"Webb has thrived in spite of his pedestrian fastball velocity, mainly because he pairs exceptional ride with a what Knauer calls a "lifty" changeup. He gets enough separation between the 93.4 mph four-seam and 84.9 mph change that he hasn't needed traditional depth from his offspeed. Ah, but finding a way to sort of fake that vertical differentiation might take his game to a new level."
"Knauer pointed out that Webb's average fastball height of 2.82 feet was in the 39th percentile, and that his two-strike fastball height of 2.96 feet is in just the 27th percentile. Elevating the heater will not only make it a little more difficult to hit, but it will also create a little more separation from the change. Under pitching coach Tommy Hottovy, the Cubs have prioritized working higher in the zone with fastballs, even sinkers."
"That was a major focus with Shōta Imanaga, who also possesses a high-ride fastball that he used to locate lower due to NPB's adjudication of the zone. The lefty did a better job of working higher in his first season, but the four-seam was thrown almost a full tick slower with just over an inch more drop in 2025."
Jacob Webb uses a lifty changeup separated from a 93.4 mph four-seam and an 84.9 mph changeup to succeed despite below-average fastball velocity. Webb's average fastball height (2.82 feet) and two-strike height (2.96 feet) sit in low percentiles, limiting vertical differentiation from his offspeed. Raising the fastball would make it harder to hit and increase separation from the change. The Cubs, under pitching coach Tommy Hottovy, prioritize working higher in the zone with four-seams and sinkers. Shōta Imanaga's experience shows how higher fastballs and small pitch adjustments can dramatically change effectiveness.
Read at Cubsinsider
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