Pitching is about keeping hitters guessing -- and about walking the line between overusing certain pitches to the point of predictability and underusing others that have quietly confounded opponents in limited doses. Now more than ever, each MLB pitcher's repertoire is scientifically calibrated, from the shape of the ball's arc as it approaches the plate to the spin it carries and how it looks coming out of the hand. Modern pitchers take their pitch selection as seriously as a Michelin chef planning a gourmet menu.
But even with all of that sophistication, there are inefficiencies in how pitchers deploy their stuff.