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darkstar

(5,819 posts) Sun Apr 19, 2026, 04:00 PM Apr 19

Hey baseball gurus, do they keep stats on windup vs stretch numbers?

I’ve often wondered this before, and really brought home today Cardinals vs Astros game. Astro’s pitcher was pitching perfect game through 5.2. A single broke that up, and with man on first he goes to stretch and gives up walk, single, walk, single etc and gives up 4, all with two outs.

Given how badly the wheels come off for him so quickly, I am wondering why we don’t see stats for wind vs stretch. We have them righty vs lefty, home/away, etc. Do teams track this and it’s just not a public number? I’ve had people tell me that it makes no difference to MLB pitchers, but it seems to me it must.

Can someone shed some light on this?

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Hey baseball gurus, do they keep stats on windup vs stretch numbers? (Original Post) darkstar Apr 19 OP

Sort Of ProfessorGAC Apr 19 #1

ProfessorGAC

(77,316 posts)

1. Sort Of

Reply to darkstar (Original post)

Sun Apr 19, 2026, 05:39 PM

Apr 19

There have been multiple studies of seeing the differences between stretch & wind-up pitching.
They measured velocity, spin rate, command (ability to hit spots pitch to pitch), & consistency (inning to inning strike to ball ratio, hard hit ball %, etc)
The only way they could do that analysis is to know exactly which pitches were thrown from the wind or from the stretch.
I don't know of any non-propietary site that displays those data, but they have to have it.
I have heard that the reason we so much stretch pitching with nobody on base is because that analysis shows pitching from the stretch results in better consistency hi/lo & in hitting the strike zone.
There is speculation that it's because pitching from the stretch leads to less head movement, there a steadier aiming platform. Don't know how widely that view is shared.
I've also heard that the inherently lower leg kick is suspected to put more stress on the arm.
If it leads to more arm problems, it may not last.

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