Cubs embracing the next pitching trend: splitters

MESA, Ariz. – Pitching trends have a cyclical nature.

Until recently, the splitter was somewhat of an old school pitch. Mark Leiter Jr. was the only Cubs pitcher who featured it in his arsenal last year at the major-league level – although his is more of a fork ball.

“I was lucky,” Leiter said. “My dad pretty much threw the fork ball, and he changed the grip because the hitters were telling him something. And then I basically got the finished product that he worked on.”

The elder Mark Leiter’s major-league career spanned over a decade, from 1990 to 2001. Then his son made his pitch, which requires the pitcher to really wedge the ball between his index and middle fingers, a highlight of his own arsenal.

This year split-finger fastballs and changeups, in a range of variations, have spread through the clubhouse. Over the winter, Cubs signed starter Shota Imanaga – who came over from Japan, where splitters are much more common – and reliever Hector Neris – who has built a career around his version of the pitch.

Veteran Drew Smyly picked up a splitter while working out at Driveline Baseball over the offseason. And a trio of young power pitchers – Daniel Palencia, Luke Little and Porter Hodge – added the pitch to their repertoires over the past year.

The splitter’s popularity as the new “it” pitch this year has supplanted the sweeper craze of recent years, and the spike curve mania before that.

“They're really effective,” Moskos said in a conversation with the Sun-Times. “They're relatively platoon-neutral, so for guys who struggle to have an offspeed pitch that works to both batters’ handedness, it's a really good option.”

Pitching coach Tommy Hottovy separates the Cubs’ new splitter pitchers into two categories, those who added it as a putaway weapon, like Palencia, and those who want it to round out their repertoire, like Smyly. But each pitcher reaches the desired effect in his own way.

In every version of the pitch, the pitcher spreads his middle and index fingers – “splits” them – around the ball to get it to drop. Where pitchers place their fingers on, or off of, the baseball’s seams, varies.

“There's so many different grips out there,” Moskos said. “You really want to try to attach it to the way a guy’s delivery works, and set the grip up for success rather than him having to manipulate the ball to get the desired outcome.”

Imanaga

“It doesn't really matter what grip I use,” Iamanaga said through interpreter Edwin Stanberry. “It depends on how it feels. But pretty much, I throw it the same as a fastball, the same fastball release.”

Imanaga began spring training using one consistent splitter grip. But he has multiple in his bag and he’s been known to switch if the pitch feels off.

“Where the splitter’s at right now, I don’t think we’d change a thing,” Moskos said. “It honestly looks better than it even did in Japan from a shape perspective, and you saw it perform against the Dodgers” in Imanaga’s first spring training start.

Imanaga’s fastball and its unique ride has stolen the spotlight this spring. But he has a full arsenal.

“I think [the splitter] has a chance to become his best secondary offering,” Moskos said. “And especially with what his fastball is, being able to play the vertical game off of that makes a lot of sense.”

Neris

Early in Neris’ minor-league career, he said he went away from the splitter, from about 2010 to 2013. The pitch has evolved since he brought it back.

“Everything with this pitch is how you feel the ball and how you finish the pitch,” he said.

His splitter usage peaked in 2019 with the Phillies, when it accounted for 65.3% of the pitches he threw that year. Last season, he threw it at a 28.8% clip, second to only his fastball.

Neris’ splitter grip sets itself apart in the way he curls his index finger on the side of the ball. The pitch had a 42% whiff rate last year, the key to his high strikeout numbers.

Smyly

Smyly experimented with different grips at Driveline this offseason, landing on one that he describes as a “one-seam/two-seam” splitter. He’s always gravitated toward spinning the ball to create different movements, so it’s been a learning process.

“This is my 13th year of playing [professional baseball], and that’s new to me,” Smyly said. “I didn't realize that with just a different grip, you can completely change how the ball is coming out.”

Little

Little started throwing a hybrid changeup in Single-A Myrtle Beach two years ago, but it slowly morphed into a splitter, completing the transition last season. Because of his low arm slot, Little said, he’s never had a consistent changeup. His splitter gives him a different offspeed offering.

“It's been a lot easier to throw than a changeup,” he said.

He threw the splitter in minor-league games last year. But when made his major-league debut, his only warmup splitter went to the backstop.

“I think [catcher Yan Gomes] was just like, ‘Maybe we'll just go with fastball, slider.”

Palencia

Palencia also threw mostly four-seam fastballs and sliders in his rookie season last year. But this offseason, he focused on adding a splitter and sinker.

“Right now, I feel very confident with those pitches, that they will be really good for my arsenal,” he said.

With his splitter moving downward and his sinker and slider breaking in opposite directions, he describes it as a triangle effect.

Hodge

Hodge, who the Cubs added to the 40-man roster this winter to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, learned how to throw a splitter around the All-Star break last year. Like with Little, pronation doesn't come naturally to Hodge, making a changeup harder to throw.

“My fastball cuts, and then my slider’s sweepy,” he said. “So I have to have something that goes down and away. That would really just make my arsenal much better.”