I have been tracking on social media which pitchers are adding new pitches, changing their mechanics, or reviving old pitches. I’m sure I’ve missed some, but let’s talk through the most notable tweaks I’ve seen so far.
We’ll hit on the following names: Devin Williams, Roki Sasaki, Chase Dollander, Ryan Sloan, Jack Kochanowicz, Brayan Bello, Chase Burns, Garrett Crochet, and Hayden Birdsong.
After 235.2 innings of a 1.83 ERA in 2024, an abysmal strand rate pushed Williams’ ERA to 4.79 last season. His peripherals suggest he’ll revert to being dominant once again if he changes absolutely nothing in 2026. Preferring to take an active approach in his reversion to being good, we’re getting a pair of tweaks for the Mets’ new closer.
Williams has thrown both a cutter and a gyro slider in the past. The highest usage of his cutter came in 2023, when he threw it exclusively to left-handed hitters (6%) and mostly in early count situations. His changeup was a surprisingly average pitch to left-handed hitters in 2024 and 2025. Perhaps more cutters will help him move off his 45% changeup usage early in counts and help it have more success as a two-strike pitch.
From 2020-2022, Williams threw a glove-side shape resembling a gyro slider but it kind of morphed each season. Like his cutter, the usage was so light that it’s difficult to say the pitch was anything more than a passing thought. It’s uncommon for a changeup-heavy pitcher to be better against righties than lefties, but that’s what Williams has managed to do every season he’s been in the majors. This makes me wonder whether both the cutter and gyro slider are primarily to help against left-handed hitters. Even if that’s correct, we might still see some usage of the gyro slider, in particular, against righties.
Williams’ Gyro Slider grip (2020)