Kyle Hendricks is a tough pitcher for many observers to troubleshoot. That’s because most never thought a command pitcher with his velocity could stick in a big league rotation, let alone finish third in Cy Young voting in 2016. He doesn’t miss enough bats. He doesn’t have an out pitch. He won’t trick major leaguers into getting themselves out like in the minors.
Clearly, they were wrong. So when Hendricks’ game derails slightly, these same observers usually grasp at straws to figure out the root cause. For example, it has been said recently that he must pitch exclusively in the bottom of the strike zone to be successful.