Getty Cleveland Guardians hitter Will Brennan loses his helmet while taking a mighty cut
Major league baseball tracks an abundance of records and measurables for fans to jump into, from batting averages to wins above replacement. But now it has added a decidedly novel measurable to its official database: “swords,” which measure the strikes that embarrass hitters by baiting them into devastating whiffs.
“It’s basically trying to put parameters on a feeling, trying to put borders around what is at its core just: Wow, did that batter look terrible there,” Mike Petriello explained for MLB.com. “That, then, is exactly what we did, with MLB data scientists Clay Nunnally leading the charge.”
The term “sword” was coined by Rob Friedman, better known as Pitching Ninja on X, based on an obscure reference to the 2006 film “The Benchwarmers.” Friedman has used the term to refer to pitches that force batters into “chopping” at deceptions, often losing their footing entirely as they try to change bat speed.
The below montage is the best way to understand what exactly MLB is now keeping track of:
2019 Swords ⚔️⚔️
Leveraging the latest bat-tracking innovations in its Statcast database, MLB will be recording “swords” that qualify as swinging strikes on incomplete swings when the pitch crosses the front face of home plate and induce a bat speed in the 10th percentile or lower for a given player.
“It’s putting data to a vibe, math to a mood, science to the art of making your opponent regret getting out of bed in the morning,” Petriello added.
MLB Releases Ranking of Pitchers With Most Swords in 2023
GettyWhite Sox starting pitcher Dylan Cease has one of baseball’s most lethal sliders.
To introduce the “official” new statistic, MLB released a list of the pitchers who threw the most swords last season:
The filthiest pitches in baseball end with swords.
Thanks to Statcast’s bat-tracking ability, MLB and @PitchingNinja can actually track swords now … complete with a leaderboard!
Starting pitchers obviously have the most chances to rack up high volumes of swords, but Petriello noted that relievers Will Smith, Matt Brash and Trevor Richards led the league on a per-nine-inning basis.
How Do MLB Pitchers Throw Swords?
GettyGabriel Moreno strikes out in the fourth inning during Game Three of the 2023 World Series.
Tracking these strikes more closely, MLB has been able to derive some science from the art of throwing a devastating sword. 2023 sword leaders Dylan Cease and Spencer Strider got the majority on their sliders, for instance.
“It might not be surprising that the most swords come on nasty breaking balls from pitchers who tend to throw hard,” explained Petriello.
In a recent appearance on Friedman’s “Pitching Ninja” YouTube show, Cease explained some of the strategy behind his most devastating pitches.
“All the stud hitters are aggressive, they’re trying to drive the ball and if it’s well executed, (a sword is) going to look like it’s down the middle and it’s just going to end up at their ankles,” he said. “It’s kind of like a, ‘Man, you just swung at a ball in the dirt,’ moment.”
Across the entire 2023 season, including the playoffs, MLB saw more than 6,200 swords. The Texas Rangers threw the most as a team while the St. Louis Cardinals threw the least.