Kerkering returns to mound with splitter patterned after one of baseball's best
This browser does not support the video element.
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Soon, Phillies right-hander Orion Kerkering will throw his newest pitch to Philadelphia hitters.
He can’t wait.
Kerkering has been sidelined the past few weeks because of a Grade 1 strain to his right hamstring, which hasn’t been easy because he is impatient by nature. But on Saturday morning at BayCare Ballpark, he threw his first bullpen session since he injured his leg.
Kerkering said he threw a few splitters, which is something he hasn’t thrown in the past.
“We joke around,” he said. “It’s like kick-change, kick-split, kick-split-change, however you want to call it.”
Kerkering throws a sweeper, a four-seam fastball and a two-seam fastball. But Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham and assistant pitching coach Mark Lowy suggested a fourth pitch this offseason. They landed on the splitter.
“Give hitters more of a … ‘[Shoot], there’s a fourth pitch,’” Kerkering said. “There’s a little more depth to the pitch, get off the other pitches with it. We get some more movement. With the two-seam, maybe it’s a swing-and-miss pitch vs. a ground-ball pitch. Maybe I’ll get that swing-and-miss possibly.”
Kerkering said he spent time in the offseason watching YouTube videos of pitchers gripping their splitters. He mentioned Mariners right-hander Logan Gilbert, which makes sense. Gilbert’s splitter is one of the best in baseball with a 50.4 percent whiff rate.
Only the Yankees’ Fernando Cruz has a higher whiff rate among pitchers who got a minimum of 100 swings on splitters (56.6 percent).
This browser does not support the video element.
“He broke it down really good,” Kerkering said about Gilbert. “Just trying to pitch off of that.”
The splitter remains a work in progress. Kerkering still is experimenting with grips. But he looks forward to throwing to hitters as early as next week. They will give him the best feedback, not only about how the pitch looks tumbling to the plate but if they can see him gripping the ball in his glove.
“Consistently, we’re getting a lot better each day with it,” Kerkering said.