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sports8h ago
Taj Bradley ’s Star Turn
- Bradley has become a standout pitcher for the Twins in 2026, showing improved overall performance across his repertoire.
- He altered his cutter's shape, losing ride and gaining glove-side break to attack the bottom of the strike zone.
- Bradley's splitter lost vertical break, improving separation from other offerings and enhancing bat-matcing outcomes.
- Pitching models indicate Bradley’s stuff has improved by roughly one standard deviation overall this year.
- Bradley uses a high-velocity fastball paired with diverse secondaries that work vertically in the zone.
- His curveball remains a slower, looping offering used primarily as an out-pitch.
- Bradley has shown an increased ability to induce chases and reduce hard contact with improved cutters and splitters.
- Despite high strikeout totals, Bradley's underlying swinging strike rate remains around average, signaling ongoing growth.
- Analysts caution ERA and FIP are volatile early in the season, underscoring the need to watch regression dynamics.
- Bradley’s development is framed as a long arc, not a sudden reinvention, with small gains across pitches driving bigger results.
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