The pitch: curveball
Herrin owns one of the best curveballs in the game — and not many of them are thrown by lefties. Only four pitchers’ curves have a higher run value in 2025 than Herrin’s (+3), and only two of those pitchers — Toronto’s Little and the Rockies’ Jake Bird — are relievers.
Herrin has limited hitters to a .086 average and .114 slugging percentage in 43 plate appearances ending on his curve, which has identical whiff and strikeout rates of 41.9%. The pitch has an expected batting average of .088, the best among any curveball in MLB (min. 25 PA). While Herrin’s ERA is up significantly from his impressive 1.92 mark in 2024, his curveball has been better than ever.
Written by Theo DeRosa
Full article can be found at: https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-relievers-with-underrated-pitches-2025