‘Detailed’ scouting reports aid pitchers

One of the most important contributors to the Diamondbacks’ 11-7 start doesn’t take the field. He’s not in the dugout, either. In fact, he’s rarely with the team. Instead, he sits in his California home, watching games and dispensing information that has helped transform the Diamondbacks’ starting rotation.

Last year, Arizona’s starters ranked dead last in the National League with a 5.19 ERA. This year – and yes, it’s admittedly a small sample size – the Diamondbacks’ quintet of Zack Greinke, Patrick Corbin, Taijuan Walker, Robbie Ray and Shelby Miller is third in ERA (3.35), tied for second in wins (seven) and second in strikeouts (98).

To say it’s all because of Dan Haren would be an overstatement. But it would also be wrong to minimize the impact he’s had on the pitching staff.

“Dan Haren’s expertise from standing on the rubber and being able to see the same sight line as some of these pitchers has been a great value,” manager Torey Lovullo said.

Officially, Haren’s title is “pitching strategist.” But that doesn’t begin to explain his role. Instead, Haren and Mike Fitzgerald, who heads the Diamondbacks’ analytics department, are the embodiment of General Manager Mike Hazen’s desire to modernize the scouting reports Arizona’s players get every day.

Nowhere has that change been more evident than the analytical data given to Arizona’s starters. Corbin described it as “more beneficial information.” Catcher Chris Herrmann said “it’s more detailed.”

The big difference, according to both players: Haren, Fitzgerald and pitching coach Mike Butcher are tailoring the scouting reports to the individual strengths of each Diamondbacks pitcher rather than a generalized portrait of a hitter’s tendencies.

For example: A batter may have trouble handling fastballs up in the zone. But Greinke, who tops out at around 90 mph, is going to have far more trouble throwing a high fastball past the hitter than, say, Ray or Miller. So the scouting report for Greinke is going to be different than the one for Ray and Miller.

“It’s just finding a way to use our strengths to the best of our ability,” Corbin said.