THE BOOK--Playing The Percentages In Baseball

I think that was a 2 seamer. Strasburg is the only pitcher I know of who can throw a change in the 90s.

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=4772&position=P#pitchtype

Felix averages 89.7 MPH on his Change this year...89.2 MPH last year.

I don’t think, based on the spin movement, that it was his two-seamer.  I’d say it was much more likely his circle change grip to get the action that it did. 

But to get that speed, he’s not burying it in his hand as much, and he’s still getting some pretty good finger drive behind the ball.  So functionally it’s a fastball that sank a lot, even if it was gripped like a changeup.

Elkboy/2, Felix actually averages a little higher than that on his changeup.  The MLBAM classification algorithm is cutting off anything above 91-92 mph and labeling those as sinkers, when in fact some portion (say 20%?) of his changeups break 91-92 mph on a regular basis.

For those who are curious, here’s is Felix’s changeup grip:
http://www.daylife.com/photo/0b8McZkfuq2mk?q=Felix+Hernandez
http://www.daylife.com/photo/09tV3tIgL946Z?q=Felix+Hernandez

And his two-seam fastball grip:
http://www.daylife.com/photo/02HX5270xV2m0?q=Felix+Hernandez
http://www.daylife.com/photo/08R98YI2zNfbR?q=Felix+Hernandez

great line: “Felix is the kind of king that fills the lower floor of his palace with spiders, and when visitors come he makes them take their shoes off. Suck it, plebes.”

indeed.  taste it, plebes.

I’d imagine Felix has large hands, large enough to use a change up grip and still be able to hold the ball on the fingertips. Actually everyone could be able to do that. It’s just placing the middle and ring fingers on the seams instead of the index and middle. Ring and index fingers are generally the smae length.

As was already mentioned, the key with the change is getting the ball close to the pads of the hands. I teach guys that they should be able to hold the ball with just the thumb, pressing the ball against the pads, and the middle and ring finger wrap around. Put your index finger however you want.

I think the “rokk on” changeup is kind of fun (index, pinky and thumb all extended.

Anyway, it’s very possible that Felix doesn’t have the same distance between pads and ball on every change he throws. Furthermore, he could do this intentionally.