Add new comment

I could definitely buy the Z-axis concept for Glavine.  (Heck, I could buy it for almost the whole Braves rotation during their Golden Age).
 
Of course, we didn't have pitch-by-pitch velocities back in the day, but I would argue that Z-axis pitching is going to manifest "almost" exclusively in HR-rate, (which the Braves dominated in - during the steroid era no less).
 
Leo simplified pitcher approaches - and Glavine's was the Prince of Predictability.  It was going to be low and away.  You might have to guess FB or Curve, but you didn't have to guess location ... because not only did Javy Lopez and Glavine know where the pitch was going ... so did Skip Carey, the fans, the peanut vendors, and most importantly ... the opposing hitter.  I mean, at age 25, he won the CY while posting a 0.6 HR/9 (7.0 K/9).  The next year, he had a HR rate of 0.2!?!  His K-rate that year dropped to 5.2, but he didn't miss a beat, because he gave up a total of 6 HRs in 225 innings.  (Bedard gave up 7 in April alone).
 
A common comment back in the day on TBS was "he changes speed so well".  They said it of Maddux and Glavine constantly, (not so much with Smoltz or Millwood).  But, think about how HARD that is.
 
How difficult is it to hit the same spot with the same pitch ... but throw it a couple of MPH faster or slower?  I'd suggest a true Z-axis lefty would tend to be very economical with his pitch counts - an anti-Bedard.  That definitely describes Glavine.