PHOENIX – Sean Doolittle looks at the radar gun after each pitch he throws because it gives him some immediate feedback.
If he’s at the low end, he needs to be sharper with his locations. If he’s pumping fastballs in the mid-90s, he has more room to be aggressive and a little bit more margin for error within the strike zone.
When he sees the two digits flash in ballparks these days, it’s a lot different than it was last year. Doolittle’s fastest pitch in 2020 was 92.3 mph. This year, he’s averaging 93.4 mph with his fastball and he’s topped out at 96 mph.