Nate Schwartz (@_nateschwartz) and Kyle Bland (@blandalytics) talk about the numbers and ideas behind pitch models.
The discussion begins by talking about what “stuff” actually is. What does it mean when a scout says a pitcher has great stuff, and how does that get valued? Kyle lays out the pitch characteristics and other factors that go into stuff. Then, they talk about if Stuff models actually do what people want them to do, and what the gaps in the thinking are. Next, the two get into how Stuff models are built. There are different philosophies and concepts that can change how the final output looks, but some inputs are consistent across almost all models. Finally, the discussion shifts into how to use Stuff models and actually understand what the numbers mean for different types of pitchers.
