When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Sterner throws a fastball 86.5% of the time, against 59.2% when he is ahead.
96 pitches behind in the count, 103 ahead.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Sterner's 4-seam fastball carries 17.5 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
145 thrown, averaging 93.1 mph.
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Sterner releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 23 degrees above horizontal and 2.6 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
356 tracked release points, averaging 5.4 feet off the ground.
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
Sterner throws 49.6% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 42% with the bases empty.
113 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 243 with the bases empty.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Sterner goes to the sweeper: 37.3% of his two-strike pitches, against 23.6% the rest of the time.
110 two-strike pitches in 2026.
He lives on one side of the plate
Sterner works in on right-handers: his average pitch lands 4.0 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
356 located pitches in 2026.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Sterner's sweeper moves 14.3 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
99 thrown, averaging 81.3 mph.
His ball moves more than the hitter expects it to
Sterner's stuff spins at 2,530 rpm, 91st percentile in the league.
356 pitches in 2026. 91st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 49th in MLB.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Sterner's sweeper spins at 2,691 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
99 thrown in 2026.
Too much of the contact against him is loud
49.2% of the contact Sterner gives up is hit hard, 13th percentile.
356 pitches in 2026. 13th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 467th in MLB.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Sterner lands 48.6% of his fastballs in the zone and only 33.3% of his breaking balls.
257 of his fastballs, 99 of his breaking balls.
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Sterner averages 88.2 mph across his arsenal, 28th percentile in the league.
356 pitches in 2026. 28th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 388th in MLB.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Sterner works with 3 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball, Cutter and Sweeper. The 4-seam fastball is 40.7% of everything he throws.
356 classified pitches in 2026.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Sterner puts 61.5% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 41.7% when he is ahead.
96 located pitches behind, 103 ahead.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
11.9 mph separates Sterner's 4-seam fastball from his sweeper, 93.1 against 81.3.
145 and 99 of them respectively.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Sterner 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.
356 located pitches in 2026.
He fills the strike zone and makes hitters beat him
Sterner lives in the strike zone: 44.4% of his pitches are in it, 66th percentile.
356 pitches in 2026. 66th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 182nd in MLB.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Sterner's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 88.8 mph, against 85.7 off his cutter.
145 and 112 of them thrown.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Sterner throws a strike on the first pitch 64.1% of the time.
92 plate appearances started in 2026.
Hitters cannot square him up, the contact is weak
Contact against Sterner is weak: 87.1 mph off the bat on average, 69th percentile.
356 pitches in 2026. 69th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 169th in MLB.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
Sterner releases the ball 6.6 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
282 tracked pitches in 2026.
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his fastballs: a .314 expected average against them, against .288 on his breaking balls.
257 of his fastballs thrown.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Sterner's 4-seam fastball averages 93.1 mph, and has touched 94.9.
145 thrown, 40.7% of his pitches.
The contact he allows should not turn into many hits
The quality of contact against Sterner projects a .309 average, 65th percentile.
356 pitches in 2026. 65th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 187th in MLB.
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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 Sterner throws a fastball 86.5% of the time, against 59.2% when he is ahead.
96 pitches behind in the count, 103 ahead.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Sterner goes to the sweeper: 37.3% of his two-strike pitches, against 23.6% the rest of the time.
110 two-strike pitches in 2026.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Sterner puts 61.5% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 41.7% when he is ahead.
96 located pitches behind, 103 ahead.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Sterner throws a strike on the first pitch 64.1% of the time.
92 plate appearances started in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Sterner's 4-seam fastball carries 17.5 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
145 thrown, averaging 93.1 mph.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Sterner's sweeper moves 14.3 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
99 thrown, averaging 81.3 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Sterner releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 23 degrees above horizontal and 2.6 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
356 tracked release points, averaging 5.4 feet off the ground.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
Sterner releases the ball 6.6 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
282 tracked pitches in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Matchups.
Take me there
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
Sterner throws 49.6% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 42% with the bases empty.
113 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 243 with the bases empty.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He lives on one side of the plate
Sterner works in on right-handers: his average pitch lands 4.0 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
356 located pitches in 2026.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Sterner 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.
356 located pitches in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His ball moves more than the hitter expects it to
Sterner's stuff spins at 2,530 rpm, 91st percentile in the league.
356 pitches in 2026. 91st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 49th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Sterner's sweeper spins at 2,691 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
99 thrown in 2026.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Sterner works with 3 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball, Cutter and Sweeper. The 4-seam fastball is 40.7% of everything he throws.
356 classified pitches in 2026.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
11.9 mph separates Sterner's 4-seam fastball from his sweeper, 93.1 against 81.3.
145 and 99 of them respectively.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Sterner's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 88.8 mph, against 85.7 off his cutter.
145 and 112 of them thrown.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Sterner's 4-seam fastball averages 93.1 mph, and has touched 94.9.
145 thrown, 40.7% of his pitches.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
Too much of the contact against him is loud
49.2% of the contact Sterner gives up is hit hard, 13th percentile.
356 pitches in 2026. 13th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 467th in MLB.
Hitters cannot square him up, the contact is weak
Contact against Sterner is weak: 87.1 mph off the bat on average, 69th percentile.
356 pitches in 2026. 69th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 169th in MLB.
The contact he allows should not turn into many hits
The quality of contact against Sterner projects a .309 average, 65th percentile.
356 pitches in 2026. 65th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 187th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Sterner lands 48.6% of his fastballs in the zone and only 33.3% of his breaking balls.
257 of his fastballs, 99 of his breaking balls.
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his fastballs: a .314 expected average against them, against .288 on his breaking balls.
257 of his fastballs thrown.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Sterner averages 88.2 mph across his arsenal, 28th percentile in the league.
356 pitches in 2026. 28th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 388th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He fills the strike zone and makes hitters beat him
Sterner lives in the strike zone: 44.4% of his pitches are in it, 66th percentile.
356 pitches in 2026. 66th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 182nd in MLB.
Athletics
Career team 2025–2026