Stolen Goods: Knuckleball Sabermetrics 101

The Hardball Times has a dated, but still relevant and intriguing article about the rare breed of pitch known as the knuckleball. Unsurprisingly, the success of a knuckleball thrown is directly related to its variability in movement. As the data shows, the more movement, the more whiffs, while less movement is directly related to more extra base hits.

What is most interesting about the article, however, is something that Fangraphs brought my attention to: the X-Y plane clustering of knuckleballs versus other pitches. Below is a chart comparing the movement of C.C. Sabathia's 3-pitch mix to that of Tim Wakefield. Notice anything particularly variable, amorphous and indistinct about Wakefield's knuckleball as compared to even his own fastball and curveball?



Read the whole article; its very enlightening and reaffirming.