Knuckle CurveArsenal Shape: Gloveside Drop
Δ HB -8.0in · Δ VB -0.3in
Current: HB 5.0in / VB -7.7in
Recommended: HB -3.0in / VB -8.0in
Optimization diagnostic / SD
Walker Buehler
Walker Buehler's production (48) outpaces the tools grade (41) by 7 points. Primary finding: knuckle curve grades as the best pitch (whiff 43.9%, csw 25.0%) but is only thrown 7.6% of the time. Also flagged: Arsenal Shape: Gloveside Drop. Most actionable fix: increase knuckle curve usage to at least league-average for that pitch type.
Data window 2026-09-12 / 2026-09-26Confidence MEDIUM
Optimization map
Arsenal shape map
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gloveside
Movement reshape
Pitch movement dual-view
Current shape against the recommended movement window. Animation starts when this section scrolls into view.
Diagnosis
Fixable gaps
| Signal | Cause | Fix | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal Shape: Gloveside Drop0.60 | Existing Knuckle Curve is present, but its movement shape does not currently cover the desired gloveside-drop window. | Reshape existing Knuckle Curve to add gloveside drop rather than developing a new pitch from scratch.Shape refinement would improve platoon coverage while preserving the existing usage signal. | HIGH |
| Usage Underuse: Knuckle Curve0.70 | Knuckle Curve grades as the best pitch (whiff 43.9%, CSW 25.0%) but is only thrown 7.6% of the time | Increase Knuckle Curve usage to at least league-average for that pitch typeUsage rebalancing is the simplest optimization with immediate impact | MEDIUM |
Arsenal / metrics
Underlying components
| Component | Usage | Velo | Whiff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Four-Seam FastballFF | 29% | 93.8 | 23.7% |
| CutterFC | 25% | 90.4 | 0.0% |
| SinkerSI | 24% | 94.2 | 17.3% |
| SliderSL | 14% | 86.9 | 8.4% |
| Knuckle CurveKC | 8% | 77.9 | 43.9% |
| ChangeupCH | 6% | 89.1 | 0.0% |
| SweeperST | 1% | 81.9 | 0.0% |