Game 14 Open Thread: Indians at Twins

You probably didn’t know the Indians have a player with a .429 batting average, .478 slugging percentage and lofty .810 OPS.
You must be figuring he’s a limited player and we’re talking about “small sample size” and something that won’t last much longer than an April snowstorm. You would be correct, but not in the way you hoped.
We’re talking about Josh Tomlin and his performance against right-handed batters. Yes, in that context it stinks.
So what is different and can he turn things around? It’s likely to depend on his curveball.
According to data collected by FanGraphs, Tomlin’s curve is his only quality pitch.
Pitchf/x “curveball wins above average” rates his bender as the reason he can call himself a major-leaguer. The career number is an aggregate of 8.1 but that only is instructive if you compare it to other top performers, such as Corey Kluber’s 59.5 or Jake Arrieta’s 12.1. Of course, they also have logged more major-league time, but they also have other productive pitches. Tomlin does not.
Every other Tomlin pitch is below average every season. (An exception was his slider last season) Tomlin’s fastball, for example is only used to set up the curve and has a pitchf/x “value” of minus 32.5.
The good news is that velocity is not an issue, at least according to the six innings he has performed so far. The results look much as they have throughout his career. He’s also throwing about as many curves as ever.
The difference is that his curve has been barely above average and the slider that was effective last season, especially early in the season, has not returned to form.
So as you watch Tomlin tonight, be aware that if he isn’t winning at bats with his curve, he will remain a troubled pitcher.

Notes:
In explaining offseason surgery for Phil Hughes, the Twins explained: According to the Mayo Clinic: “Thoracic outlet syndrome is a group of disorders that occur when blood vessels or nerves in the space between your collarbone and your first rib (the thoracic outlet) are compressed…this can cause pain in your shoulders and numbness in your fingers”…in order to treat the condition, Hughes had a portion of his first rib removed to relieve compression…had surgery in early July, 2016.

Mauer and Sano are hitting over .400 against Tomlin. Encarnacion is hitting .333 in 45 at bats against Hughes. That includes one homer.

Note: The Indians had Yan Gomes batting ninth in an earlier version of the lineup.