The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Topa releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 13 degrees above horizontal and 2.2 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
317 tracked release points, averaging 4.9 feet off the ground.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Topa throws a fastball 82.7% of the time, against 44.7% when he is ahead.
104 pitches behind in the count, 85 ahead.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Topa's sinker moves 18.1 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
142 thrown, averaging 93.4 mph.
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his breaking balls: a .437 expected average against them, against .329 on his fastballs.
54 of his breaking balls thrown.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Topa's sweeper leaves the bat at 95.8 mph, against 86.9 off his cutter.
54 and 78 of them thrown.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Topa throws the sinker 56.9% of the time against right-handers and 23.5% against left-handers.
202 pitches to right-handers, 115 to left-handers.
When hitters connect off him, they hit it hard
Hitters average 91.0 mph off the bat against Topa, 15th percentile.
317 pitches in 2026. 15th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 456th in MLB.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Topa goes to the changeup: 20.5% of his two-strike pitches, against 10.9% the rest of the time.
88 two-strike pitches in 2026.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Topa lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.26 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
317 located pitches in 2026.
He releases the ball about where everyone else does
Topa releases the ball 5.8 feet down the mound, a shorter stride than most.
250 tracked pitches in 2026.
He fills the strike zone and makes hitters beat him
Topa lives in the strike zone: 44.8% of his pitches are in it, 71st percentile.
317 pitches in 2026. 71st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 154th in MLB.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Topa works with 4 pitches: Sinker, Cutter, Sweeper and Changeup. The sinker is 44.8% of everything he throws.
317 classified pitches in 2026.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Topa lands 48.6% of his fastballs in the zone and only 33.3% of his breaking balls.
220 of his fastballs, 54 of his breaking balls.
Too much of the contact against him is loud
45.8% of the contact Topa gives up is hit hard, 22nd percentile.
317 pitches in 2026. 22nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 421st in MLB.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Topa's sweeper spins at 2,619 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
54 thrown in 2026.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Topa puts 57.7% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 42.4% when he is ahead.
104 located pitches behind, 85 ahead.
He lives on one side of the plate
Topa works in on right-handers: his average pitch lands 1.9 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
317 located pitches in 2026.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
11.9 mph separates Topa's sinker from his sweeper, 93.4 against 81.5.
142 and 54 of them respectively.
The contact he allows is the kind that finds grass
The quality of contact against Topa projects a .348 average, 29th percentile.
317 pitches in 2026. 29th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 380th in MLB.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Topa's sinker averages 93.4 mph, and has touched 95.4.
142 thrown, 44.8% of his pitches.
Show more
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Topa releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 13 degrees above horizontal and 2.2 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
317 tracked release points, averaging 4.9 feet off the ground.
He releases the ball about where everyone else does
Topa releases the ball 5.8 feet down the mound, a shorter stride than most.
250 tracked pitches in 2026.
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 Topa throws a fastball 82.7% of the time, against 44.7% when he is ahead.
104 pitches behind in the count, 85 ahead.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Topa goes to the changeup: 20.5% of his two-strike pitches, against 10.9% the rest of the time.
88 two-strike pitches in 2026.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Topa puts 57.7% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 42.4% when he is ahead.
104 located pitches behind, 85 ahead.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Topa's sinker moves 18.1 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
142 thrown, averaging 93.4 mph.
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 .437 expected average against them, against .329 on his fastballs.
54 of his breaking balls thrown.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Topa lands 48.6% of his fastballs in the zone and only 33.3% of his breaking balls.
220 of his fastballs, 54 of his breaking balls.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Topa's sweeper leaves the bat at 95.8 mph, against 86.9 off his cutter.
54 and 78 of them thrown.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Topa throws the sinker 56.9% of the time against right-handers and 23.5% against left-handers.
202 pitches to right-handers, 115 to left-handers.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Topa works with 4 pitches: Sinker, Cutter, Sweeper and Changeup. The sinker is 44.8% of everything he throws.
317 classified pitches in 2026.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Topa's sweeper spins at 2,619 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
54 thrown in 2026.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
11.9 mph separates Topa's sinker from his sweeper, 93.4 against 81.5.
142 and 54 of them respectively.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Topa's sinker averages 93.4 mph, and has touched 95.4.
142 thrown, 44.8% of his pitches.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
When hitters connect off him, they hit it hard
Hitters average 91.0 mph off the bat against Topa, 15th percentile.
317 pitches in 2026. 15th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 456th in MLB.
Too much of the contact against him is loud
45.8% of the contact Topa gives up is hit hard, 22nd percentile.
317 pitches in 2026. 22nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 421st in MLB.
The contact he allows is the kind that finds grass
The quality of contact against Topa projects a .348 average, 29th percentile.
317 pitches in 2026. 29th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 380th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Topa lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.26 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
317 located pitches in 2026.
He lives on one side of the plate
Topa works in on right-handers: his average pitch lands 1.9 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
317 located pitches in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He fills the strike zone and makes hitters beat him
Topa lives in the strike zone: 44.8% of his pitches are in it, 71st percentile.
317 pitches in 2026. 71st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 154th in MLB.
Yankees