Baseball Analysis, Graphs, Stats | Fan Graphs » Have You Seen Justin Verlander’s Fastball?

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Verlander and his arm angle
Published 4/22/2008 by billfer at The Detroit Tiger Weblog
... As has been widely documented at this point, Justin Verlander’s velocity is down significantly. Either it is a systematic change in measurement mechanisms, or it is a real dip. Given the remarkable disparity and the fact it doesn’t seem to be effecting other pitchers the same way, I’m inclined to believe it is real. The question is whether it is by design (slower pitches, more movement, more longevity is one theory), it is mechanical, or it is related to injury. ...

Verlander Regains Velocity, Tigers win 10-2
Published 4/23/2008 by Lee Panas at Tiger Tales: A Detroit Tigers Blog
There has been much discussion about Justin Verlander's lack of velocity this season. After consistently throwing his fastball in the 94-97 range last year, his first few starts this year saw him in the 91-92 range most often. A quick look at pitch f/x for tonight shows that he was consistently throwing his fastball between 94-96. Some have been hypothesizing that his lack of velocity in previous starts could be due to an injury. I hadn't been overly concerned about it but I wasn't ruling out the possibility either so tonight's start was reassuring. Verlander was not dominant ...