Jared Jones Followed the Spencer Strider Blueprint

Jared Jones followed the Spencer Strider blueprint. His fastball got substantially better between 2023 and 2024 thanks to increased vertical break, extension, and a lowering of his release height.
Let's discuss what makes fastballs good, what the Spencer Strider blueprint is, and analyze Jared Jones' success.
My substack can be found here: lancebroz.substack.com/
Big Thanks to TruMedia for the plots and data within this video. You can check them out here: www.trumedianetworks.com/base...
Video and images via MLB, MLB.tv, USAToday, AP Images
0:00 Intro
0:18 The Spencer Strider Blueprint
3:11 Jared Jones Changed His Fastball
4:26 Jones' Approach
5:21 Can Jones Improve Anything?
6:40 Changeup, Curveball
7:48 Why It's Hard to Evaluate Pitching Prospects

[@pabloarevalo2268]

The early breakdown of release height and vertical break is phenomenal man. Great stuff

[@LanceBroz]

Thanks!

[@piercenelson2353]

Jones was talking about how his grip changed this offseason on his FF. Said he went from 16" IVB in a pen then his next pen with a new grip he averaged over 20" IVB. It's interesting to see how mechanics a change in his grip and other factors lead to an elite start to the year. Another great video!

[@LanceBroz]

Nice! That’s good stuff, usually 4S grips don’t change much unless it’s a thumb adjustment, so that’s interesting

[@piercenelson2353]

@@LanceBroz That makes sense, he said he went from wide fingers to putting his fingers together, he talked about it on the PitchingDojo Podcast with Pitching Ninja

[@thinkforyourself5672]

I swore he said he widened his fingers?

[@piercenelson2353]

@@thinkforyourself5672 he might have. Could have swore it was the other way around though. None the less still an impressive tweak

[@TheAllahMoeJr.]

@@piercenelson2353 he started with close fingers then changed to widened

[@buddhastl7120]

Great analysis

[@andrewj3413]

Great video Lance! Love your stuff. Any worry about his velo going down to 94 deeper into games?

[@LanceBroz]

Wouldn’t say it’s a worry in terms of health, could just be that he’s gotta better manage stamina through a game.
It’s not ideal, but he’s also only 22 👍

[@kashshhds8824]

Yes that’s very concerning usually happens when a elbow is ready to pop I would worry a lot

[@LanceBroz]

Thanks, Dr. Kashshhds8824

[@therandomuserman]

Lance, I have a question. Do you have any idea why Strider's four-seamer this year suddenly started having 4+ inches of horizontal break vs the average? It seems odd that he suddenly started having tons of horizontal break when he'd always had below league average

[@therandomuserman]

He threw one fastball to Brandon Marsh that had over 17 inches of horizontal break!

[@LanceBroz]

Most of the time shape changes like this are a byproduct of something different in the delivery. For Strider, it seems like his arm slot fell a little and the result was this shape.
His extension was down slightly but release height stayed the same, implying that he had a lower arm angle which would covert some of the raw backspin into sidespin (the pitch lost an inch of VB).
I do find it odd it picked up this much HB though, almost wonder if something unintentionally changed with how the ball was picking up seam shift in flight or something.
Also really tough to separate this stuff from his torn UCL, so likely a lot of things contributing.

[@Dylan-kw8pz]

More extension also reduces distance to the plate making it appear faster

[@LanceBroz]

Yep, I just think the release point adjustment, iVB gain and everything I mention in here is a bit more important, so I left the perceived velo stuff out

[@TaKi-cj3nl]

can you do a tanner houck video?? What has he changed?

[@melvosyt]

splitter usage way up to start

[@LanceBroz]

Have some other things I want to get to before Houck. He ditched his 4S, not much else changed therr

[@gavinmottley]

@@LanceBroz His splitter VB is way better and his slider is sweeping way way more at about the same velo

[@Katsos44]

More like the Degrom Blueprint with that hard slider

[@LanceBroz]

Nah, deGrom slider 4 mph harder. Sat glove side and picked apart hitters. Insane command there.
Jones is more Strider. It’s central targets, let good 4S shape eat middle.

[@Jt7166]

I’d bet my life savings these changes from Jones are something he did on his own. 😂

[@piratessuckattrading4828]

Of these three(IVB,VAA,Extension) improving which one gives you the most bang for your buck. And I know they aren’t completely separate from one another

[@LanceBroz]

If you’re talking about things in a vacuum it’s probably VAA
But keep in mind that VAA is capturing multiple variables (iVB+Release+Location), so it’s kind of a cheat answer
Probably better to compare iVB, Ext and Velo, where the order would be Velo, iVB, Ext in terms of importance