Jonathan Papelbon
P | Bats/Throws: R/R | 6' 5" 230LBS | Age: 43
Draft: 2003 | Rd: 4, #114, Boston Red Sox | Mississippi State
W L ERA G GS SV IP SO WHIP
2014 2 3 2.04 66 0 39 66.1 63 0.90
2015 4 3 2.13 59 0 24 63.1 56 1.03
2016 2 4 4.37 37 0 19 35 31 1.46
12 Seasons 41 36 2.44 689 3 368 725.2 808 1.04
G W-L ERA IP SO WHIP
2014 66 2-3 2.04 66.1 63 0.90
2015 59 4-3 2.13 63.1 56 1.03
2016 37 2-4 4.37 35 31 1.46
12 Seasons 689 41-36 2.44 725.2 808 1.04
MLB Percentile Rankings
Movement Profile (Induced Break)
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Statcast Statistics

Season Age Pitches Batted
Balls
Barrels Barrel % Barrel/PA Exit
Velocity
Max EV Launch
Angle
LA Sweet-
Spot %
XBA XSLG WOBA XWOBA XWOBACON HardHit% K% BB% ERA xERA
2015 34 901 184 7 3.8 2.7 88.7 108.9 10.3 23.9 .220 .335 .278 .272 .320 36.4 21.6 4.6 2.13 3.03
2016 35 570 107 7 6.5 4.6 91.2 111.1 18.0 38.3 .261 .440 .321 .326 .384 41.1 20.4 9.2 4.37 4.52
Player 1471 291 14 4.8 3.4 89.7 111.1 13.2 29.2 .236 .375 .294 .292 .344 38.1 21.2 6.3
MLB 7.0 4.8 88.5 122.4 12.3 33.2 .245 .406 .316 .315 .369 36.5 22.2 8.4
! Note: All figures in this table cover the period 2015-present.

Statcast Pitch Arsenal

Papelbon relies on 4 pitches.
Four Seamer
(61.8%) ,
Slider
(19.6%) ,
Split Finger
(17.1%) ,
Sinker
(1.6%) ,


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Pitch Tracking



Batted Ball Profile

Season GB % FB % LD % PU % Pull % Straight % Oppo % Weak % Topped % Under % Flare/Burner % Solid % Barrel % Barrel/PA
2015 51.6 20.1 20.1 8.2 32.1 40.8 27.2 4.9 33.7 21.2 23.9 4.3 3.8 2.7
2016 35.5 22.4 34.6 7.5 36.4 36.4 27.1 1.9 27.1 30.8 25.2 5.6 6.5 4.6
Player 45.7 21.0 25.4 7.9 33.7 39.2 27.1 3.8 31.3 24.7 24.4 4.8 4.8 3.4
MLB 44.4 23.8 24.7 7.1 37.2 37.5 25.2 3.9 32.6 24.8 24.4 5.9 7.0 4.8
! Note: All figures in this table cover the period 2015-present.

Pitch Movement


How this works: This section shows two different ways to evaluate pitch movement. On the left, “Total Movement” shows the real-world movement of a pitch, including the forces of gravity, which affects every pitch thrown. Since gravity requires time, and slower pitches aren't 'better' just because they have more time to move, a pitch's movement is compared to other pitches of the same pitch type, within +/- 2 MPH and +/- 0.5 feet of extension/release. On the right, Induced Movement (or IVB) is reported without gravity, and attempts to isolate movement created by the pitcher's ability to spin and manipulate the ball.
Total Movement (in inches, w/ gravity)Induced Movement (in inches, w/o gravity)
YearPitchTeamHand#MPHVertical
Drop
vs.
Comparable
Horizontal
Break
vs.
Comparable
Vertical
Break
vs. AvgHorizontal
Break
vs. Avg
2016 Slider WSH R 107 80.3 44.5 2.0 3.5GLV -3.4 -1.2 3.7 3.5GLV -2.6
2016 Split-Finger WSH R 95 86.5 33.5 1.4 13.3ARM 2.4 3.8 1.1 13.3ARM 3.4
2016 Sinker WSH R 9 93.0 24.0 1.7 16.9ARM 2.9 8.5 1.1 16.9ARM 3.6
2016 4-Seam Fastball WSH R 343 91.6 20.2 -2.8 13.3ARM 6.1 13.1 -2.7 13.3ARM 6.9
2015 Slider WSH R 149 80.1 45.4 1.7 3.0GLV -3.8 -1.7 3.8 3.0GLV -2.9
2015 4-Seam Fastball WSH R 574 92.0 19.1 -2.0 13.3ARM 6.1 14.0 -1.8 13.3ARM 6.6
2015 Sinker WSH R 13 92.7 22.3 -0.8 18.3ARM 4.3 10.3 -1.3 18.3ARM 4.8
2015 Split-Finger WSH R 134 86.5 35.3 2.6 13.9ARM 2.2 1.9 2.7 13.9ARM 3.8
! Note: Years are in reverse order.
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Swing/Take

Runs
Year Team PA Pitches Heart Shadow Chase Waste All
2008 296 1,149 10 15 -3 -3 20
2009 287 1,200 12 15 -4 -4 18
2010 282 1,145 5 6 -1 -4 6
2011 254 997 6 8 0 -4 9
2012 281 1,136 3 9 -1 -5 6
2013 253 958 -2 15 -1 -4 8
2014 257 1,012 12 11 -2 -6 15
2015 257 893 5 11 -2 -3 12
2016 149 557 -4 10 -4 -2 -1
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Plate Discipline

Season Pitches Zone % Zone Swing % Zone Contact % Chase % Chase Contact % Edge % 1st Pitch Strike % Swing % Whiff % Meatball % Meatball Swing %
2015 901 51.4 73.9 78.1 37.4 65.9 42.3 66.4 56.2 25.3 8.7 84.6
2016 570 47.2 67.3 85.1 28.6 58.1 37.7 57.2 46.8 23.6 8.9 78.4
Player 1,471 49.8 71.4 80.5 33.8 63.2 40.5 63.0 52.5 24.7 8.8 82.2
MLB 48.7 67.0 82.0 28.5 57.8 42.6 61.0 47.2 24.9 7.3 76.3
! Note: All figures in this table cover the period 2015-present.

Percentile Rankings

Year xwOBA /
xERA
xBA xSLG xISO xOBP Brl Brl% EV Hard
Hit%
K% BB% Whiff% Chase
Rate
FB
Velo
FB
Spin
CB
Spin
Extension
2015 83 79 81 77 81 79 81 30 19 59 94 71 98 38 26 87
2016 30 16 80
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Expected Home Runs

Adjusted

Year Team Avg HR Trot Actual HR xHR HR-xHR Doubters Mostly Gone No Doubters No Doubter %
2016 25.1 3 2.9 0 6 1 2 66.7
Player 25.1 3 2.9 0 6 1 2 66.7
Note: xHR tells how many of this pitcher's home runs allowed would have been out of other stadiums. The "Adjusted" view here accounts for different wall heights, distances and environmental effects using Statcast Park Factor data.
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Expected Home Runs by Park

Adjusted

Year HR
2016 3 2 3 4 4 3 3 2 3 2 3 6 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 2 4 2 3 2 4 7 3 3 2
Player 3 2 3 4 4 3 3 2 3 2 3 6 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 2 4 2 3 2 4 7 3 3 2
Note: xHR tells how many of this pitcher's home runs allowed would have been out of other stadiums. The "Adjusted" view here accounts for different wall heights, distances and environmental effects using Statcast Park Factor data.
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Year to Year Changes

Metric 2015 2016 +/-  
Fastball Velocity 92.0 91.6 -0.4
Offspeed Velocity 86.6 86.5 -0.1
Breaking Velocity 80.1 80.3 0.2
Exit Velocity 88.7 91.2 2.5
Launch Angle 10.3 18.0 7.7
Barrel % 3.8 6.5 2.7
Hard Hit % 36.4 41.1 4.7
LA Sweet-Spot % 23.9 38.3 14.4
xBA .220 .261 0.041
BA .225 .270 0.045
xwOBA .272 .326 0.054
wOBA .278 .321 0.043
xSLG .335 .440 0.105
SLG .360 .416 0.056
K% 21.6 20.4 -1.2
BB% 4.6 9.2 4.6
Swing % 56.2 46.8 -9.4
Whiff% 25.3 23.6 -1.7
In Zone % 51.4 47.2 -4.2
Out of Zone % 48.6 52.8 4.2
Out of Zone Swing % 37.4 28.6 -8.8
First Pitch Swing % 40.2 29.6 -10.6
First Pitch Strike % 66.4 57.2 -9.2
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Statcast Fielder Positioning

vs RHHvs LHH
YearAlignment TypePAwOBAPATotal%PATotal%
2016 Shifts 144 .315 68 4 5.9 76 14 18.4
! Note: Shifts are through the 2022 season, Shaded starting from the 2023 season, Shift: three or more infielders are on the same side of second base, Shade: positioned outside of their typical responsible slices of the field.
Learn more about how positioning is defined here

Pitch Tempo

Bases EmptyRunners On Base
SeasonTeamPitchesTempoFast %Slow %PitchesTempoFast %Slow %
2010 308 25.0 1.9% 15.9% 152 30.0 0.0% 50.0%
2011 231 26.1 0.0% 21.2% 129 29.9 0.0% 49.6%
2012 315 25.1 0.6% 10.5% 161 28.4 4.3% 36.0%
2013 258 23.4 0.0% 7.4% 148 26.5 0.0% 25.7%
2014 293 21.4 0.0% 5.8% 122 27.2 0.0% 24.6%
2015 225 20.8 9.3% 7.6% 109 24.9 6.4% 27.5%
2016 169 19.3 18.9% 6.5% 84 25.5 1.2% 21.4%

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Pitch Distribution