LOS ANGELES -- There's no secret what's coming when Ryan Buchter is on the mound. Entering Sunday's finale against the Dodgers, the Padres left-hander had thrown 209 pitches this season. According to Fangraphs, 192 of them have been fastballs.
Buchter estimates that he throws his four-seamer 90 percent of the time. (He also uses a cutter.) And yet, even though opposing hitters know the heat is coming, they've had trouble squaring it up.
Sure, Buchter can reach the mid-90s, but his average fastball velocity of 92.2 mph is precisely the league average in 2016.
Nonetheless, his above-average spin rate, combined with pinpoint command have made him one of the Padres' most reliable options out of the 'pen this season.