Here are the 2011 major league leaders in fastball velocity (FBv):
? 
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, SSI offered its take on Michael Pineda, writing him up as a unique intersection of Velocity x Command.
In order to be comparable to Michael Pineda in this pitcher template, you would need a pitcher off the above list -- preferably Felix and higher -- to have a very low walk rate. Not blinkin' likely, mate.
There is one pitcher like that right now. Here is the 2010 BB leaderboard:
"font-size: small;">Schilling's 1993 is just what SSI expects for Pineda this year: 7.7 K, 2.2 BB, and 0.9 HR. And in 1993, Schilling threw exactly how Pineda did on April 12th: a 94-98 fastball moved around the strike zone masterfully.
........
SSI's counter board for Pineda: where he ranks in FBv, and where he ranks in BB/9. Gonna go with that.
.
Cheerio,
Dr D
His "slider" has the very unslider like tendency to buckle RH hitters.
Did you notice that? A bunch of times I saw RH hitters bailing out on strikes. Not many "sliders" do that.
I don't remember the vertical and horizontal movement on his slider, but it sure looks like hitters have a hard time standing in for it. His size or release point influence that, perhaps.
But I think the way it affects hitters makes it a 83 MPH curve.
moe
It seems to have a lot of late vertical break. I get why it's a "slider" - it normally breaks down and away from right handed hitters. But I watched him throw it INSIDE to a lefty for a swinging strike 3. It just started feeding inside onto the hands and then dove out of the way onto his feet as he swung wildly over the top.
I don't know of many pitches I'd call a slider that I've seen thrown that way to lefties. It got on the poor kid almost like a forkball.
But if he wants to call it a slider, I'm game - it's just setting up to be another nasty plus pitch.
And if he can use his slurve like a forkball on occasion he's really set up to develop that change at his leisure. Guys were waaaaay out in front of the slider last night on several occasions.
Beautiful thing to see. Sometimes it just humps a bit up there like Shiggy's pitches used to, and sometimes it has nasty bite. I'm not sure if that's accidental or on purpose, but I'm willing to find out. :)
~G
http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=13735859&c_id=sea
is the one in which the offspeed pitch darts inside against the lefty hitter Snider, as G mentions.
All 7 are fun to watch though.
Had never connected these dots, Moe... the suggestion that Erik Hanson, Freddy Garcia curve balls buckle RH'ers and that David Cone, Kerry Wood sliders usually don't...
The mind's eye does generally go along with that suggestion, though...
Will watch for that...