Dellin Betances' Fastball Velocity Down on Friday
4 years agoNew York Mets relief pitcher Dellin Betances' velocity was way down during his horrid eighth inning implosion in Friday's 11-10 loss to the Braves. He averaged only 93 mph on his fastball, which was his lowest mark of the season. Betances struggled to find the strike zone against the Braves, retiring only one of the five batters he faced. In just that 1/3 inning of work, he allowed four earned runs, two hits, and two walks. Betances has been working his way back from shoulder and Achilles injuries that plagued him in 2019. During spring training and summer camp Betances was having velocity issues and had not reached the velocity he exhibited when he was a lockdown reliever for the Yankees. Betances topped out at only 90 mph in his Grapefruit League debut back in March, and was only sitting at 92-93 mph in his first summer camp live batting practice session in early July. Based on his struggles on Friday and low velocity, Betances is clearly not yet back to full strength. Betances' effectiveness will hinge on whether he can reproduce velocities exhibited when he was a Yankee. If he can't regain his past form, Betances will cede potential save opportunities to Seth Lugo and Jeurys Familia if Edwin Diaz continues to struggle, making him irrelevant for fantasy purposes.
Source: Anthony DiComo on Twitter
Source: Anthony DiComo on Twitter