Valdez Reaching New Heights with Increased Velocity

Houston Astros All-Star Framber Valdez is throwing faster than ever, and it's working out very well for him.

© Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Framber Valdez is having an incredible season. His 2.66 ERA ranks sixth among qualified American League starters. His 115 innings pitched are second-most in the league, behind only reigning Cy Young winner Robbie Ray. 

The 28-year-old southpaw played in his first career All-Star Game this past week, and he became the first Houston Astros pitcher to record a win in the Midsummer Classic.

Valdez has gone from a being a good, mid-rotation starter to one of the best pitchers in the American League. To achieve these excellent results, he made several adjustments to his approach.

For example, he is using his curveball far less often against left-handed batters, and has instead introduced a cutter to his repertoire as his primary weapon against lefties.

Perhaps the biggest change he has made, however, has been throwing with more power. 

Valdez has always relied heavily on his sinker, throwing the pitch more than 50% of the time for the past three seasons. It has been an above-average pitch in each of those years. 

This season, Valdez has taken a step forward with his sinker. He is averaging 94 MPH with the pitch, which is faster than ever before. Last year, he was averaging just 92.5 MPH on his sinker.

The increased velocity seems to be paying off. Batters are making weaker contact off of his sinker. According to Pitch Info, the pitch has been more than twice as valuable as it was last season. 

Per Baseball Savant, Valdez has generated more value with his sinker than with any other pitch. In each of the past three seasons, his curveball was the most valuable weapon in his arsenal. His curve has still been a devastating pitch this season, but his sinker has overtaken it in terms of total run value.

With more velocity on his primary pitch, Valdez has been able to throw his secondary pitches faster, too. All of his pitches have been 1-2 mph faster than they were last season. While there isn't necessarily an ideal velocity for a curveball or a changeup, what Valdez is doing seems to be working.

It also stands to reason that his secondary pitches are benefitting from his increased sinker velocity. The faster your fastball is, the easier it can be to catch hitters off guard with a off-speed pitch.

In particular, Valdez has had greater success with his changeup this year, a pitch he has thrown about 9% of the time. It's not as valuable as his sinker or curveball — because he does not throw it nearly as often — but when Valdez has used his changeup this season, it has been electric. 

In fact, it has become his most valuable offering on a pitch-by-pitch basis. His sinker and curveball are both excellent pitches, but the changeup has been a secret weapon for Valdez to deploy against right-handed hitters.

Framber Valdez has been throwing with more power this season, and it has helped him develop into a front-of-the-rotation talent. If he can keep up the increased velocity down the stretch and deep into the postseason, Valdez will be a force to be reckoned with come October. 

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