Game 137, Mariners at Athletics
King Felix vs. Edwin Jackson, 1:05pm
Happy Felix Day.
Today, El Cartelua marches up against Edwin Jackson, a phenom before Felix. It’s getting harder to find pitchers whose career started back in the pre-pitch FX era, but we know Jackson was a lightning-armed youngster with a mid/upper 90s fastball. By 2007, when we first get movement data, Jackson had extreme vertical rise to go with plus velo. He threw a slider, but messed around with a curve and change, too.
His career feels disappointing given his promise, but sticking around as long as he has proved he’s been a valuable big leaguer for 15+ years. His success this year is definitely BABIP-related, and FIP ain’t buying what Jackson’s selling, but he really seems to be developing into a decent junkballer.
He’s still throwing 93 with his four-seamer, but it no longer has above-average vertical movement. His primary FB is now a hard cutter at 91, and he still has that slider to throw against righties. He throws a sinker, too, so he’s got three FBs with three different movement profiles, which may help him avoid barrels. This may be why, as I talked about a week or two ago, he’s handled lefties better than ever. He’s not missing bats, but it’s working…so far.
The M’s bats have come alive this series, so we’ll see if the ‘weak contact’ approach works against a locked in line-up, but mostly, I’m again struck by how another team turned a guy most thought was an ex-big leaguer (Jackson started the year in the Nats minor league system) into a productive pitcher. Hopefully, the M’s have helped Felix find some sort of groove.
1: Haniger, RF
2: Segura, SS
3: Cano, 2B
4: Cruz, DH
5: Span, LF
6: Healy, 1B
7: Seager, 3B
8: Zunino, C
9: Gordon, LF
SP: Felix.
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2 Responses to “Game 137, Mariners at Athletics”
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This might well be the most important game that Felix has ever pitched.
And there it goes. As does Felix next year. Long relief at best. See my username for the 17tb year running.