One look at the lanky frame of Carl Edwards Jr. and you would be hard-pressed to believe he had one of the best fastballs in the game. Yet, indeed, the Cubs reliever blew hitters away with an MLB-best (min. 400 PA) 34.04 percent whiff/swing rate during his rookie year. That’s slightly better than even Aroldis Chapman’s 33.25 percent mark.
What makes his four-seamer so effective is the unique combination of cutting action and velocity. For instance, heaters released from Edwards Jr.’s spindly fingertips averaged 0.27 inches of horizontal movement at 95.8 MPH. Since 2007, only 1.