Brandon Pfaadt's Dominance and the Challenges He Has Faced

Brandon Pfaadt is continuing to develop into a dominant big-league starter for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Yesterday's game showed how his journey is evolving.

Jun 30, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Pfaadt (32) pitches against the Oakland Athletics during the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Yesterday, Arizona Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt was fantastic in a series finale against the Oakland Athletics. His outing powered the D-backs to a much-needed series win over the struggling Oakland club.

Pfaadt went 6 strong innings for Arizona, only allowing a solo home run while striking out 8 batters. This was the kind of start that Diamondbacks fans have come to expect from the young starter, as he has flashed brilliance in his short Major League tenure.

"I felt good today, I feel like we executed pitches very well today compared to the last few starts," said Pfaadt while reflecting on his outing. His battery mate for the game was Tucker Barnhart who helped him create a gameplan against Oakland.

Barnhart has since been let go by the team, a move that the club won't make official until Gabriel Moreno is activated from the injured list.

"Tucker and I talked before, and if we execute, no matter what pitch it is, we were going to have success today." It certainly showed, as Pfaadt set the tone early with a great first inning, and worked his way around some middling traffic throughout the rest of the game.

In a stretch of three straight innings with Oakland threatening, Pfaadt managed to work his way out of trouble. "The offense has had my back plenty, and it was my turn to step up and have their back. As a starting pitcher that's all I can do. If there is an error, not to get upset about it and just get back up on the mound and try and execute."

Pfaadt has easily been the club's most reliable starter in 2024, with the team battling injuries and underperformance from some key arms that have had to step up. His ability to go deep into games has been one of the most important aspects of his game.

"Thats my overall goal. To pitch 6 innings plus every game, every time I go out there to be aggressive with first-pitch strikes. If I am doing that I can go deeper in games regardless of the results."

On that front Pfaadt has been incredibly dominant this year, going at least 6 innings pitched in 13 of his 17 starts, and going more than 6 innings 5 times. Pfaadts 103 innings pitches is tied for tthe 4th nighest total in the National League.

This not only give serious relief to the bullpen but also brings a much-needed stabilizing force into the pitching rotation.

The Difficulty of Managing a Young Starter

Brandon Pfaadt has faced a consistent issue in starts where he struggles. The big inning from the opposing team seems to consistently hurt him, whether it is him just completely falling apart, or it's even just a small lapse in his usual sharp command coming back to haunt him. Torey Lovullo spoke about this before the game.

"You can't take your eyes off the game, or take the eyes off any situation. Brandon [Pfaadt] gives you a very comfortable feeling inside of the dugout. He is pounding the zone, and I've learned that when there are a couple of walks, there is something wrong mechanically, and I need to log on and see that moment before it happens."

Lovullo and his staff have been working hard behind the scenes to try and find patterns in Pfaadt's delivery, and in his game that might cause the big inning to occur.

Part of Pfaadt's biggest strength when he is pitching well is his elite command. He fills up the strike zone and can get batters to chase outside, especially with his sweeper, if he needs it in a big spot. When things start to fall apart it can seem like he loses the feel for the baseball.

"I try to pay attention to where that spot is." Lovullo said. "It has happened less...there is progress. It is part of his development, and it is up to me to stay ahead of that and to figure out when that spot is coming." A problem arises when the issue comes up early in ballgames.

The team may be less prepared to send in another pitcher at its worst, or try and slow down the game at best. "If it's happening early I need to let him work through it. If it is in the 6th or 7th inning, I need to be very prepared."

After yesterday's game spirits were much higher, taking a "must-win" game against Oakland. Pfaadt gave the team 6 quality innings and gave the team a chance to get ahead and come out on top.

Post-game Lovullo spoke again on the big inning that often hurt Pfaadt. "With the extended inning, he loses it. It happened today, there was a mound visit, instead of being 4 batters deep, it was 2 batters deep, but he was able to get the double play behind him."

Lovullo has worked to be more proactive with the situation, trying to slow the game down. "It doesn't necessarily have to be ball 4, it could be a couple of other things...when it looks like this, we need to do this."

As Brandon Pfaadt continues to find his ceiling and continues to develop into a big league starting pitcher, Torey Lovullo is learning how to manage him side by side. They are growing, not just as colleges but as people, and are figuring out how they can help Pfaadt and the team succeed.