The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Backhus releases the ball from a submarine slot, about -2 degrees above horizontal and 2.9 feet to the first-base side of the rubber.
354 tracked release points, averaging 4.3 feet off the ground.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Backhus throws a fastball 70.1% of the time, against 41.9% when he is ahead.
87 pitches behind in the count, 117 ahead.
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his fastballs: a .374 expected average against them, against .163 on his breaking balls.
92 of his fastballs thrown.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Backhus's sinker moves 18.8 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
196 thrown, averaging 90.7 mph.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Backhus's sinker averages 90.7 mph, and has touched 93.8.
196 thrown, 55.4% of his pitches.
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Backhus averages 85.9 mph across his arsenal, 10th percentile in the league.
161 pitches in 2026. 10th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 485th in MLB.
He fills the strike zone and makes hitters beat him
Backhus lives in the strike zone: 47.8% of his pitches are in it, 90th percentile.
161 pitches in 2026. 90th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 56th in MLB.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
Backhus releases the ball 7.2 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
294 tracked pitches in 2026.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Backhus works with 3 pitches: Sinker, Sweeper and Changeup. The sinker is 55.4% of everything he throws.
354 classified pitches in 2026.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Backhus lands 58.7% of his fastballs in the zone and only 36.4% of his breaking balls.
92 of his fastballs, 55 of his breaking balls.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Backhus lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.23 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
354 located pitches in 2026.
Almost nothing hit off him is hit well
Only 31% of the contact Backhus gives up is hit hard, 85th percentile.
161 pitches in 2026. 85th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 83rd in MLB.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Backhus puts 63.2% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 44.4% when he is ahead.
87 located pitches behind, 117 ahead.
His ball is straighter than it should be
Backhus's stuff spins at 2,105 rpm, 21st percentile in the league.
161 pitches in 2026. 21st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 424th in MLB.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
12.4 mph separates Backhus's sinker from his sweeper, 90.7 against 78.3.
196 and 121 of them respectively.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Backhus goes to the changeup: 14.8% of his two-strike pitches, against 8.5% the rest of the time.
108 two-strike pitches in 2026.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Backhus throws the changeup 16.8% of the time against right-handers and 0.7% against left-handers.
214 pitches to right-handers, 140 to left-handers.
He lives on one side of the plate
Backhus works away from right-handers: his average pitch lands 1.7 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
354 located pitches in 2026.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Backhus's sinker leaves the bat at 86.7 mph, against 84.1 off his sweeper.
196 and 121 of them thrown.
The contact he allows should not turn into many hits
The quality of contact against Backhus projects a .309 average, 66th percentile.
161 pitches in 2026. 66th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 181st in MLB.
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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
Backhus releases the ball from a submarine slot, about -2 degrees above horizontal and 2.9 feet to the first-base side of the rubber.
354 tracked release points, averaging 4.3 feet off the ground.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
Backhus releases the ball 7.2 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
294 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 Backhus throws a fastball 70.1% of the time, against 41.9% when he is ahead.
87 pitches behind in the count, 117 ahead.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Backhus puts 63.2% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 44.4% when he is ahead.
87 located pitches behind, 117 ahead.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Backhus goes to the changeup: 14.8% of his two-strike pitches, against 8.5% the rest of the time.
108 two-strike 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 .374 expected average against them, against .163 on his breaking balls.
92 of his fastballs thrown.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Backhus lands 58.7% of his fastballs in the zone and only 36.4% of his breaking balls.
92 of his fastballs, 55 of his breaking balls.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Backhus's sinker moves 18.8 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
196 thrown, averaging 90.7 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Backhus's sinker averages 90.7 mph, and has touched 93.8.
196 thrown, 55.4% of his pitches.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Backhus works with 3 pitches: Sinker, Sweeper and Changeup. The sinker is 55.4% of everything he throws.
354 classified pitches in 2026.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
12.4 mph separates Backhus's sinker from his sweeper, 90.7 against 78.3.
196 and 121 of them respectively.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Backhus throws the changeup 16.8% of the time against right-handers and 0.7% against left-handers.
214 pitches to right-handers, 140 to left-handers.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Backhus's sinker leaves the bat at 86.7 mph, against 84.1 off his sweeper.
196 and 121 of them thrown.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Backhus averages 85.9 mph across his arsenal, 10th percentile in the league.
161 pitches in 2026. 10th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 485th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He fills the strike zone and makes hitters beat him
Backhus lives in the strike zone: 47.8% of his pitches are in it, 90th percentile.
161 pitches in 2026. 90th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 56th 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
Backhus lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.23 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
354 located pitches in 2026.
He lives on one side of the plate
Backhus works away from right-handers: his average pitch lands 1.7 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
354 located pitches in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
Almost nothing hit off him is hit well
Only 31% of the contact Backhus gives up is hit hard, 85th percentile.
161 pitches in 2026. 85th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 83rd in MLB.
The contact he allows should not turn into many hits
The quality of contact against Backhus projects a .309 average, 66th percentile.
161 pitches in 2026. 66th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 181st in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His ball is straighter than it should be
Backhus's stuff spins at 2,105 rpm, 21st percentile in the league.
161 pitches in 2026. 21st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 424th in MLB.
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