Trevor Bauer reveals why MLB hitters handle splitters better than NPB’s sluggers

Ever since his return to the NPB, former MLB ace Trevor Bauer has posted decent results for the Yokohama DeNA Baystars. The former Cy Young winner has cemented himself in the back half of the BayStars' order behind ace Katsuki Azuma, Andre Jackson and Anthony Kay.

In a recent video posted by the former MLB star on Friday, he broke down the difference as to why MLB batters are better at dealing with splitters than NPB sluggers.

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"In Japan, it's the splitter. Japanese players are compact, they stay short, use the whole field, and they don't chase lift like guys do in the (MLB)," said Bauer.

The hurler explained how gullible the hitters in the top flight of Japanese baseball are to the splitter, AKA split-finger fastball.

"That makes the splitter a nightmare for hitters in NPB. It looks like a strike and tunnels of the heater, (and) then drops off the table to get the swing and miss. You don't need to throw it hard, it's about late action and feel. If you can tunnel it right, you'll get swings over the top all day." (0:12-0:23)

Bauer differentiated this from batters in Major League Baseball as the sluggers in the league are more relaxed when it comes to stance and take powerful hacks at the ball in hopes of hitting it outside the stadium.

"In MLB, you see a different type of swing. Guys are hunting damage, sitting low, and trying to lift the ball out of the park. That's why the fast ball up with ride, still plays at the highest level of the game. You don't need 100 miles per hour, just something that stays above the hitters barrel." (0:24-0:36)

As the former MLB All-Star stated, the splitter is one of the most lethal pitches that a pitcher in Japan can possess. That's why stars coming off the nation, such as Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki and Kodai Senga's variation known as the "Ghost Fork," have made hitters foolish for chasing the patented pitch.

Trevor Bauer outclassed in most recent start

On the June 17 start of Trevor Bauer against the Saitama Seibu Lions at home, the former MLB ace posted a respectable 8 1/3 inning output. He gave up just three runs on seven base hits with three walks and 10 punch-outs.

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However, he would be outclassed by Lions ace Tatsuya Imai, who had one of the best pitching displays of the season.

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Imai broke the Saitama franchise's record for most Ks in a game with 17 as he gave up just two hits in a complete game shutout. The Lions prevailed over the BayStars, 3-0.

About the author

Daniel Santiago is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. He was drawn towards the sport after the underlying statistics and the analysis surrounding it grabbed his attention.

Daniel particularly enjoys furnishing reports about historic events in baseball and analyzing the game through a statistic-based outlook, based on Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference. This is in line with how he enjoyed watching baseball as a pastime. As a writer, he is very particular about cross-checking from reputable sources and doing his due diligence.

He became a lifelong Hideki Matsui fan after his exploits in the 2009 World Series for the New York Yankees. Among the current generation, Daniel's favorites include Shohei Ohtani and Jung Hoo Lee. Daniel is a huge follower of Asian baseball and both Ohtani and Lee have been in the top echelon of their respective leagues during their time with the NPB and KBO.

His favorite moment as a baseball fan was the final at-bat of the 2023 World Baseball Classic between Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. He believes there aren't many words to fittingly describe the intensity of the moment.

As an avid sports fan, Daniel watches other sports and Esports when not writing about baseball.

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Edited by Daniel Santiago