So far this season, Foster Griffin has been the Washington Nationals best pitcher. The soft tossing lefty has used his craftiness and deep pitch mix to weather the storm against three really good lineups. He has faced the Phillies, Dodgers and Brewers, and has gone at least five innings while allowing two or fewer runs in all of those starts.
Griffin is not the type of pitcher who will overpower you with stuff. That made it crucial for him to truly learn how to pitch. Griffin did just that in his three seasons in Japan. When Griffin left the US to go to Japan, he was a four pitch guy. He threw a 4-seam fastball, a cutter, a changeup and a curveball.
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He has a much deeper mix after three years in the NPB. Griffin added a sweeper, a sinker and a splitter. The splitter is a staple over in Japan, so it is no surprise that Griffin picked that up. However, despite adding the split, he still throws his changeup as well.
Having a changeup and a splitter with two distinct looks is pretty unique and it gives Griffin a real edge. There are not many pitchers around the league who use both of those pitches, and he might be the only lefty to do it. This new look is keeping hitters off balance.
We have to keep in mind that Griffin is doing this against some of the best lineups in the league. When you look at some of the underlying numbers, there are some causes for concern. His FIP is 4.62 and his xFIP is 4.35, which paints a different picture compared to his sparkling 1.76 ERA.
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I think the fact he has faced three elite lineups help explain these underlying numbers. He is not going to sustain a sub-2 ERA all season obviously, but I think he has the craft and moxy to pitch to an era just under 4.
The Nats pitching staff has not had a lot of bright spots so far this season, but Griffin is certainly one of them. You have to credit Paul Toboni for believing in Griffin enough to give him a second chance. Griffin does not have the flashy stuff teams are looking for these days, but he has mastered the art of pitching.
Command and deception is a bit of a lost art these days, but Griffin is trying to bring it back. None of his individual pitches are outstanding, but when you combine seven offerings that all have distinct shapes, it is a tough look for hitters.
Griffin is just on a one year deal, which makes him a prime trade candidate at the deadline. With the way he is pitching right now, there will be contenders that are intrigued by his deep mix and dependability.
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I am not sure how long it will last, but I am loving the Foster Griffin experience so far. There is no panic in this guy and he is taking the fight to hitters. For a guy that had not been in the big leagues for three years, he did not look scared at all when he faced the Phillies in his first start.
Griffin has called himself a tactician on the mound, and it fits him. He is constantly thinking on the mound, trying to execute the perfect pitch at the perfect moment. Griffin is a master of mixing and matching. I feel like young pitchers such as Cade Cavalli could learn a thing or two from Griffin. He is just so thoughtful on the mound, and that is something I really appreciate as someone who pitched growing up.
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