Pitch selection is key to Eovaldi’s success

NEW YORK — Nathan Eovaldi isn’t Noah Syndergaard. He isn’t Gerrit Cole or Stephen Strasburg, either. He could be, but he chooses not to be. And it’s that choice that has led to Eovaldi’s recent string of success on the mound for the Yankees.

Eovaldi throws the second-fastest fastball of any starting pitcher in baseball, a four-seamer that clocks in, on average, at 96.9 mph. However, unlike Syndergaard, Cole and Strasburg — who rank first, third and fifth in average velocity — Eovaldi doesn’t pound the zone with a majority of heaters. In fact, of the 21 starting pitchers who average 93 mph or greater on their fastballs, Eovaldi is the only one who throws his less than 50 percent of the time.

Instead, Eovaldi mixes in a steady dose of splitters, sliders and curveballs — along with his four-seamer. According to Pitch/Fx data, 49 percent of his pitches are fastballs, 25 percent are splitters, 19 percent are sliders and only 7 percent are curveballs. This variety has gone a long way toward keeping batters off balance recently. Over his last four starts, he’s allowed just six runs in 25 innings, earning four wins and dropping his ERA nearly two full points.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi has noticed the increased variety in Eovaldi’s arsenal and said he believes it’s what has pushed Eovaldi into the realm of potentially being the Yankees’ most reliable starter.

“I think the days that he pitches well [happen] when he mixes [his pitches],” Girardi said. “You can’t just rely on fastball in this league, because guys will catch up and make adjustments. … The big thing is that he’s got at …

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