Importance Score: 30 / 100 🔵
Emergence of the Kick-Change Pitch in Baseball
While not the dominant pitching trend that swept across professional baseball in 2023, the innovative kick-change pitch is increasingly appearing throughout the sport. This unique offering, characterized by its sudden downward movement, is being adopted by a growing number of pitchers aiming to diversify their arsenals and gain a competitive edge on the mound.
Early Adopters and Rising Popularity
Several prominent pitchers have already begun incorporating the kick-change into their repertoire, signaling its rising popularity within the baseball community:
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- Andrés Muñoz, closer for the Mariners
- Hayden Birdsong of the Giants, an early proponent of the pitch
- Cade Povich of the Orioles, who recently integrated it into his pitching arsenal
Clay Holmes Demonstrates the Grip
Adding to the list of pitchers utilizing this technique, Clay Holmes, formerly a Yankees reliever and now a Mets starter, has embraced the kick-change. Holmes helpfully illustrated the specific grip employed for this pitch during spring training.
Understanding the Kick-Change Grip Technique
To execute the kick-change, Holmes explained that he positions his four fingers flat across the baseball. Crucially, his middle finger is elevated at a slight angle, with only the very tip making contact with a seam. This finger placement is key to the pitch’s action. By employing this grip, the tip of his middle finger becomes the final point of contact before the ball is released. This last touch allows the finger to effectively “kick” or flick the ball, imparting spin and causing its distinctive downward trajectory as it approaches the plate.