How much does spin rate factor into the success of MLB's top pitchers?
The delicate balance between pitchers and hitters has been tilting in one direction for a good while now. The surge in home runs over the past two seasons only served to mask how pitchers are controlling the game like never before. Major League Baseball hitters have a collective .237 batting average, down 15 points from just two years ago. Yet this offseason, MLB made the decision to alter the baseball slightly to keep it from flying so far. The home run rate is down, along with just about every other measure of offense. What MLB may not have expected is the less-dense and ever-so-slightly lighter baseball has become yet another weapon in a pitchers arsenal. Pitch velocities, spin rates and movement have all increased. And then theres something else St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Shildt recently called baseballs dirty little secret. Pitchers are using a variety of sticky substances to put even more spin on their offerings, creating more movement, and making them even harder to hit. MLB has told owners the next step in its enforcement plan  which would include 10-day suspensions  will soon be implemented. As a result, pitchers will be under more scrutiny with TV cameras and zoom lenses looking for any hint of cheating. Top 10 pitchers ... so far  Here are the pitchers through June 6 with the highest fantasy values according to BaseballHQ.com. Spin rates (in rpm) and pitch mix data are from BaseballSavant.com. 1. Kevin Gausman, San Francisco Giants  Four-seam fastball spin rate: 53rd percentile  Four-seam averages (2018-2021): 2168, 2249, 2313, 2295  With a 7-0 record and 1.27 ERA, Gausman leads the way among pitchers without doing a whole lot different than he did last season. The average spin rates on all four of his pitches  four-seam, splitter, slider, change-up  are down from last season, though hes throwing split more and change-up less than he did last year. 2. Jacob deGrom, New York Mets  Four-seam spin rate: 79th percentile  Curve spin rate: 78th percentile  Four-seam averages (2018-2021): 2362, 2389, 2477, 2425  DeGroms spin rates have hardly changed over the past four seasons. The key for him is the velocity on his fastball, which hes throwing a career-high 63.4% of the time, and averaging a career-high 99.2 mph. Hes having a historic season, leading the majors with a minuscule 0.62 ERA. In addition, his control has been impeccable with 93 strikeouts and eight walks in 58 innings. 3. Brandon Woodruff, Milwaukee Brewers  Four-seam spin rate: 64th percentile  Curve spin rate: 73rd percentile  Four-seam averages (2018-2021): 2139, 2257, 2457, 2384  Woodruffs fastball is spinning less this season, while his curveball is spinning just a bit more. Otherwise, his strikeout and walk rates are almost identical to what they were a year ago. A 59-point drop in opponents batting average on balls in play. 4. Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals  Four-seam spin rate: 87th percentile  Curve spin rate: 77th percentile  Four-seam averages (2018-2021): 2487, 2474, 2472, 2483  Consistency is Scherzers middle name. His spin rates are perfectly in line. And his fastball velocity has held steady at about 94.5 mph for the past six seasons. 5. Trevor Bauer, Los Angeles Dodgers  Four-seam spin rate: 100th percentile  Curve spin rate: 95th percentile  Four-seam averages (2018-2021): 2322, 2410, 2779, 2822  Bauer has been one of the most outspoken pitchers on the benefits of a high spin rate. Not coincidentally, hes also one of the best at executing it  gaining 500 rpm on his fastball since 2018. However, in Bauers last start, June 6 in Atlanta, his four-seamer averaged just 2613 rpm, more than 200 below his season average. It was also the lowest its been in a game in almost two years. MLB collected a few baseballs from one of his previous starts earlier in the season. 6. Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees  Four-seam spin rate: 93rd percentile  Curve spin rate: 86th percentile  Four-seam averages (2018-2021): 2379, 2530, 2505, 2552  Coles spin rate took a major jump in 2018, when he was traded to the Houston Astros and gained more than 200 rpm on his four-seamer. He began this season with an incredible display of command, with 78 strikeouts and three walks in his first eight starts (52 2/3 innings). Then on June 3 against the Rays, Cole yielded five runs in five innings and his spin rates on both his four-seamer (2436) and his curve (2763) were noticeably below his season averages. 7. Lance Lynn, Chicago White Sox  Four-seam spin rate: 85th percentile  Curve spin rate: 34th percentile  Four-seam averages (2018-2021): 2385, 2482, 2492, 2450  Lynn is using his cut fastball (31%) more this season than he has since he started throwing it in 2017. But like his four-seamer, the spin rate on his cutter is also down slightly from last season. 8. Freddy Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers  Four-seam spin rate: 75th percentile  Curve spin rate: 21st percentile  Four-seam averages (2018-2021): 2389, 2454, 2416, 2407  Peralta has also changed his pitch mix more than his spin rate. He is throwing fewer fastballs and curves and relying more on his slider (31%). He also added a change-up this season that he throws to left-handed batters. The new mix has made his entire repertoire much more effective. 9. Yu Darvish, San Diego Padres  Four-seam spin rate: 99th percentile  Curve spin rate: 81st percentile  Four-seam averages (2018-2021): 2543, 2529, 2595, 2561  Darvish throws six different pitches, with a cut fastball (38%) and slider (23%) as his primary offerings. He has elite spin rates on everything, even though his four-seam fastball velocity (94.6 mph) is only in the 10th percentile. 10. Corbin Burnes, Milwaukee Brewers  Four-seam spin rate: 100th percentile  Curve spin rate: 90th percentile  Four-seam averages (2018-2021): 2560, 2656, 2669, 2691  Burnes ditched his four-seamer last season after opponents hit .425 against it in 2019. In its place, hes leaning heavily on a cut fastball he now throws more than half the time. His high-spin curve has become a major weapon, with opponents hitting just .043 (1-for-23) against it this season. Follow Gardner on Twitter @SteveAGardner