Tim Herrin is having one of the best seasons this year among pitchers who will likely be named to the American League All-Star team later this month. The 27-year-old left-hander pitched out of the Cleveland Guardians bullpen 38 times and boasted a 1.07 ERA and 2.48 FIP over 33 2/3 innings. In addition, he has struck out 34 batters, and given up 18 no hits out of the yard.
Uncle Charlie became his main weapon. Herrin has thrown his curveball 40.6% of the time this season, the second-highest percentage — behind only Kansas City's Nick Anderson at 45.1% — among pitchers who have worked at least 30 innings. Consumption represents a marked change from the previous year. In his rookie season of 2023, Herrin threw his curveball 12.2% of the time while posting a 5.53 ERA and 3.87 FIP.
Herrin discussed his hook before a recent game at Cleveland's Progressive Field.
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David Laurila: Is the curveball your best pitch? Of course you have been throwing a lot of them.
Tim Herrin: “Yes, I mean that consumption has increased significantly compared to previous years. It's a pitch I've worked on all offseason, trying to be able to command it better. It used to be two strikes, and now I can use it to get ahead in stats and take guys out. It was a good platform for me.”
Laurila: What do you do differently to teach better?
Herrin: “It's a big psychological sign that I'm freed. I didn't change the grip or anything like that. Last year, I just tried to rip it up as much as possible, and this year there's a controlled aggression to it. It's about knowing the math, when I want to get it in the zone and when I want to get it under the zone.”
Laurila: Has the motion profile changed at all?
Herrin: “It's a little bit the same. I would say it's a little deeper this year. In the past, it was a little deeper horizontal. This year, I had something like 10 horizontals [versus an average of 11.3 inches last season, per Statcast]. But I wasn't trying to change the profile too much. I think the cue type helped me make it a little clearer, and it plays better on the slide. “
Laurila: Obviously you want your curveball to be sharp – you want good movement – but you're not, like you said, just ripping it. I think there is a fine line there.
Herrin: “Yes. I mean I'm still tearing it up. Like I said, it's more of a controlled rage too. Last year, it wasn't so much 'Where am I going to throw this?' as he said 'I'm going to throw it hard and hope it goes where I want it to go.' There wasn't a lot of thought behind the scenes, I guess you could say. This year, I have different signs for different places.”
Laurila: Basically, it's not a get-me-over curveball, but rather a get-me-over curveball?
Herrin: “That's a good way to put it.”
Laurila: Was the fix a matter of needing more hits?
Herrin: “That, and the need to be able to mix my off-speed pitches a little bit more. Last year, it was a lot of sliders early in the count, and with two strikes it was always kind of a bigger curveball for put-aways. Especially here in the big teams, with the scouting reports, if you don't mix too much, it's easier for the batsman. So this offseason, and then in spring training, there's been an emphasis on using the curveball a lot, especially early in the count. I had success with that, and it gradually got better throughout the season.”
Laurila: He said your curveball plays better with your slider. How?
Herrin: “I tune them better. It comes out slightly poppy. Throwing it harder helped. It comes out of the hand very similar to a slider, but then goes in with more depth. So, I try to keep it from getting out of hand to where the hitter can see early that it's a curveball.”
Laurila: Is it possible to explain how you were able to make that change in the way you release your voice?
Herrin: “It's strange. For me, I feel like the cue is the same with both of my speed slots in the sense that I'm thinking of staying closed as long as possible. I'm a little bit of a firecracker – not like a crazy firecracker – but in my head, I think I'm stepping toward first base and ripping the other side. That makes me fly open early. If I come out early, I'm going to get under it and not get the break I want, so it's better to stay closed for a long time before releasing the ball.”
Laurila: Can you see the difference in how you release the ball when you watch the video?
Herrin: “I haven't looked at it too much [Edgertronic], it's more than I see in the release plans. I've seen it at the Edge, but I didn't compare it to last year.”
Laurila: Would you say the curveball is your most important pitch, or do you prefer to view it as just one part of your arsenal?
Herrin: “I can say that it is a very important platform. It's definitely a lot of setting, not just a slider. It also helps my playing four seamers. Metrically, my four seamers aren't that good, but the velo is getting guys because of how many curveballs I throw. I think the slower pace, especially at the beginning of the count, helps all my other pitches – the four seam, the slide, and I throw the two seam. But yeah, the curveball is a big pitch for me. “
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