"But I think for all of us, when there is a very specific pre-existing concern (home runs allowed on belt-high pitches), it's more fair to discuss some of those spring results. Not necessarily WORRY yet, but point them out; it's sort of the inverse of how we are watching the positive stuff a little more closely, too, given the hamstring injury last year and the way his season ended."
"In this case, however, the interesting thing is that the three home runs weren't on belt-high pitches (a splitter and a slider at the bottom of the zone, and a four-seamer above it). Based on the catcher setup, it seems like Shota Imanaga didn't bury a splitter, and the other two missed quite a bit east-west. Against that backdrop, I don't think a few spring homers are going to bother me that much."
"Healthy velo, working all his pitches, stretching out to 47 pitches. All good stuff, and typically more meaningful this time of year. Interesting note here, Shota Imanaga may be calling some of his own pitches this year (with an extra interesting bit on how the pitcher and the catcher can use their devices to communicate back and forth and settle on the right pitch)."
Shota Imanaga pitched 2.2 innings against the White Sox, allowing three solo home runs while maintaining velocity in the 93 mph range. The home runs came on a splitter and slider at the bottom of the zone and a four-seam fastball above it, rather than the belt-high pitches that have been a historical concern. The splitter wasn't properly buried and the other pitches missed significantly horizontally. Despite the home runs, positive indicators include healthy velocity, use of all pitches, and extending to 47 pitches. Imanaga is experimenting with PitchCom technology to call his own pitches, potentially improving communication with catchers Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya.
Read at Bleacher Nation
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