Several Major League Baseball pitchers are debuting new or modified pitches during the start of the 2026 regular season, with adjustments and additions seen across multiple teams and players. The changes range from grip tweaks to entirely new offerings, highlighting a trend among pitchers to diversify their arsenals early in the year.
This development is significant as it reflects how pitchers continue to adapt and innovate, seeking an edge over hitters by introducing pitches that behave differently than those previously thrown. Spring training often serves as a testing ground for such experiments, but only some of these changes persist into regular-season play.
Among the notable adjustments is Logan Gilbert of the Seattle Mariners, who has added a changeup to complement his splitter. His new changeup averages just under 85 mph with substantial horizontal movement. Dylan Cease of the Toronto Blue Jays has also introduced a more effective changeup this year, now sitting in the mid-80s and regularly featured in his starts.
Other examples include Cam Schlittler of the New York Yankees increasing both velocity and movement on his cutter through a grip adjustment; Cristopher Sánchez of the Philadelphia Phillies enhancing his slider’s drop by spiking his left index finger; Jack Leiter of the Texas Rangers adding a high-velocity cutter; Jhoan Duran introducing a split-change alongside his well-known “splinker”; Joe Boyle returning to throwing sweepers after arm angle changes with Tampa Bay Rays; Paul Skenes revamping his curveball for more break with Pittsburgh Pirates; Roki Sasaki debuting a hard slider for Los Angeles Dodgers; and Jacob deGrom bringing back a sinker after several years while pitching for Texas Rangers.
The influx of these pitch variations underscores ongoing evolution within professional baseball as players seek competitive advantages through innovation. As these pitchers continue refining their techniques throughout the season, observers will be watching closely to see which new pitches become lasting parts of their repertoires.
