New ‘Kick Change’ Pitch Drives Mets to MLB’s Best ERA
A fresh twist on pitching has shot the New York Mets to the top of MLB stats. Three starters now use the “kick change,” a mix between a changeup and…
NEW YORK – JUNE 13: The Mets team logo is displayed at Shea Stadium, home of the New York Mets baseball team, June 13, 2005 in the Queens borough of New York City. In the latest attempt for New York to salvage the 2012 Olympic bid for the city, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has committed to a plan that would help the Mets build a new stadium that could be converted for use in the Olympics if New York were to win their bid. The new stadium, which would be built adjacent to the current Shea Stadium.
(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)A fresh twist on pitching has shot the New York Mets to the top of MLB stats. Three starters now use the "kick change," a mix between a changeup and splitter that first popped up in 2024.
The numbers tell a striking story. Clay Holmes, Tylor Megill, and Griffin Canning have pitched 108⅔ innings across 21 starts, posting a tiny 2.66 ERA. Their work puts the Mets' staff at the peak of baseball's rankings.
"You have guys that are maybe looking for a job or they're incentivized to try something new, and they get it to work and then it spreads like wildfire," Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner told ESPN.
What makes this pitch special? A spiked middle finger grip shifts how the ball spins. It drops like a splitter but keeps spinning at changeup speeds. The mix tricks batters who can't tell what's coming.
Holmes stands out with a sharp 2.95 ERA in seven starts. He throws the kick change 16.2% of the time. Batters hit a weak .182 against it, missing 38.2% of the time they swing.
Megill's version packs even more punch. Out of his 41 kick changes, batters miss half their swings. Only one hit has landed. His best showing? Striking out Kyle Schwarber with bases full against Philadelphia.
The pitch started with Giants' Hayden Birdsong last year. His kick change makes batters miss 46.7% of the time, letting them hit just .188 when they do make contact.
It all began at Tread Athletics. Director Leif Strom created it for pitchers struggling with normal changeups. Word spread fast through social media and player networks.
The kick change has caught on fast. Pablo Lopez of the Twins and Jack Leiter of the Rangers now throw it. Like the sweeper and high fastball before it, this pitch is changing how the game works.
"At first, they thought I was odd for using it," Birdsong said. "Then it spread between teams. Now you see it everywhere."
