Angels Veteran Sees Fastball Velocity Tick Up After Time Off

J.P. Hoornstra | May 24, 2024

May 15, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Los Angeles Angels catcher Chad Wallasch (35) celebrates with relief pitcher Matt Moore (55) after the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

It's often alarming when a pitcher sees his velocity drop for a night without explanation. So it was for veteran Angels relief pitcher Matt Moore in his outing last Friday against the Texas Rangers.

More threw 14 fastballs in his relief appearance against the Texas Rangers in the game, a 9-3 win. He allowed three hits, including a home run by Marcus Semien that accounted for the Rangers' two runs in the inning. The home run didn't come on a fastball, but a 110.5-mph single off the bat of Corey Seager did. It isn't hard to see why Moore didn't make it through the inning.

Although Moore isn't known for his speed, every tick on the radar gun helps. Moore, 34, averaged a season-low 91.8 mph on his heater that night. His fastball typically sits in the 93-94 mph range.

The next day, Moore told reporters he felt healthy.

Perfect inning tonight (2 Ks) and FB was up to 93 again.

Going to the 9th, 5-5.

— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) May 22, 2024

Injuries aren't always perceptible, nor are they the only cause for reduced velocity. In the case of Moore, this appeared to be a case of simple fatigue — nothing a few days off couldn't cure.

Angels manager Ron Washington didn't call Moore's number again until their Tuesday night game in Houston. When he returned to the mound, Moore was back to his old self. His fastball averaged 93.3 mph that night.

Perhaps notably, Moore only threw three fastballs out of his 13 pitches in all. It was an efficient inning regardless, and perhaps by relying on his breaking ball, Moore's average fastball speed "played up."

Moore has been searching for answers in a season that's seen his earned-run average balloon to 6.62 through his first eight appearances. He's allowed 17 hits — including four home runs — and eight walks in 17.2 innings.

The scoreless outing in Houston was a step in the right direction. Moore struck out two of the three batters he faced. It could prove to be a template for his usage going forward; don't expect Moore to appear in back-to-back games anytime soon.

And, perhaps, it might be fair to expect fewer fastball usage from Moore going forward — particularly when the usual velocity isn't there.