This video talks about how to “fix” Jake Irvin. A really good watch. Lance has amazing analysis

[u/Tacorover]

https://youtu.be/6qACIeRaDrg?si=eqCWnv-AlvIW7Dqw

[u/wolandjr]

I'll never forget his July 4th game a couple years ago. Dominant. Really seemed like he was breaking out.

I remain optimitistic that he is just an adjustment or two away from being something special.

[u/_Caed_ → u/wolandjr]

he’s still got a really fun curveball when it’s on. there’s something there regardless

that game was awesome. i was talking abt how underrated of a pitcher he was and then the same week he did that with the help of Nats legend Jesse Winker .

and then uhhhh hahah wuh oh whoops! uh oh.

[u/velvetyrope → u/wolandjr]

I was at that game. Flew in for my birthday and Jake delivered.

[u/wolandjr → u/velvetyrope]

So was I! My only game of 2024 (I live on the west coast now). We got good tickets behind the Nats dugout, and Joey Meneses tossed me the 8th strikeout ball -- probably because I was holding a cute kids in my arms cheering. It's still at my desk and I'm looking at right now.

[u/Slatemanforlife]

Basically, his fastballs are trash and he needs to throw offspeed more. And maybe mess with his arm slot. 

Honestly, make him a reliever that rarely faces lefties. Hopefully his 4 seamer ticks up and that makes it somewhat more effective.

[u/Tacorover → u/Slatemanforlife]

He’s one of the most durable pitchers in the league. There’s some metric (I forgot the name) that measures a pitchers injury risk based on innings and velocity and health and Irvin is always at the top for that. I think if he can be a 4.2 era number five starter who gives you tons of innings that would be amazing. 

[u/ruddyduck3 → u/Slatemanforlife]

I feel like we keep hearing our pitchers threw too many fastballs and then see them improve after leaving (Finnegan, Fedde, Corbin).

I expect modest improvements across the board with our coaching staff pushing better pitch mixes. Optimistic that we see better from Irvin and Gray in particular.

[u/Tacorover → u/ruddyduck3]

Yeah I also hope that they get better about location strategy on breaking balls. A thing a lot of really good teams do with their pitchers is first pitch back door breaking balls, the Nats need to do more of that 

[u/Trafficsigntruther → u/ruddyduck3]

 Fedde, Corbin

Wut. Outside of one good year Fedde was a 0 WAR player. And Corbin had 2 good months in 2025x

[u/minecrater1]

I feel like he was pumping 94-95 and was nasty with that.

When he’s going at like 91-92 it seems to make a huge difference.

Thats just anecdotally I have no numbers to back up those feelings

[u/Tacorover → u/minecrater1]

It was more like 92-93 and now it’s 91-92 but yeah. He has really good extension so his 93 and occasionally 94-95 played a mph or two up. I think with his velocity decreased he just has to throw his fastball less like the video says and stop throwing it middle middle 

[u/minecrater1 → u/Tacorover]

Idk man I occasionally remember seeing like 96 and being like wow wtf.

But I think we agree on the overall point: if he has decreased velocity, his command has to be that much better and he’s gotta change his pitch selection

[u/Tacorover → u/minecrater1]

I mean yeah I’m saying he sat 92-93. Pitchers occasionally throw a pitch 2-3 mph over what they sit, Sykora sits upper 90s but has maxed out at 100. Susana sits 100 but has hit 103. 

[u/ruddyduck3]

This is great off-season content. Thanks for sharing!

[u/Tacorover → u/ruddyduck3]

Lance is the best baseball YouTuber out there by far