Spin rate has become a very popular concept within baseball and refers to the number of revolutions that a pitched baseball takes as it travels from the pitcher’s hand towards home plate.
Measured in revolutions per minute, or “rpm” for short, total spin rate is a common starting point in evaluating a pitch’s profile. Pitchers who possess high spin rates have the potential to induce above-average movement onto their pitches. This is why MLB teams have begun to take notice of pitchers who exhibit high spin rates.
Keep in mind that spin rates do not tell the entire story, as high spin does not always result in dominant stuff.
Spin Rate by Pitch Type
As we analyze spin rate, it’s important to keep in mind that different pitches may possess varying amounts of spin. For example, breaking balls will tend to have higher total spin rates than fastballs or changeups.
Generally, this is due to the way we release a baseball. As we throw a curveball or slider, we come around the ball and we’ll supinate at release. This type of release allows us to more easily impart spin onto the baseball compared to a fastball or changeup and in part explains why total spin might be higher on those types of offerings.
MLB Spin Rate Averages by Pitch Type
Fastball: 2250-2350 rpm
Sinker: 2100-2150 rpm
Slider: 2400-2500 rpm
Curveball: 2500-2600 rpm
Changeup: 1700-1800 rpm
Spin Rate and Pitch Movement
As we stated earlier, the amount of total spin will play a factor in a pitch’s movement. For example, above-average spinning fastballs may possess greater vertical movement than below-average ones. This is comparable to when people say a fastball looks like its “rising”.
Fastballs with a high vertical movement don’t actually “rise”, but due to magnus force and other pitch traits like possessing a high spin rate can help quantify and explain why certain fastballs look like they have more ride to our eyes than others.
Here’s another example. When comparing two curveballs where the first has a` 2800 spin rate and another that possesses a 2200 spin rate, one might assume that the curveball with a 2800 spin rate has a greater potential for movement and possibly being a more effective pitch.
In this case, coaches and evaluators may feel that the potential for this high spin rate pitch is untapped, especially if the movement numbers are low on Trackman or Rapsodo and if a pitcher is very young.
Conversely, a pitch that moves extremely well with a 2200 spin rate could be evaluated as more effective and ultimately seen as being used to its fullest capabilities. In order to fully understand any pitch, other pieces of information such as movement, spin efficiency, release metrics, in-game data and more will play a critical role.
Summary
Spin rate is an important component when analyzing a given pitch type. While crafting a successful pitch requires many ingredients, understanding Spin Rate can help you fully evaluate a pitch’s current and future potential to take your game to the next level.
Related Links:
https://rapsodo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/MLB-PitchingGuide.pdf
https://www.mlb.com/news/what-statcast-spin-rate-means-for-fastballs-c212735620
https://www.mlb.com/glossary/statcast/spin-rate
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