Danny Carrion taking advantage of elite extension

Extension allowing fastball to play better despite below average velocity

Photo Credit: WTM

Extension has been discussed much more in the Pirates’ system, especially since Bailey Falter's success in the major league rotation.

Falter’s fastball isn’t overpowering, but it grades well due to its shape and extension.

The more extension a pitcher has, the ‘quicker’ a pitch gets on a hitter, causing them to react faster. It can also make a pitch seem faster than usual, as there’s less distance it has to travel from the pitcher’s hand to the hitter.

It’s a concept that isn’t new as you remember someone like Randy Johnson. He stood at 6’10” which created a large amount of extension, making his upper 90s fastball play up even more.

Some of the top prospects in the system grade out with better-than-average extensions, but there is someone else further down in the system who is among the best in the minors when it comes to the metric.