Q&A: The Pitching Ninja evaluates the A’s prodigious 2020 pitching staff

Who is the Pitching Ninja?

For baseball fans on social media, the Pitching Ninja is both an educator and an influencer, posting layered gifs and slo-motion frames breaking down some of the nastiest pitches baseball has to offer each day. For pitchers, the Pitching Ninja — real name, Rob Friedman, starter of the FlatGround app that fostered A’s pitching project Nathan Patterson — is somewhat of an aspirational symbol. Inter generationally, a pitcher’s pitch featured in a Pitching Ninja clip is considered an honor.

“I follow him pretty heavily, I look for his Tweets,” Oakland A’s left-handed pitcher Jesús Luzardo said. “If you’re on his page, a buddy of mine will send it to me and say, ‘Oh, you’re on his page!’ He just shows a little of everything and everyone off. He shows everyone love.”

Oakland is fostering some positively spotlight-worthy pitching talent, glimpses of greatness flashed bright at 2019’s tail end. And, with this group congealing at the precipice of a new season, we wanted to know what social media’s arbiter of nastiness thought of this up-and-coming Oakland A’s rotation and bullpen.

Here are the Pitching Ninja’s thoughts on some of Oakland’s arms — with some of his patented gifs and nicknames baked in:

Question: Jesús Luzardo, the A’s No. 1 prospect last year, made his grand entrance to the big leagues in September and flashed eye-popping arsenal, with arguably one of the best changeups in all of baseball heading into 2020.

What stands out to you about Luzardo’s repertoire?

PN: The “Jesus Lizard” is the definition of filthy.

His Slider (hard Curveball) is disgusting. In fact, (Texas Rangers’) Rougned Odor couldn’t believe his eyes when faced with this filth.

In fact, sometimes Luzardo’s breaking ball is so nasty that it fools umpires, especially when he throws in the occasional quick pitch.

To top it off, he has a ridiculous two-seamer, which is just unfair.

All of this makes Luzardo one of my favorite pitchers in baseball to watch. A’s Fans are in for some fun this season.

Q: What do you think is Luzardo’s best player comparison? Or does he have a positively unique repertoire? What do you think his ceiling could be in the MLB?

PN: Player comp is tough. Somewhat Johan Santana-ish, but no direct comparison. To me, the movement I was seeing out of his sinker last year was unique and elite. Cartoon-ish, almost (Blake) Treinen, (Zack) Britton or (Jordan) Hicks-like movement at times, which is the highest of compliments.

An aside, Luzardo says he gets the Santana comparison a lot.

“That’s someone who I model my game after,” Luzardo said. “He had a good changeup, same kind of body build. That’s someone I model my game after, so when someone says that I take it as an honor. He’s such a great pitcher.”

Q: LHP A.J. Puk is nearly two years removed from Tommy John surgery. He made his somewhat debut in August, relegated to a somewhat odd role out of the bullpen. He should fold into the rotation in 2020, though — like Luzardo — inning management will dictate his contributions this season. Puk’s 6-foot-7 frame angles perfectly to sling 100 mph fastballs that 90 mph sliders and changeups and mid-80s curveballs.

What are you excited to see from Puk?

PN: Puk, a tall, hard-throwing,left-handed pitcher, features an overpowering combo of an upper 90s fastball and a nasty low 90s slider.

I’m very much looking forward to a full year of him on the mound–and I bet As fans are too.

Question: Who do you see as Puk’s pitcher comp?

Puk is overpowering. Upper 90s fastball and a wipeout power slider.

He’s like a Little Big Unit.

(Here’s a back-to-back comparison of Puk’s 99 mph fastball and 92 mph slider.)

Q: LHP Sean Manaea ended 2019 on a Wild Card-elimination low, but flashed some of his dominance upon return from shoulder surgery in September (1.21 ERA, 3.42 FIP in 4 regular season starts.) Middling fastball velocity has been a point of concern for Manaea, but his slider and changeup played perfectly off the fastball with a deceptive motion.

What stands out to you about Manaea?

PN: Manaea does a great job of tunneling his pitches. For example, here’s Sean tunneling his fastball and slider. You can see why this makes him a nightmare for opposing batters, despite not having off-the-charts velocity.

Q: The concept of tunneling has gone pretty mainstream in the baseball world, but can you articulate how impactful mastery of it can be for a pitcher with not-so-high velocity?

There are many ways to put pressure on hitters. One way is to have overwhelming velocity that makes a hitter have to make a quicker decision (remember a hitter generally only has a fraction of a second to make a decision…the faster you throw, the quicker the hitter has to make a decision).

But, if you can make your pitches look like each other at the decision point/window where a hitter has to make his decision to swing, that also is a way to make a hitter have to make a decision later. If a hitter can’t distinguish your pitches from each other by the time he has to make a decision, it all becomes a guess. Manaea’s ability to do that puts pressure on the hitter, makes the hitter defensive and makes him effective.

Q: Frankie Montas’s 2019 will be remembered for that MLB drug policy violation and 80-game suspension. But before that (and for one game in September after), Montas was one of the best pitchers in baseball, employing a slippery splitter that was magic with his sinker.

Montas will return full swing to the A’s rotation in 2020, what are your thoughts on the right hander?

PN: I’m a fan of Montas’ stuff in general, but the way he mixes up timing combined with his nasty stuff makes him a handful for hitters. For example, here’s Frankie mixing up his timing on splitters, turning one pitch into basically two different pitches, timing-wise.

Q: The Houston Astros will be in Oakland the first week of this season. It’s possible that RHP Mike Fiers will start one of those games. It’s also possible he’ll take the mound in Houston later in April, too. Fair to say the baseball world’s eyes will be on him.

But, let’s not let controversy overshadow the game too much. Fiers is coming off a stellar 2019.

From a purely pitching perspective, what’s your favorite Fiers pitch?

PN: Mike’s Curveball is beautiful. And when he can pair it with a high fastball, it makes it tough for opposing batters.

Also his name and “High” Fastball pairs well with Justin Smoak for some bad puns.

Q: Chris Bassitt is coming off a career year in and out of the rotation. His role in 2020 may mimic his 2019 one, where he’s rotationally fluid and fills necessary gaps. He’s a chameleon, of sorts.

What is your favorite Bassitt pitch?

PN: Another A’s Pitcher with a beautiful slow curveball…

Bassitt also can get some nasty movement on his sinker.

Q: Switching to the bullpen, what are your favorite Lou Trivino pitches? He struggled through injury in 2019, but he has a strong canvas to bounce back to.

PN: When Trivino is on, his cutter is just unfair.

His curveball is also nasty…especially when you don’t know it’s coming. #TooSoon?

A healthy Trivino is borderline unfair. His cutter is one of my favorite pitches in the game, and, when it’s on, it’s a nightmare for hitters, especially when paired with his fastball. Certainly, can be one of the best backend relievers. Trivino and (Liam) Hendriks make a very formidable 1-2 punch.

Q: Liam Hendriks was both underrated and also one of the best closers in baseball last year (1.80 ERA, 25 saves in 85 innings). What stands out to you about Hendriks’ surge?

PN: My favorite Liam Hendricks pitch is when he messes with his own coordination.

But, seriously, his fastball and slider are a force to be reckoned with.

Q: I know you love Daniel Mengden and that mustache (since shaved, though). His role in 2020 is more difficult to pinpoint, he could be a key arm that bridges some tricky inning management to kick off the season. What do you love about Mengden?

Daniel Menden is one of my guilty pleasures to watch pitch because he reminds me of a simpler time in baseball history.

But seriously, he’s yet another A’s pitcher with a beautiful slow curve.

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A’s Melvin happy to escape smoky Seattle: “You felt it, for sure” Q: What’s in the beauty of a slow curveball? The A’s seem to favor pitchers with one in their arsenal, why do you think that might be?

Well, for one, it’s just a pretty pitch. There’s something about locking a hitter up with a beautiful slow curveball that’s hard to beat. It also pairs well with a high fastball as far as tunneling. So with launch angle swings and pitching fastballs up in the zone, a slow curveball can be a good complement to the high fastball both in terms of starting out in the plane of a high fastball and dropping out of it, and also mixing up speeds and making a fastball seem that much faster in comparison.

Q: What are your takes on the A’s pitching staff as a whole? Do you think there’s potential for them to be one of the best in baseball this season?

Actually, sitting down and doing this gave me extra appreciation for what they have in Oakland. Truly some of the most electric arms. I think the A’s have a low key shot at being one of the best staffs. Luzardo and Puk are on my list as Pitching Ninja’s new “must see” pitchers in baseball.

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