Daniel Bard - Pitching Style

Pitching Style

Bard throws four pitches. About half of his pitches thrown are four-seam fastballs in the range of 92–96 mph. He also features a two-seam fastball (93–97), slider (79–83), and changeup (86–89). Bard's changeup is used almost exclusively against left-handed hitters. He uses the slider, too, against lefties, but much more so against right-handers. Bard's velocity on all of his pitch types dipped several miles per hour in 2012, presumably as a result of his conversion from a relief pitcher to a starter. Bard said he was mildly surprised, but not alarmed by the drop: "I knew there’d be somewhat of a drop-off, velocity-wise, when I went to starting. I didn’t think it would be quite this big ... When I’m 93, 94, they’re just as late as they were on that 97. I think it’s the way I’ve been able to set it up. If I can just establish strike one a little more consistently, the velocity can be whatever it wants to be."