New York Yankees farmhand Greg Weissert has been in the Yankees system since 2016, but now is slowly gaining attention for his elite sweeper pitch. Weissert, a 28-year-old drafted out of Fordham who throws from a sidearm angle, has been impressing in the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders, where he has gotten four saves out of seven games. In his seven innings pitched, Weissert has allowed only two runs on three hits, resulting in a 2.45 ERA, 3 walks, and 12 strikeouts. He has held opposing batters to a .125 batting average against, and a BABIP of .182. Weissert’s 14 strikeouts per nine innings can be accredited in part to his sweeper which has slowly garnered attention.

Weissert’s sweeper pitch breaks 20.3 inches horizontally, making it the best in the AAA leagues. This impressive horizontal break, combined with Weissert’s sidearm delivery, makes his sweeper a difficult pitch for batters to hit. In addition to his impressive horizontal break, Weissert’s sweeper has a spin rate of 2721 RPM, the ninth-best in AAA baseball. Batters have found it difficult to make solid contact with Weissert’s pitch, with an average exit velocity of only 81.8 MPH when contact is made.

Weissert’s command of his pitch has been instrumental in his success. He has thrown only three of his 27 sweepers in the heart of the plate, with the majority of his pitches located in the lower third of the zone and towards the left-handed batter’s box. This precision in location is a crucial component of Weissert’s strategy, as he aims to induce ground balls with his sweeping pitch. In fact, 66% of the sweeper’s batters hit against Weissert resulting in ground balls.

Despite Weissert’s impressive statistics and command of his pitch, he has only had limited opportunities in the Major Leagues. In four games played for the Yankees, Weissert has allowed only one run and four hits. However, he has been optioned back to the Minor Leagues several times and has yet to establish himself as a consistent player in the big leagues. Nevertheless, Weissert’s recent performance at the AAA level has sparked hope that he may have a bright future ahead of him.

Weissert’s path to success has been long and challenging. He was drafted by the Yankees in 2016 and spent his first few seasons playing in the lower levels of the Minor Leagues. It wasn’t until 2019, when Weissert was promoted to AA Trenton Thunder, that he started to gain recognition for his pitching abilities. He continued to improve and refine his sweeping pitch, which eventually led to his promotion to the AAA level in 2021.

Despite Weissert’s relative obscurity in the baseball world, his talent and potential have not gone unnoticed. His sweeping pitch has caught the attention of scouts and analysts, who see him as a player with the potential to make a significant impact in the Major Leagues. If Weissert continues to perform at the level he has displayed in the AAA, it’s only a matter of time before he earns a spot on the Yankees’ Major League roster.

Weissert’s success is a testament to the importance of developing a unique and effective pitching style. While many pitchers rely on a standard repertoire of pitches, Weissert’s sweeping pitch sets him apart from the pack. His sidearm delivery and impressive horizontal break have proven to be a winning combination, resulting in some of the best statistics at the AAA level. As he continues to refine his skills and gain more experience, Weissert may very well become a household name in the baseball world.

As the sweeper grows as a more popular pitch in baseball, Weissert seems like he is a couple of steps ahead, as he has shown mastery with that pitch. The question is if he can use the rest of his arsenal to become a consistent big leaguer.