Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole's Triple Crown numbers paint in broad strokes. Their ERAs and strikeout totals this season reflect how they've fully unlocked their ace-level stuff in an Astros organization that has assembled a pitching staff for the ages.
But when you look deeper, at the specific type of poor contact they're getting from hitters, you get a window to a fundamental change both Verlander and Cole made when they came to Houston: prioritizing four-seam fastballs and deemphasizing two-seam fastballs.
"I stopped throwing my two-seamer," Verlander said. "I know I'm extremely efficient at throwing a four-seamer.