The key to homer Bailey is the further development of his Splitter

The key to Homer Bailey is the further development of his Splitter.

Yes Redleg fans mark it down. The key to Homers baseball career is not his high 90's fastball or his big overhand curve (or development of his slider or a change up). It’s his splitter that will take him where he wants to go. (I suggested this last year on talk radio and was immediately shouted down).

The Pitching Anatomy of Homer Bailey.

Homer Bailey is an extreme example of a drop and drive pitcher. Homer's knee bends and he drives his whole body toward home plate. He must be only about 55 feet away when he delivers the ball. Homer, very much, pitches under the ball which should make his fastball very potent as all his force is going toward home plate. His fastball from his arm slot (waaaay up on top) straight overhand will make his ball "rise" or sail. Even thrown with 2 seams his fastball will not sink much. This makes for a potent high velocity fastball that does not have slot of movement, but when it exploding at you at 97 mph it does not matter. However, when it’s traveling at 89 it’s a sitting duck.

Homers main secondary pitch is a big overhand drop curve. It is useful against both Right and left-hand because his curve drops and has very little lateral movement. (It probably does almost spin at 12-6). This means when Homer really snaps one off, it is going to dive under a lot of bats. However Homers extreme drop and drive does not give him a lot of leverage for a good old fashioned curveball. This translates into: If his mechanics are slightly off, he hangs the pitch (this also happens with his slider as well). Major league batters recognize the spin on a curveball and know that they might be fooled not only by the break but also the change in speed. This leads to many batters deciding to take their chances with the umpire rather than try to hit Homer's hammer.

This is why Homers splitter is so very important. His fastball will not yield ground ball outs nor will his curve. His splitter, delivered at an astonishing 89 mph at times is just what Dick Pole ordered. The splitter dives down and in to a righty and down and away to a lefty almost like a sinking fastball (although it spins differently). Homer's looks like it tumbles at about 11-5 some times 10-6 (which in itself makes batters (and catchers) crazy). It can’t be picked up out of his hand and does not "humpback" like the curve. When thrown right it comes into the plate and dies or dives. This produces some ground ball outs.

A power pitcher "earns" about every out. He throws hard and misses a lot of bats, but power pitchers do not get many 6 pitch innings. Those are the guys who "pitch to contact." Unless Homer hangs his splitter, he will get some cheap ground outs with it. If it dives ala Bruce Sutter all the better, but all it really has to do make the batter top it to the shortstop and the pitch has done it job.

This makes some easy innings for Bailey who seems to be learning how to pitch.
This pitch gives Homer Bailey the chance to produce some ground ball outs. If he can master this pitch, the future is bright indeed!