{"id":624144,"date":"2026-03-14T22:31:44","date_gmt":"2026-03-14T22:31:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/624144\/"},"modified":"2026-03-14T22:31:44","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T22:31:44","slug":"why-chase-burns-roki-sasaki-and-others-could-break-out-with-new-pitches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/624144\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Chase Burns, Roki Sasaki and others could break out with new pitches"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\tGambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n

In the \u201claboratory\u201d phase of the fantasy baseball<\/a> season, the most tantalizing storylines revolve around starting pitchers debuting new or revamped pitches.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Adding a new pitch to a repertoire is often the key to unlocking a higher tier of performance, as it creates new tunneling opportunities and keeps hitters from sitting on a primary heater. <\/p>\n

Nevertheless, this experimentation is a double-edged sword; an unmastered pitch can lead to erratic command, \u201cnon-competitive\u201d waste pitches that balloon walk rates or \u201cmeatball\u201d strikes that leave the yard.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Chase Burns is a great example. The Reds\u2019 flamethrower entered camp with a profile already built on high-octane velocity, but the early word from Cincinnati\u2019s camp is that his changeup and curveball have seen \u201cnight and day\u201d improvements. <\/p>\n

For fantasy purposes, a refined changeup for a high-velocity righty is the ultimate equalizer against left-handed heavy lineups.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If Burns can consistently locate these secondary offerings, he transitions from a \u201cthrower\u201d to a \u201cpitcher,\u201d potentially jumping from a mid-rotation flyer to a top-20 fantasy starter. <\/p>\n

The risk, however, is that if his feel for the new curveball wavers, he may find himself falling behind in counts, forcing him to rely too heavily on a fastball that MLB hitters can eventually time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Similarly, Cade Cavalli\u2019s return to the Nationals\u2019 rotation has been headlined by a sharp new sweeper, a pitch he reportedly learned via offseason Zoom calls. The \u201csweeper revolution\u201d has transformed many careers, but it requires precise finger pressure and release points.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Though the early spring movement profiles look elite, a sweeper that \u201changs\u201d or fails to bite becomes a slow, flat target in the middle of the zone. If Cavalli hasn\u2019t fully internalized the muscle memory for this grip, his strikeout upside might be negated by a sudden spike in home runs allowed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"WashingtonWashington Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli (24) throws a pitch during spring training workouts at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most scrutinized transition belongs to Dodgers\u2019 sensation Roki Sasaki. Already a global phenomenon, Sasaki is working on a two-seam fastball and a \u201cgyro\u201d slider to complement his triple-digit four-seamer and devastating splitter.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In theory, the two-seamer provides the horizontal movement he needs to generate weak ground balls, while the gyro slider offers a different vertical look. But for a pitcher moving into a 162-game MLB schedule, over-tinkering can be dangerous. <\/p>\n

If the new slider shape bleeds into his fastball mechanics, his primary weapon could lose its elite \u201crise,\u201d making him more vulnerable than he was with a simpler arsenal.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Learn all you need to know about MLB Betting<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the \u201cnew pitch\u201d narrative is the consummate gamble for fantasy managers. If these adjustments click, you are looking at a discount ace who provides a massive return on investment. <\/p>\n

But if the pitcher loses his primary feel while chasing a new \u201cshiny toy,\u201d your ERA and WHIP will pay the price. The upside is a league-winning breakout; the downside is a roster spot occupied by a pitcher who can\u2019t find the zone.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com<\/a>. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy<\/a>, catch him on the award-winning \u201cFantasy Alarm Radio Show\u201d on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Ch. 87) weekdays from 6-8 p.m. and dominate your drafts with the Fantasy Alarm Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":624145,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2400],"tags":[5,684,535,50,4259,28,4,722,536,185,1272,723],"class_list":{"0":"post-624144","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cincinnati-reds","8":"tag-baseball","9":"tag-betting","10":"tag-cincinnati","11":"tag-cincinnati-reds","12":"tag-cincinnatireds","13":"tag-fantasy-baseball","14":"tag-mlb","15":"tag-mlb-betting","16":"tag-reds","17":"tag-sports","18":"tag-sports-betting","19":"tag-sports-picks"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/116229906890656498","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624144","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=624144"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624144\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/624145"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=624144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=624144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=624144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}