Chicago Cubs: What lies ahead for right-hander Jake Arrieta?

There’s been a lot of talk about the drop in Jake Arrieta’s velocity so far in 2017.

For those of you out there reading this that think it’s not a big deal – it is.  Every single one of Arrieta’s pitches has dropped significantly.

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According to his FanGraphs page: his fastball velocity is -1.7 mph from last year, sinker -1.9 mph, change-up -1.4 mph, slider -1.7 mph, and finally his curveball is down a whole two miles per hour.

This isn’t because Arrieta is abandoning his extreme diet and exercise plan, which he hasn’t.  This a direct correlation to the beating his arm has taken the past two seasons and in that same vein, getting older.

Combining 2015 and 2016, Arrieta threw 426 1/3 innings.  That workload takes an incredible toll on not just your body, but your psyche as well.

Back to the people who don’t believe velocity matters, just imagine the fastball that was impossible to catch up to in 2015 is now right in your wheelhouse in 2017.