Chicago Cubs: Will the real Brian Duensing please stand up?

CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 11: Brian Duensing #32 of the Chicago Cubs stands on the mound in the eighth inning during game four of the National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field on October 11, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Jeff Curry/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs: Pitch-type variance…or lack thereof

Last season, Brian Duensing utilized his variance of pitches at a far higher rate of consistency. This season, he has focused much more heavily on his fastball, seemingly leading to higher contact rates than previous seasons. In 2017, Duensing threw his fastball 28.1 percent of the time. In 2018, that rate has increased to 33.8 percent.

As far as the rest of his pitches are concerned, Duensing’s rate of usage has all seen a decrease, most notably his slider. Last season, Duensing was throwing his slider 24.5 percent of the time. Flipping the script, that has not dropped to just 19.8%. Duensing has notably increased his sinker usage. However, his changeup and cutter usage respectively have both declined.

Decision-making when it comes to pitching in the major leagues is vital. For Duensing, unfortunately, this has led to a myriad of issues plaguing his 2018 season up until this point.

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