His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Barlow's 4-seam fastball averages 89.0 mph, and has touched 90.6.
76 thrown, 13.1% of his pitches.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Barlow goes to the curveball: 53.1% of his two-strike pitches, against 28% the rest of the time.
147 two-strike pitches in 2026.
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Barlow releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 18 degrees above horizontal and 2.4 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
579 tracked release points, averaging 5.2 feet off the ground.
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Barlow averages 81.3 mph across his arsenal, 1st percentile in the league.
307 pitches in 2026. 1st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 534th in MLB.
He cannot find the zone often enough
Barlow works off the plate, with only 35.8% of his pitches in the zone, 4th percentile.
307 pitches in 2026. 4th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 513th in MLB.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Barlow lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 1.80 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
579 located pitches in 2026.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Barlow throws a fastball 37.6% of the time, against 10.4% when he is ahead.
186 pitches behind in the count, 154 ahead.
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his fastballs: a .308 expected average against them, against .221 on his breaking balls.
96 of his fastballs thrown.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Barlow's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 92.5 mph, against 84.2 off his curveball.
76 and 199 of them thrown.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Barlow's curveball moves 14.9 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
199 thrown, averaging 76.2 mph.
The contact he allows should not turn into many hits
The quality of contact against Barlow projects a .248 average, 94th percentile.
307 pitches in 2026. 94th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 33rd in MLB.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
13.6% of Barlow's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
79 of 579 located pitches.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
12.9 mph separates Barlow's sinker from his curveball, 89.1 against 76.2.
75 and 199 of them respectively.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Barlow's 4-seam fastball carries 11.1 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
76 thrown, averaging 89.0 mph.
Almost nothing hit off him is hit well
Only 33.3% of the contact Barlow gives up is hit hard, 79th percentile.
307 pitches in 2026. 79th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 116th in MLB.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Barlow works with 4 pitches: Sweeper, Curveball, 4-Seam Fastball and Sinker. The sweeper is 34.7% of everything he throws.
579 classified pitches in 2026.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Barlow lands 44.8% of his fastballs in the zone and only 31.8% of his breaking balls.
96 of his fastballs, 211 of his breaking balls.
He falls behind hitters far too often
Barlow throws a strike on the first pitch 55.6% of the time.
151 plate appearances started in 2026.
His ball moves more than the hitter expects it to
Barlow's stuff spins at 2,371 rpm, 71st percentile in the league.
307 pitches in 2026. 71st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 157th in MLB.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Barlow throws the sweeper 41.7% of the time against right-handers and 26.4% against left-handers.
314 pitches to right-handers, 265 to left-handers.
He lives on one side of the plate
Barlow works in on right-handers: his average pitch lands 1.8 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
579 located pitches in 2026.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
Barlow releases the ball 6.6 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
514 tracked pitches in 2026.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Barlow puts 42.5% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 31.2% when he is ahead.
186 located pitches behind, 154 ahead.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Barlow's curveball spins at 2,497 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
199 thrown in 2026.
One pitch exists only to make the hitter think
Barlow has thrown 28 sliders this season, 4.8% of his pitches, at 82.1 mph: a look rather than a weapon.
579 classified pitches in 2026.
Show more
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Barlow's 4-seam fastball averages 89.0 mph, and has touched 90.6.
76 thrown, 13.1% of his pitches.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Barlow's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 92.5 mph, against 84.2 off his curveball.
76 and 199 of them thrown.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
12.9 mph separates Barlow's sinker from his curveball, 89.1 against 76.2.
75 and 199 of them respectively.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Barlow works with 4 pitches: Sweeper, Curveball, 4-Seam Fastball and Sinker. The sweeper is 34.7% of everything he throws.
579 classified pitches in 2026.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Barlow throws the sweeper 41.7% of the time against right-handers and 26.4% against left-handers.
314 pitches to right-handers, 265 to left-handers.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Barlow's curveball spins at 2,497 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
199 thrown in 2026.
One pitch exists only to make the hitter think
Barlow has thrown 28 sliders this season, 4.8% of his pitches, at 82.1 mph: a look rather than a weapon.
579 classified pitches in 2026.
Show more
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 Barlow goes to the curveball: 53.1% of his two-strike pitches, against 28% the rest of the time.
147 two-strike pitches in 2026.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Barlow throws a fastball 37.6% of the time, against 10.4% when he is ahead.
186 pitches behind in the count, 154 ahead.
He falls behind hitters far too often
Barlow throws a strike on the first pitch 55.6% of the time.
151 plate appearances started in 2026.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Barlow puts 42.5% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 31.2% when he is ahead.
186 located pitches behind, 154 ahead.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Barlow releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 18 degrees above horizontal and 2.4 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
579 tracked release points, averaging 5.2 feet off the ground.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
Barlow releases the ball 6.6 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
514 tracked pitches in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Barlow averages 81.3 mph across his arsenal, 1st percentile in the league.
307 pitches in 2026. 1st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 534th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He cannot find the zone often enough
Barlow works off the plate, with only 35.8% of his pitches in the zone, 4th percentile.
307 pitches in 2026. 4th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 513th 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
Barlow lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 1.80 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
579 located pitches in 2026.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
13.6% of Barlow's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
79 of 579 located pitches.
He lives on one side of the plate
Barlow works in on right-handers: his average pitch lands 1.8 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
579 located 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 .308 expected average against them, against .221 on his breaking balls.
96 of his fastballs thrown.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Barlow lands 44.8% of his fastballs in the zone and only 31.8% of his breaking balls.
96 of his fastballs, 211 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
Barlow's curveball moves 14.9 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
199 thrown, averaging 76.2 mph.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Barlow's 4-seam fastball carries 11.1 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
76 thrown, averaging 89.0 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
The contact he allows should not turn into many hits
The quality of contact against Barlow projects a .248 average, 94th percentile.
307 pitches in 2026. 94th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 33rd in MLB.
Almost nothing hit off him is hit well
Only 33.3% of the contact Barlow gives up is hit hard, 79th percentile.
307 pitches in 2026. 79th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 116th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His ball moves more than the hitter expects it to
Barlow's stuff spins at 2,371 rpm, 71st percentile in the league.
307 pitches in 2026. 71st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 157th in MLB.
Royals
Career team 2018 to 2023