I continue digging through this year's pitch data to give you an in-depth analysis of this year's rookie starting pitchers, starting with the Baltimore Orioles.
Brad Bergesen, RHP
Fastball -- 67|PERCENT| (86-93 MPH)
Slider -- 26|PERCENT| (78-84 MPH)
Changeup -- 7|PERCENT| (78-85 MPH)
Bergesen burst onto the scene this year, going 7-5 with a 3.42 ERA before going down with a leg injury at the end of July. His fastball usually gets decent sink, and his slider has been a very effective weapon against righties, while he uses his changeup almost exclusively against lefties. He exceeded expectations this year, and now has injury concerns, so his future is questionable.
Jason Berken, RHP
Fastball -- 60|PERCENT| (88-95 MPH)
Changeup -- 18|PERCENT| (79-86 MPH)
Slider -- 13|PERCENT| (79-86 MPH)
Curveball -- 12|PERCENT| (75-81 MPH)
Berken has been terrible this year, going 4-11 with a 6.02 ERA. Batters have had little difficulty hitting his fastball (which is usually fairly straight), and his changeup has also been extremely hittable. He doesn't have a whole lot of minor league history behind him, but I see nothing to suggest that he'll ever be more than an average major league pitcher.
David Hernandez, RHP
Fastball -- 66|PERCENT| (89-96 MPH)
Curveball -- 19|PERCENT| (75-81 MPH)
Changeup -- 15|PERCENT| (81-87 MPH)
Hernandez hasn't been terribly impressive this year either, going 4-7 with an ERA of 5.04 (giving up 21 homers in only 82 innings). His fastball is a very straight offering that batters feast on, and his curveball hasn't been very effective at getting hitters out. He only has one good minor league season and several mediocre ones under his belt, so I don't expect much from him in the future.
Koji Uehara, RHP
Fastball -- 55|PERCENT| (84-90 MPH)
Forkball -- 34|PERCENT| (76-82 MPH)
Cutter -- 9|PERCENT| (79-86 MPH)
Curveball -- 1|PERCENT| (63-70 MPH)
While not exactly a spring chicken at age 34, after having logged several professional seasons in Japan, he is still classified as a rookie by MLB standards. He did not disappoint before going on the DL in late June with an elbow injury, posting a 4.04 ERA. His lack of run support and bullpen help made him only 2-4, but he deserved better. His forkball (which really looks more like a splitter) is his bread-and-butter pitch, and it makes his straight 87 MPH fastballs look much faster than they are. His future in MLB depends on how quickly he can bounce back from his injury.