STARTERS: Very early command sub-indicator gains, 2022

It's still way risky to put significant stock into early-season skills, especially aggregate measures like strikeouts and walks. But looking into the components that drive them can be a helpful early-season exercise, since they represent larger sample sizes.

First, these SP have posted a big increase in their swinging strike rate from 2021 to 2022:

  • Swinging Strike Rate (SwK%) - 2022 YTD vs. 2021*


*min 30 IP in 2021, 10 IP in 2022

Next, it can be helpful to look at the rate at which starting pitchers are attacking the strike zone early in counts more than they were last season:

  • First-Pitch Strike Rate (FpK%) - 2022 YTD vs. 2021*


*min 30 IP in 2021, 10 IP in 2022

Finally, it can be helpful to analyze the volume of strikes that a SP...

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