Swing and miss

Vance Worley:
Very low rate of
swing-and-miss

As I've noted in previous posts, Ricky Nolasco doesn't have an overpowering fastball (averages just over 90 mph, according to Baseball Info Systems), and he doesn't throw his fastball even half the time (44 percent fastballs in 2013, 45 percent in 2012, both figures according to BIS).

But he does get swings-and-misses: 17 percent. That's a solid rate for a starter. The Red Sox' top three starters, for example: Jon Lester, 14 percent; John Lackey, 16 percent, Clay Buchholtz, 15 percent.

Phil Hughes, on the other hand, does throw hard (average fastball exceeds 92 mph) and throws his fastball quite a bit (more than 60 percent of the time).

He gets, or did in 2013, somewhat fewer swings and misses, 14 percent.

This should be no surprise — Nolasco's swing-and-miss rate was considerably higher than anybody's in the 2013 Twins rotation, and Hughes would rank up there as well. (Listed in order of starts, each had at least eight):

• Kevin Correia: 10 percent
• Mike Pelfrey (free agent): 10 percent
• Scott Diamond: 10 percent
• Sam Deduno: 13 percent
• Pedro Hernandez (released): 10 percent
• Kyle Gibson: 14 percent
• Vance Worley: 7 percent (wince)
• Andrew Albers: 10 percent
• Liam Hendriks: 14 percent
• P.J. Walters (released): 10 percent

Andrew Albers:
Two-thirds of his
pitches were strikes.

Percentage of pitches that were strikes (called, swinging, fouled or put in play:)

• Nolasco: 64 percent
• Hughes: 67 percent
• Correia: 63 percent
• Pelfrey: 61 percent
• Diamond: 62 percent
• Deduno: 61 percent
• Hernandez: 60 percent
• Gibson: 59 percent (wince)
• Worley: 63 percent
• Albers: 67 percent
• Hendriks: 63 percent
• Walters: 61 percent

Hughes and Andrew Albers really do pound the strike zone.