When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Melancon throws a fastball 79.1% of the time, against 50.6% when he is ahead.
230 pitches behind in the count, 241 ahead.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Melancon's knuckle curve moves 22.6 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
266 thrown, averaging 81.7 mph.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Melancon's cutter averages 90.9 mph, and has touched 93.2.
556 thrown, 62.8% of his pitches.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Melancon goes to the knuckle curve: 42.6% of his two-strike pitches, against 25.6% the rest of the time.
230 two-strike pitches in 2022.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Melancon's knuckle curve leaves the bat at 92.9 mph, against 87.2 off his cutter.
266 and 556 of them thrown.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Melancon's knuckle curve carries 14.4 inches of drop against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
266 thrown, averaging 81.7 mph.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Melancon 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.
886 located pitches in 2022.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Melancon works with 2 pitches: Cutter and Knuckle Curve. The cutter is 62.8% of everything he throws.
886 classified pitches in 2022.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Melancon puts 60.9% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 36.1% when he is ahead.
230 located pitches behind, 241 ahead.
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
Melancon throws 43% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 47.7% with the bases empty.
223 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 663 with the bases empty.
He lives on one side of the plate
Melancon works in on right-handers: his average pitch lands 3.2 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
886 located pitches in 2022.
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Melancon releases the ball from a low three-quarters slot, about 41 degrees above horizontal and 2.3 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
886 tracked release points, averaging 6.2 feet off the ground.
His ball moves more than the hitter expects it to
Melancon's stuff spins at 2,355 rpm, 76th percentile in the league.
886 pitches in 2022. 76th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2022, 189th in MLB.
He fills the strike zone and makes hitters beat him
Melancon lives in the strike zone: 46.5% of his pitches are in it, 68th percentile.
886 pitches in 2022. 68th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2022, 246th in MLB.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Melancon lands 50.3% of his fastballs in the zone and only 38.7% of his breaking balls.
583 of his fastballs, 282 of his breaking balls.
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Melancon averages 87.8 mph across his arsenal, 33rd percentile in the league.
886 pitches in 2022. 33rd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2022, 522nd in MLB.
He pitches differently depending on which hand is up
Melancon puts 48% of his pitches to right-handers in the zone and 45% of his pitches to left-handers.
448 pitches to right-handed hitters, 438 to left-handed hitters.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Melancon's knuckle curve spins at 2,586 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
266 thrown in 2022.
When hitters connect off him, they hit it hard
Hitters average 89.2 mph off the bat against Melancon, 31st percentile.
886 pitches in 2022. 31st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2022, 535th in MLB.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
17.5% of Melancon's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
155 of 886 located pitches.
The contact he allows is the kind that finds grass
The quality of contact against Melancon projects a .336 average, 32nd percentile.
886 pitches in 2022. 32nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2022, 527th in MLB.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Melancon throws a strike on the first pitch 62.6% of the time.
246 plate appearances started in 2022.
He releases the ball about where everyone else does
Melancon releases the ball 6.3 feet down the mound, a shorter stride than most.
886 tracked pitches in 2022.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
9.2 mph separates Melancon's cutter from his knuckle curve, 90.9 against 81.7.
556 and 266 of them respectively.
One pitch exists only to make the hitter think
Melancon has thrown 21 splitters this season, 2.4% of his pitches, at 83.7 mph: a look rather than a weapon.
886 classified pitches in 2022.
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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 Melancon throws a fastball 79.1% of the time, against 50.6% when he is ahead.
230 pitches behind in the count, 241 ahead.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Melancon goes to the knuckle curve: 42.6% of his two-strike pitches, against 25.6% the rest of the time.
230 two-strike pitches in 2022.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Melancon puts 60.9% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 36.1% when he is ahead.
230 located pitches behind, 241 ahead.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Melancon throws a strike on the first pitch 62.6% of the time.
246 plate appearances started in 2022.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Melancon's knuckle curve moves 22.6 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
266 thrown, averaging 81.7 mph.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Melancon's knuckle curve carries 14.4 inches of drop against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
266 thrown, averaging 81.7 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Melancon's cutter averages 90.9 mph, and has touched 93.2.
556 thrown, 62.8% of his pitches.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Melancon's knuckle curve leaves the bat at 92.9 mph, against 87.2 off his cutter.
266 and 556 of them thrown.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Melancon works with 2 pitches: Cutter and Knuckle Curve. The cutter is 62.8% of everything he throws.
886 classified pitches in 2022.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Melancon's knuckle curve spins at 2,586 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
266 thrown in 2022.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
9.2 mph separates Melancon's cutter from his knuckle curve, 90.9 against 81.7.
556 and 266 of them respectively.
One pitch exists only to make the hitter think
Melancon has thrown 21 splitters this season, 2.4% of his pitches, at 83.7 mph: a look rather than a weapon.
886 classified pitches in 2022.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Melancon 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.
886 located pitches in 2022.
He lives on one side of the plate
Melancon works in on right-handers: his average pitch lands 3.2 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
886 located pitches in 2022.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
17.5% of Melancon's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
155 of 886 located pitches.
The numbers behind these live in Matchups.
Take me there
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
Melancon throws 43% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 47.7% with the bases empty.
223 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 663 with the bases empty.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Melancon releases the ball from a low three-quarters slot, about 41 degrees above horizontal and 2.3 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
886 tracked release points, averaging 6.2 feet off the ground.
He releases the ball about where everyone else does
Melancon releases the ball 6.3 feet down the mound, a shorter stride than most.
886 tracked pitches in 2022.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His ball moves more than the hitter expects it to
Melancon's stuff spins at 2,355 rpm, 76th percentile in the league.
886 pitches in 2022. 76th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2022, 189th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He fills the strike zone and makes hitters beat him
Melancon lives in the strike zone: 46.5% of his pitches are in it, 68th percentile.
886 pitches in 2022. 68th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2022, 246th 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
Melancon lands 50.3% of his fastballs in the zone and only 38.7% of his breaking balls.
583 of his fastballs, 282 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
Melancon averages 87.8 mph across his arsenal, 33rd percentile in the league.
886 pitches in 2022. 33rd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2022, 522nd in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Matchups.
Take me there
He pitches differently depending on which hand is up
Melancon puts 48% of his pitches to right-handers in the zone and 45% of his pitches to left-handers.
448 pitches to right-handed hitters, 438 to left-handed hitters.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
When hitters connect off him, they hit it hard
Hitters average 89.2 mph off the bat against Melancon, 31st percentile.
886 pitches in 2022. 31st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2022, 535th in MLB.
The contact he allows is the kind that finds grass
The quality of contact against Melancon projects a .336 average, 32nd percentile.
886 pitches in 2022. 32nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2022, 527th in MLB.
Pirates
Career team 2013–2016