If you were a two pitch pitcher, wouldn't the two to pick be fastball/change? I can see you getting away with a fastball and slider/curve combo as a reliever, but as a lefty starter with right handed hitters seeing you multiple times in a game, you're going to need a conventional offspeed pitch that doesn't have a tendency to end up on the inner half. You can only backdoor so many breaking balls before one goes a really long way.

Plus, when you throw a change as well as he does, I don't see much point to throwing many sliders. One or two maybe out of the strike zone to that tough lefty hitter in the lineup, but past that why bother?

How often does Johan Santana throw something other than a fastball or a change? I must confess I haven't had a chance to see him pitch many games, but it seems he throws a pretty high percentage of fastballs and changes as well.

It's hard to know if the lack of FB/CH pitchers in MLB is so low because it's hard to succeed that way or if it's because no one ever tries it. I always thought a change was the hardest pitch to throw and have been told it's a hard pitch to hit too (all pitches were hard for me to hit).

James Shields has really improved his curveball this season and is now throwing it more often but in the past he was basically a two pitch, fastball/change guy. He wasn't going to put up the strikeout numbers that Hamels does but that's probably because his fastball is inferior (he's a RHP throwing 89-92), not because his changeup (which is plus-plus) wasn't enough to dominate.

I'm not sure the number of FB/CH pitchers is as low as you might think if you stretch the meaning of changeup to include the splitter. After all, they more or less function similarly. Normally when a young guy is trying to develop that third pitch, the instructors will try and figure out whether the player is more comfortable throwing a circle change or a splitter.

How many starters in baseball are primarily fastball/splitter? I'd characterize Schilling as that type of pitcher. Clemens as well.

How many starters in baseball are primarily fastball/splitter? I'd characterize Schilling as that type of pitcher. Clemens as well.

Dan Haren.

Tim Hudson? Or is the splitter his third pitch?

Fair enough, Steve. I was thinking straight change only, though.

When Hamels pitched against the Braves, he showcased some kind of weird curveball/change pitch, which consistently all hitters took ( because they couldn't recognise it I guess ). And he threw it for strikes.

Greg Maddux throws almost all fastballs and changeups. The curveball is a rarity. I did not notice a single one in the last game and he usually tops out at below 5.