The Chicago White Sox haven’t had a lot go their means this 12 months, and that features the pitching division. Solely Garrett Crochet (4.4) and the since-traded Erick Fedde (2.6) have produced as a lot as 1.3 WAR. These issues mentioned, just a few younger pitchers have proven promise, one in every of them being 24-year-old rookie right-hander Jonathan Cannon. Over 119 2/3 innings, the 2022 third-round select of the College of Georgia has logged a 4.37 ERA, a 4.57 FIP, and 1.2 WAR — not horny numbers, however due to a five-pitch combine and a cerebral method to his craft, his potential is actual. Previous to the season, Eric Longenhagen assigned Cannon a forty five FV, calling him “a high-floored no. 4/5 starter prospect due to his repertoire depth and command.”
Cannon mentioned his M.O. on the mound when the White Sox visited Fenway Park earlier this month.
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David Laurila: You’re primarily identified to your sinker, which you’ve thrown greater than any of your different pitches this season. It’s additionally the pitch you’ve had the least success with from a statistical standpoint. Why is that?
Jonathan Cannon: “For essentially the most half, it’s been the command of it being unhealthy. In case you have a look at the most effective sinkerballers within the recreation proper now — I’m considering guys like Logan Webb — what makes their sinkers so good is that they do a very good job of commanding it down-and-away to righties. It type of units up every little thing else. Once they’re lacking, they’re lacking down, however extra center. Proper now, I really feel like I command the outer half effectively, however a number of them are elevated to round thigh excessive. When it leaks into the center and is thigh excessive, I don’t get a number of groundballs with it. That’s type of been the primary focus for me. Once I do miss, I wish to miss the place I’m getting a groundball fairly than a tough line drive into the hole.
“That’s one of many causes I’ve elevated the utilization of my changeup. I wasn’t throwing it a complete lot at starting of the 12 months, however then I began having good outcomes with it after making an attempt it in some extra counts. I’ve been tying to get the remainder of my pitches extra concerned. That’s why you’ve seen an uptick in the usage of the four-seamer as effectively. It’s not a superb pitch by itself; it doesn’t have a number of vert, and I don’t have an excellent method angle, however as a result of I throw rather a lot that strikes on the backside, I get good outcomes on the four-seamer. I’m type of making an attempt to get away from utilizing the sinker an excessive amount of.”
Laurila: What are the metrics in your sinker?
Cannon: “It’s anyplace from two to 4 vert, and 15 horizontal. The metrics on it are good. It’s extra that the utilization has perhaps been a bit of bit an excessive amount of, and once more, the situation hasn’t all the time been nice. One thing I needed to study once I obtained right here is that whereas within the minor leagues I may rip that factor proper down the center and get a groundball more often than not, however in opposition to these guys, when it will get thigh excessive and above they’re fairly good at hitting it within the air.
“I used to be all the time taught to throw sinkers beneath the arms of righties, bury it down-and-in. Up right here, wanting on the analytics of the place guys hit sinkers effectively… typically talking, they hit down-and-in fairly effectively, it doesn’t matter what pitch it’s. So, we have now to command down-and-away, and up-and-in on lefties to front-hip them. That’s type of been the primary factor, determining learn how to command it.”
Laurila: You don’t throw many sinkers to lefties. Why?
Cannon: “I don’t know what the numbers are, however lefties must be hitting north of .400 in opposition to my sinker. It simply type of falls into the trail of their barrel. Even once I put one down-and-away they have an inclination to hit it effectively. That’s why I’ve tried to make use of extra four-seams and cutters, to get up-and-in on their arms. That additionally type of opens it up a bit of bit down-and-away. The sinker up-and-in to lefties, for my part, is the hardest pitch to throw. However that’s actually the one place you may throw it persistently they usually received’t hit it exhausting.
“I watch a number of Logan Webb. I really feel like we pitch very equally, and the sinker up-and-in is a key to his arsenal in opposition to lefties, as a result of every little thing he throws is type of transferring down within the zone. He’s obtained the actually good changeup, the great sweeper, the great sinker. By throwing the sinker up-and-in, he backs guys up. He stands them up. In case you’re simply throwing every little thing down within the zone, guys get their eyes down there and also you get some good takes. You’ve obtained to make them reset that a bit of bit.
“In opposition to Baltimore the opposite day, I used to be capable of throw the sinker up-and-in, which obtained them off of every little thing else. Once I’m throwing each that and the cutter up-and-in, it turns into form of a guessing recreation for them as to which means it’s going to maneuver. I used to be additionally capable of throw extra four-seams in opposition to Baltimore, which we figured we wanted to get extra concerned.”
Laurila: Do you see your self transitioning towards extra fours and fewer twos?
Cannon: “In no way. I believe the sinker and sweeper are too good to go away from. In opposition to Baltimore, it was a kind of issues the place I used to be going to throw some fours till they adjusted to it, however they weren’t capable of regulate to it, so I stored throwing it.”
Laurila: Why do you are feeling they weren’t capable of regulate?
Cannon: “I believe it simply needed to do with the scouting report. Taking a look at my scouting studies in opposition to left-handed hitters, what I might do is search for one thing type of thigh excessive, middle-away. I’d look changeup within the zone and sinker down-and-away, after which simply type of battle off the cutter. Something coming in on you might be going to be a ball. That’s why I obtained a number of takes on the sinker up-and-in. And since I don’t actually throw something up-and-away, four-seamers there type of stunned them.”
Laurila: How do you stability prioritizing your finest pitches with using your whole arsenal?
Cannon: “It’s a kind of issues the place you need to continuously be adjusting. I grew to become actually heavy with a sinker/sweeper combo to righties, and it type of grew to become ‘Let’s eradicate one in every of them and simply search for one pitch.’ I had an at-bat in opposition to James McCann the place I threw him a few actually good sweepers and he was capable of take them as a result of he was wanting sweeper. However I used to be capable of jam a sinker up-and-in to get him out a few occasions. Similar factor with [Coby] Mayo. Going up-and-in with the 4 and up-and-in with the sinker obtained them off every little thing else. The sweeper is my finest pitch to righties, so I can’t enable them to eradicate it.”
Laurila: Any closing ideas?
Cannon: “Analytically, all of my pitches are in a great place. It’s nearly figuring the easiest way to make use of them with a view to get hitters out persistently. I’ve been studying rather a lot this 12 months.”