Why Reid Detmers Curve ball Matters More than His Spring ERA

Coming out of college, Reid Detmers was noted for his wicked curve ball. Graded a 60 on the scouts 20-80 scale it was projected to be a plus pitch at the Major League level. At times it has made MLB hitters look foolish but far too often hitters were able to sit on the pitch and hit it hard.

In 2024, Detmers trademark curve ball was tattooed to the tune of a .370 batting average against and a .804 slugging percentage. The underlying metrics say it should not have been crushed that badly, but it was. And Detmers was promoted to the minor leagues as a result.

Last year, Detmers curve ball returned with a vengeance. Batters slugged .367 against it; a number lower than the batting average against it in 2024. They whiffed on it 22.5% of the time and only managed 82 miles per hour of average exit velocity.

Based on velocity and spin rate, the pitch was largely the same. However, Detmers was able to command the pitch better and reduced its useage compared to his improved slider. Suddently, the hammer was not the only pitch on hitter's mind and its surprise effect was back.

Detmers has worked to hone the shape and command of his curve ball this Spring.

Mar 1, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Reid Detmers against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Many pitchers in Angels camp are throwing new pitches this year but Detmers is simply cleaning his up. He is working with pitching guru Mike Maddux to hone the shape and break of his existing pitches rather than adding a new pitch.

Detmers curve ball already possesses elite spin at over 2480 rotations per minute. There's a 15 mile per hour difference between it and his fastball and a 10 mile an hour separation from his slider. The pitch itself is a data darling.

What he is refining is the shape and break of the pitch. He's tightening up the spin on his breaking pitches to give the slider a sharper bite and the curve a more pronounced break.

Ultimately this should provide more of a drop on the curve compared to the fastball. Hitters will swing completely over the 12 to 6 bender rather than make contact. If the pitch is going well, it will drop to a degree it is nearly impossible to lift.

Detmers breaking pitches will need to compensate for his slight downturn in velocity.

As a reliever Detmers could just grip it and rip it for as long as needed. Thus far in Spring Training the velocity on his fasball is back in the 92-94 MPH range which is down about 2 MPH from last season. He's clearly focusing on stamina so he'll need to mix speeds and breaks to be effective.

This separation of vertical plane and speed is a huge obstacle for a hitter and there is evidence it is starting to work. In one Cactus League start, Detmers racked up 11 whiffs in only 4 innings. That start came against a pretty solid Cleveland Guardians lineup. On the day he recorded 5 strikeouts while allowing 2 runs on 2 hits and walking 2.

What that shows is Detmers stuff can work as a starter, even if the velocity on his heater is down a touch. His ERA this Spring is an ugly 7.27 but he's clearly been working on pitches rather than looking for results. For a guy like Detmers most Spring Training stats don't matter. But some do. In Detmers case, the development of his curve ball is far more important than his ERA in games that do not matter.