Orange County Register

In his last start, Ervin Santana’s fastball hit 93 or 94 mph, an encouraging sign as he continues to build back to his normal velocity. Around the fifth inning, though, his fastball started dropping. Velocity certainly isn’t everything, but it’s arguably a decent proxy for determining just how “back” he really is. Last year, his fastball averaged 94.4 mph; the year before, when he struggled, it was 92.2 mph. This year, so far, he’s at 90.7.

I’ll be posting his inning-by-inning fastball speeds throughout the game.

First inning:

• High: 93
• Median: 90
• Mean: 90.4 mph

Second Inning:

• High: 91
• Median: 90
• Mean: 90.7 mph

Third Inning

• High: 94
• Median: 91
• Mean:  91.3 mph

The 94 mph fastball, his hardest of the night, hit Evan Longoria and was way up, which suggests he overthrew it.

Fourth inning

• High: 92
• Median: 90
• Mean: 90.2 mph

His last three of the inning were his three hardest (92 mph), but he seems to have his a velocity wall, just as he did midway through his last game.

Fifth inning:

• High: 91
• Median: 89
• Mean: 89.4

Just like last week, he hit a velocity wall around the fifth. Velocity isn’t everything, of course — Weaver gets by at 89-90 every start. But DROPS in velocity are pretty telling, and Santana’s fastball this week is somewhat troubling. He just got pulled in the middle of the fifth.

Meanwhile, here’s Halos Heaven’s comments on his slider:

• “Like it belongs at White Castle”
• “When it’s in the zone, flat. It’s been in the dirt, mostly.”

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