Let’s play another round of “Did Ross Ohlendorf take a step forward last night, or did the team he faced suck?” So far, whenever I’ve felt the need to ask this question, the answer tends to skew towards, “The other team sucks.” Basic background (which you can find more fleshed out in the previously linked post): Ross Ohlendorf pitches better when he’s throwing harder, but he’s not always throwing hard and he’s had a shoulder injury this year, which tends to sap velocity. The question I’m really asking is more along the lines of, “Is Ross Ohlendorf throwing harder?”
The answer is mixed. Ohlendorf’s hardest fastball last night was 93.5 mph, which is about as hard as his average from a few of his best starts in 2009 and 2010. Still, he is getting some velocity back. In his first couple starts back from the disabled list, his fastball clocked in at under 91 mph on average. Last night, his average was closer to 92 mph (PitchFX apparently has some trouble and sorts his fastballs into four-seamers and two-seamers, even though I can’t see much difference in the two pitches). That’s still not great, but it did a very good job of setting up his slider last night as he got seven swinging strikes with the slider after getting no swinging strikes at all in his disaster start against the Marlins.
I still don’t think that Ohlendorf is a starter in the long-term because of his durability, but his velocity coming back is a good sign for his future in the bullpen. That’s because his perceived value in the bullpen is as a 6’4″ that can throw 94-95 mph with a good slider. Even though the Dodgers’ lineup wasn’t that strong last night, Ohlendorf does seem like he’s getting a little better.
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