Very early command sub-indicator surgers, 2025

It's still risky to put significant stock into early-season skills, especially aggregate measures like strikeouts and walks. But looking into the components that drive them can be a helpful early-season exercise, since they represent larger sample sizes.

These starting pitchers have increased their swinging strike rates the most from 2024 to 2025 (min 20 IP each season):

		2024			2025			Δ
Name	Lg	SwK%	FpK%	Ball%	SwK%	FpK%	Ball%	SwK%	FpK%	Ball%
Max Meyer	NL	10.3%	60%	38%	15.4%	61%	34%	5.1%	1%	-4%
Luis L. Ortiz	AL	8.9%	61%	35%	13.1%	63%	35%	4.2%	3%	0%
Jameson Taillon	NL	8.5%	66%	34%	12.6%	75%	33%	4.1%	9%	-1%
Justin Verlander	NL	9.2%	58%	35%	13.2%	66%	35%	4.0%	7%	0%
Kyle Freeland	NL	7.9%	66%	33%	11.7%	66%	29%	3.8%	0%	-4%
Cristopher Sanchez	NL	11.3%	66%	32%	15.1%	71%	34%	3.8%	5%	2%
Gavin Williams	AL	10.4%	63%	36%	14.0%	51%	37%

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