Very early command sub-indicator surgers, 2026
Apr 25 2026
It's still risky to put significant stock into early-season skills, especially aggregate measures like strikeouts and walks. But looking into the components that drive them can be a helpful early-season exercise, since they represent larger sample sizes.
These starting pitchers have increased their swinging strike rates the most from 2025 to 2026 (min 20 IP each season):
| 2025 | 2026 | Δ | ||||||||
| Name | Lg | SwK% | FpK% | Ball% | SwK% | FpK% | Ball% | SwK% | FpK% | Ball% |
| Randy Vasquez | NL | 6.5% | 61% | 36% | 13.3% | 61% | 36% | 6.8% | 0% | -1% |
| Cameron Schlittler | AL | 11.1% | 63% | 34% | 16.5% | 69% | 29% | 5.4% | 6% | -5% |
| Jack Leiter | AL | 10.6% | 59% | 37% | 14.6% | 55% | 36% | 4.0% | -3% | -1% |
| Jacob Misiorowski | NL | 13.1% | 59% | 34% | 15.9% | 60% | 37% | 2.8% | 2% | 3% |
| Shota Imanaga | NL | 11.9% | 63% | 32% | 14.6% | 57% | 35% | 2.7% | -5% | 2% |
| Sandy Alcantara | NL | 9.3% | 63% | 34% | 11.8% | 64% | 35% | 2.5% | 1% | 1% |
| Max Meyer | NL | 11.9% | 63% | 36% | 14.4% | 64% | 34% | |||
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