This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Hjelle goes to the knuckle curve: 62.1% of his two-strike pitches, against 26.6% the rest of the time.
66 two-strike pitches in 2025.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Hjelle's sinker moves 103.1 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
127 thrown, averaging 93.6 mph.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Hjelle throws a fastball 74.6% of the time, against 48.8% when he is ahead.
59 pitches behind in the count, 84 ahead.
He lives on one side of the plate
Hjelle works in on right-handers: his average pitch lands 4.1 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
254 located pitches in 2025.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Hjelle lands 54.6% of his fastballs in the zone and only 33% of his breaking balls.
163 of his fastballs, 91 of his breaking balls.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Hjelle works with 3 pitches: Sinker, Knuckle Curve and Cutter. The sinker is 50% of everything he throws.
254 classified pitches in 2025.
Too much of the contact against him is loud
50% of the contact Hjelle gives up is hit hard, 10th percentile.
254 pitches in 2025. 10th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 702nd in MLB.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Hjelle throws a strike on the first pitch 69.4% of the time.
72 plate appearances started in 2025.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Hjelle throws the knuckle curve 44% of the time against right-handers and 25.7% against left-handers.
141 pitches to right-handers, 113 to left-handers.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
Hjelle releases the ball 6.8 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
254 tracked pitches in 2025.
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
Hjelle throws 44.4% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 47.8% with the bases empty.
72 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 182 with the bases empty.
The contact he allows is the kind that finds grass
The quality of contact against Hjelle projects a .357 average, 23rd percentile.
254 pitches in 2025. 23rd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 603rd in MLB.
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Hjelle releases the ball from a low three-quarters slot, about 44 degrees above horizontal and 1.4 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
254 tracked release points, averaging 6.2 feet off the ground.
His ball is straighter than it should be
Hjelle's stuff spins at 2,202 rpm, 32nd percentile in the league.
254 pitches in 2025. 32nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 532nd in MLB.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Hjelle lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.38 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
254 located pitches in 2025.
He throws about as hard as anybody in the league
Hjelle averages 90.2 mph across his arsenal, 61st percentile in the league.
254 pitches in 2025. 61st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 303rd in MLB.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Hjelle's sinker spins at 2,307 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
127 thrown in 2025.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Hjelle puts 44.1% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 38.1% when he is ahead.
59 located pitches behind, 84 ahead.
When hitters connect off him, they hit it hard
Hitters average 89.5 mph off the bat against Hjelle, 38th percentile.
254 pitches in 2025. 38th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 482nd in MLB.
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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 Hjelle goes to the knuckle curve: 62.1% of his two-strike pitches, against 26.6% the rest of the time.
66 two-strike pitches in 2025.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Hjelle throws a fastball 74.6% of the time, against 48.8% when he is ahead.
59 pitches behind in the count, 84 ahead.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Hjelle throws a strike on the first pitch 69.4% of the time.
72 plate appearances started in 2025.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Hjelle puts 44.1% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 38.1% when he is ahead.
59 located pitches behind, 84 ahead.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Hjelle's sinker moves 103.1 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
127 thrown, averaging 93.6 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He lives on one side of the plate
Hjelle works in on right-handers: his average pitch lands 4.1 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
254 located pitches in 2025.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Hjelle lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.38 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
254 located pitches in 2025.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Hjelle lands 54.6% of his fastballs in the zone and only 33% of his breaking balls.
163 of his fastballs, 91 of his breaking balls.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Hjelle works with 3 pitches: Sinker, Knuckle Curve and Cutter. The sinker is 50% of everything he throws.
254 classified pitches in 2025.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Hjelle throws the knuckle curve 44% of the time against right-handers and 25.7% against left-handers.
141 pitches to right-handers, 113 to left-handers.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Hjelle's sinker spins at 2,307 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
127 thrown in 2025.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
Too much of the contact against him is loud
50% of the contact Hjelle gives up is hit hard, 10th percentile.
254 pitches in 2025. 10th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 702nd in MLB.
The contact he allows is the kind that finds grass
The quality of contact against Hjelle projects a .357 average, 23rd percentile.
254 pitches in 2025. 23rd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 603rd in MLB.
When hitters connect off him, they hit it hard
Hitters average 89.5 mph off the bat against Hjelle, 38th percentile.
254 pitches in 2025. 38th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 482nd in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
Hjelle releases the ball 6.8 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
254 tracked pitches in 2025.
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Hjelle releases the ball from a low three-quarters slot, about 44 degrees above horizontal and 1.4 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
254 tracked release points, averaging 6.2 feet off the ground.
The numbers behind these live in Matchups.
Take me there
He pitches around the zone once runners are on
Hjelle throws 44.4% of his pitches in the zone with a runner in scoring position and 47.8% with the bases empty.
72 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 182 with the bases empty.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His ball is straighter than it should be
Hjelle's stuff spins at 2,202 rpm, 32nd percentile in the league.
254 pitches in 2025. 32nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 532nd in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He throws about as hard as anybody in the league
Hjelle averages 90.2 mph across his arsenal, 61st percentile in the league.
254 pitches in 2025. 61st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 303rd in MLB.
Giants
Career team 2022–2025