A split-finger fastball or splitter is an off-speed pitch in baseball that initially looks like a fastball from the batters perspective, but then drops suddenly. Derived from the forkball, it is aptly named because the pitcher puts the index and middle finger on different sides of the ball. [1]
The splitter grew out of a much older pitch, the forkball, which was first used in the major leagues in the 1920s. [2] The modern splitter is often credited to baseball coach Fred Martin, who threw the pitch in the minor leagues as a changeup of sorts. When a young Bruce Sutter returned from surgery to find his fastball had lost velocity, Martin taught Sutter the pitch. [3] Sutter's success as a closer helped popularize the pitch.
Another early proponent of the splitter was Roger Craig, a pitcher-turned-manager, in the 1980s. He taught it to a number of pitchers on the teams he coached, the Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants. [2] Longtime player and manager Mike Scioscia called the splitter "the pitch of the '80s." [1]
The splitter eventually lost popularity in MLB after concerns arose that extensive use of the pitch could rob pitchers of fastball speed [4] and increase injury risk [5] Several major league teams discourage pitching prospects from throwing or learning the pitch. [1] In 2011, only 15 starting pitchers used it as part of their regular repertoire. [6] Splitter usage has begun to see a resurgence in the 2020s, with little research indicating support for the increased injury risk, and the MLB success of Japanese splitter-throwers from NPB, where the splitter has long been a primary pitch, as key factors. [5]
The main purpose of the split-fingered pitch is for the pitcher to make the batter believe it will be a fastball in the strike zone. Then, at the last second, the pitch dips down, which causes the batter to either swing over the pitch or ground it weakly into the infield. [7] [8]
The split-finger grip is similar to the forkball grip. However, the forkball is held further back and wider between the fingers and is usually thrown with a wrist flip that makes it slower than the splitter. [9] The split-finger is often recommended as an alternative to breaking pitches to young players because of its simplicity and the significantly reduced risk of injury.
An off-speed pitch, the splitter is generally thrown slower than the pitcher's fastball. According to PITCHf/x, the average four-seam fastball from a right-handed pitcher in 2010 was 92 mph, whereas the average splitter was 85 mph and the average changeup 83 mph. [10]
The motion of a split-finger pitch is similar to the outlawed spitball and at one time the pitch was known as the "dry spitter". When thrown, the pitcher must emphasize the downward pull of the pitch at the end of his motion. [11] [12] Thrusting the hand and forearm downward causes reduced backspin relative to a fastball, thus giving the appearance of "drop off the table" movement from the pitch. When thrown correctly, the split-finger's apparent last-second drop causes many batters to hit the top half of the baseball, thereby inducing a ground ball. [13] [8] The split-finger fastball is a very effective pitch with runners on base; a common tactic is using the split-finger to cause the batter to hit into a double play. The disadvantage of using a splitter with runners on base is that the extreme downward trajectory of the pitch could land the ball into the dirt, and cause a wild pitch to advance the runners. So a pitcher must trust their catcher when throwing it. [14] [15]
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Cruz's splitter has a low zone rate and regularly ends up out of the strike zone, which makes it effective but also increases the risk of wild pitches.
Defined as a pitch so errant the catcher cannot control it with ordinary effort, allowing runners to advance.
Uehara has thrown 24 pitches this season, and 21 of them have been splitters, showcasing his reliance on the pitch.
