Blue Jays reliever Trevor Richards is having one of the best seasons of his career, and his nasty changeup is a big reason why.
In 29 appearances this season, Richards has a career-best 3.14 ERA and has posted a 1.116 WHIP, second only to the 0.964 he record in 2021. And he’s doing thanks in large part to a changeup that’s been nearly unhittable, with batters posting a paltry .120 batting average against the pitch. What makes the change so tough to hit? Its dizzying spin rate. Richards’s changeup has an average spin rate of 2585, the second highest in the majors this season (behind only Brewers closer Devin Williams’s 2643).