Chicago White Sox' Lucas Giolito is the Best in Baseball at This Odd Pitching Trend

I was a Division III pitcher. Make jokes about that if you wish...

But when I was being taught how to pitch, and I was being taught pitching strategy, I was always told not to throw offspeed pitches up in the zone. You wanted high fastballs and offspeed pitches that were down in the zone. Down there? You wouldn't get hurt.

Swings and misses and ground balls is what you wanted off your offspeed pitches, and if you were going to miss, miss down so the ball would be in the dirt and wouldn't get pummeled.

Evidently, Chicago White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito wasn't taught the same thing, because he excels in throwing changeups up in the zone.

Per the Twitter account @CodifyBaseball:

Swinging strikes from changeups thrown into the upper third of the strike zone since 2019:

Lucas Giolito, 50

John Means, 23

Mike Minor, 23

Michael Wacha, 19

Swinging strikes from changeups thrown into the upper third of the strike zone since 2019:

Lucas Giolito, 50 😮
John Means, 23
Mike Minor, 23
Michael Wacha, 19 https://t.co/aZpl07wwYZ
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) May 20, 2023

He has more than double the amount of swings and misses on changeups up in the zone than the nearest pitcher over the last four years, that's pretty amazing.

This year for the White Sox, Giolito is out to a 2-3 start with a 3.62 ERA. He's struck out 60 batters in 59.2 innings. As the White Sox continue to struggle, Giolito could become a big trade piece as the trade deadline nears.

For his career, he's 55-50 with a 4.28 ERA. He made his debut in 2016 with the Washington Nationals but has been with the White Sox since 2017. He won a career-best 14 games in 2019.

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