.
71 and 88 of them thrown.
The contact he allows should not turn into many hits
The quality of contact against Bird projects a .309 average, 66th percentile.
220 pitches in 2026. 66th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 182nd in MLB.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Bird throws a strike on the first pitch 61.4% of the time.
57 plate appearances started in 2026.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
10.5 mph separates Bird's sinker from his sweeper, 94.9 against 84.4.
71 and 88 of them respectively.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Bird puts 63.8% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 58.1% when he is ahead.
47 located pitches behind, 74 ahead.
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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
Bird releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 16 degrees above horizontal and 2.9 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
220 tracked release points, averaging 5.2 feet off the ground.
He releases the ball about where everyone else does
Bird releases the ball 5.9 feet down the mound, a shorter stride than most.
121 tracked pitches in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He fills the strike zone and makes hitters beat him
Bird lives in the strike zone: 51.4% of his pitches are in it, 97th percentile.
220 pitches in 2026. 97th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 17th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Bird's sinker moves 16.5 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
71 thrown, averaging 94.9 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Bird throws the curveball 34.4% of the time against left-handers and 10.3% against right-handers.
156 pitches to right-handers, 64 to left-handers.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Bird's sweeper spins at 2,705 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
88 thrown in 2026.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Bird's sinker averages 94.9 mph, and has touched 96.8.
71 thrown, 32.3% of his pitches.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Bird works with 4 pitches: Sweeper, Sinker, Curveball and Cutter. The sweeper is 40% of everything he throws.
220 classified pitches in 2026.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Bird's sinker leaves the bat at 90.6 mph, against 87.5 off his sweeper.
71 and 88 of them thrown.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
10.5 mph separates Bird's sinker from his sweeper, 94.9 against 84.4.
71 and 88 of them respectively.
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 Bird goes to the curveball: 25.8% of his two-strike pitches, against 13.9% the rest of the time.
62 two-strike pitches in 2026.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Bird throws a fastball 53.2% of the time, against 39.2% when he is ahead.
47 pitches behind in the count, 74 ahead.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Bird throws a strike on the first pitch 61.4% of the time.
57 plate appearances started in 2026.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Bird puts 63.8% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 58.1% when he is ahead.
47 located pitches behind, 74 ahead.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His ball moves more than the hitter expects it to
Bird's stuff spins at 2,553 rpm, 93rd percentile in the league.
220 pitches in 2026. 93rd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 40th in MLB.
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 breaking balls: a .345 expected average against them, against .279 on his fastballs.
126 of his breaking balls thrown.
The numbers behind these live in Matchups.
Take me there
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
Bird throws 47.9% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 53% with the bases empty.
71 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 149 with the bases empty.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Bird averages 88.2 mph across his arsenal, 29th percentile in the league.
220 pitches in 2026. 29th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 382nd in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He lives on one side of the plate
Bird works away from right-handers: his average pitch lands 1.6 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
220 located pitches in 2026.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Bird lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.38 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
220 located pitches in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
When hitters connect off him, they hit it hard
Hitters average 89.7 mph off the bat against Bird, 32nd percentile.
220 pitches in 2026. 32nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 366th in MLB.
The contact he allows should not turn into many hits
The quality of contact against Bird projects a .309 average, 66th percentile.
220 pitches in 2026. 66th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 182nd in MLB.
Rockies
Career team 2022–2025