Advanced Scouting Report: Tobias Myers & Jose Quintana

Preview of the starting pitchers for Wild Card game 3 match up between the Mets and Brewers. Both starters will be on short leashes but taking an early lead is always crucial in winner take all games. So I wanted to see how these pitchers could attack hitters.

Tobias Myers

Myers is a rookie that throws from way over the top. It gives his pitches great deception which makes up for his lack of velocity. His 4-seamer is in the 98th percentile for iVB and has 100% active spin, it has great ride.

.vs RHB

• 4-seam

  • Keep it up above the belt

    • generates whiffs up but gets hit hard when below the belt

• Slider

  • Does a great job of keeping it down and away

    • Will be a crucial pitch against the Mets righties, they will chase out there

  • Likes to throw it in almost all counts but especially when he has the count advantage

• Cutter

  • Likes to use it early in counts and when the batter is ahead

  • Very hittable when he misses over the plate

• Curveball

  • Not used too much but Myers throws it in the zone a lot and it gets hit hard

  • 20 of 32 thrown 0-0 and 0-1

  
  

Count Breakdown vs RHB

Keys for Myers:

• 4-seam needs to be up

  • it will get whiffs up in the zone

• Slider will be his most important pitch

  • Out of the zone down and away

• Cutter

  • Keep it away for soft contact and tunnel with slider

.vs LHB

• 4-seam

  • Command isn't great

    • can get hit hard when he throws it below the belt, needs to keep it up

• Cutter

  • doesn't exclusively throw it inside

  • won't use it much when he's ahead or with 2 strikes

• Changeup

  • Throws it up and away at times but the velocity difference off the fastballs and horizontal movement makes it a great whiff pitch.

  • Main pitch when he's ahead and with 2 strikes

  • Not in the zone often

• Slider

  • Down and in

  • Will throw it in most counts

• Curveball

  • Likes to steal strikes with it at the bottom of the zone

  • 1st pitch, 2 strikes and when he's ahead are his favorite counts to use it

    
    

Count Breakdown vs LHB

Keys for Myers:

• Keep the 4-seam above the belt

  • Mets hitters will whiff up but will take advantage of his mistakes

• Cutter will be big for generating soft contact

  • I think he throws it more than usual today

• Changeup

  • stay away and get whiffs

• Slider

  • down and in when hitters are looking away

Jose Quintana

Quintana has been money for the Mets since the calendar hit September, he leads MLB with a .72 ERA (min 20 innings). Quintana isn't an overpowering or high spin pitcher. He needs fantastic command and to keep hitters off balance.

.vs RHB

• 4-seam

  • likes them up and in

  • early in the count and with 2 strikes

• Curveballs

  • can drop them in the zone when he wants

  • bounces them when he's ahead

• Sinker

  • Attacks outside part of the plate especially when the batter has the count advantage

• Changeup

  • Favorite pitch when he's ahead

  • Most important pitch for Quintana today

    • Needs to get whiffs and keep the Brewers hitters of his fastballs

  • Looks to get chases (20.5% zone, 32.5% chase)

Count Breakdown vs RHB

Keys for Quintana:

• keep the 4-seam up and inside

  • will get whiffs up

• Changeup out of the zone, brewers hitters will chase

  • Threw 14 CH on 9/26 vs MIL - 5 swings, 5 whiffs

• Curveball on the back door to play off the CH

  • I think this will be important the 2nd time through the order

• Sinker keep it away and generate ground balls

  • Brewers hit 3rd most grounders in MLB

.vs LHB

2 main pitches:

• Sinkers

  • Pounds the zone, especially 1st pitch

  • High usage when he's behind in the count

  • Attacks inside early, outside late in count

• Slurve

  • Keeps it out of the zone but can drop them first pitch or when hes behind

  • 51% chase with 2 strikes

Count Breakdown vs LHB

Keys for Quintana:

• It's fairly simple vs LHB, get ahead with sinkers and get chases vs the slurve

  • Brewers don't chase much at all especially the LHB

• Potentially facing only Turang and Frelick from the left side who both don't whiff much and are contact hitters.

• Sinkers inside early for soft contact

Data from Baseball Savant. Visuals made on https://dominick-ricotta-baseball.shinyapps.io/RicottaBaseball/