"It's always tough when you see the same lineup so quickly in succession, and all the more so when you feel like you don't have your best secondary available for the game."
"He upped his fastball usage dramatically from the last time out (35% up to 51%), cut the splitter from 33% to 28%, and also cut his sweeper from 20% to 11%."
"Even though he was getting almost no whiffs, his groundball rate soared to 50.0% in the game. Although Shota Imanaga is not a groundball pitcher by his nature, you still love to see them."
"It's just another sign that Shota Imanaga really has turned it back on this season, after an opportunity to get fully healthy and reset the mechanics."
Shota Imanaga demonstrated the importance of having multiple effective pitches by adjusting his pitch usage against the Phillies. He increased his fastball usage from 35% to 51%, while reducing his splitter and sweeper percentages. Despite not achieving many whiffs, his groundball rate increased to 50.0%. This adaptability is significant, as Imanaga's performance in 2024 included eight starts with a groundball rate of 50% or higher, contrasting with none in his less successful 2025 season.
Read at Bleacher Nation
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