In his latest column for the Boston Globe, Nick Cafardo cites a “talent evaluator”, who thinks CC Sabathia’s weight loss is to blame for his lack of success in 2013.
Sabathia has a 4.78 ERA in 152.2 innings over 23 starts this season, easily the worst season of his career. His average fastball velocity is below 91 MPH for the first time dating back to 2002, when FanGraphs’ pitch speed data begins. The 24 home runs he has allowed thus far is already a career-high, surpassing the 22 surrendered last year. The Yankees are nearly through the second year of Sabathia’s five-year, $122 million contract.
Some players just perform better carrying more weight. Sabathia seems to be one of them. Some think such a theory is silly, that Sabathia is merely showing wear and tear after being a workhorse for so many years. But doesn’t it make some sense?
“The weight loss has created a balance problem for him,“ said one talent evaluator. “He’s all over the place. He’s learning how to pitch in that body, a body he’s really never had. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with him other than that. Sometimes you pitch at a certain weight all your life and then someone has the brilliant idea that you should lose weight because it’s putting stress on your knees, you do it, and then you’re dealing with something else.”
Sabathia has a 4.78 ERA in 152.2 innings over 23 starts this season, easily the worst season of his career. His average fastball velocity is below 91 MPH for the first time dating back to 2002, when FanGraphs’ pitch speed data begins. The 24 home runs he has allowed thus far is already a career-high, surpassing the 22 surrendered last year. The Yankees are nearly through the second year of Sabathia’s five-year, $122 million contract.