WASHINGTON -- Within his own rotation,
Strasburg was excellent in five starts in July, going 5-0 with a 1.14 ERA and a 44-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He has a hit in three straight starts and has driven in more runs (six) than he has given up (four).\n\n“He's taking the ball every start and keeps getting better,” second baseman
\n\nStrasburg was already throwing his curveball more than ever and he’s doing so even more this month. He has the fifth most strikeouts on curveballs in MLB pic.twitter.com/NNpwKYjvSh
— Jamal Collier (@JamalCollier) July 28, 2019
But his primary putaway pitch has been his changeup. This month, he has a 50 percent strikeout rate on plate appearances that end with a changeup.\n\n“If you’ve got an elite pitch wouldn’t you want to throw it as much as possible?” Nats pitching coach Paul Menhart said. “He’s got three of them, so it’s actually what’s working that day most effectively. The changeup and the curveball are interchangeable, so sometimes he has a little better feel for one or the other.”
\n\nStephen Strasburg, Ridiculous 89mph Changeup. \uD83D\uDE2E pic.twitter.com/ilH4QrJq2L
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 28, 2019
\n\nAlthough Strasburg is throwing fewer fastballs overall, his velocity is going up. His average fastball velocity (combining two-seamers and four-seamers) is 94.4 mph, an increase from 93.7 mph in June and the hardest it’s been all season. On Sunday, the velocity on his four-seamer averaged 94.3 mph, so he used it frequently. He threw 32 four-seamers and 30 curveballs during his 100-pitch outing.\n\n“A lot of times, I think his stuff should be illegal because it’s so good,” center fielder