Justin Lawrence should be thankful for one thing that could help fuel Pirates breakout

The Pittsburgh Pirates recently claimed right-handed reliever Justin Lawrence off waivers from the Colorado Rockies. Like many Rockies pitchers, Lawrence has large home/away splits. In Coors Field, he owns a 6.96 ERA and an opponent .877 OPS. On the road, that decreases to a 3.86 ERA and .676 OPS. The reliever also has some pretty decent stuff. Stuff+, a measurement on a similar scale as OPS+ or wRC+ that measures how "nasty a pitcher’s offerings are based on velocity, spin, movement, arm angle, etc.," rated Lawrence at a well above-average 110.

However, Lawrence still has some unimpressive peripherals on the road. He has allowed 58 walks as a guest, which has resulted in a 13.7% free pass rate. His solid, albeit unimpressive, 21.3% strikeout rate isn’t high enough to offset the number of walks he allows. Still, there is one big home/away split many aren’t focusing on, and this could be his key to success for the Pirates, as well as how he improves his command. 

Coors Field’s thin atmosphere does not play well with high spin. Lawrence’s sinker averages out with around 2300-2400 RPM, which is above average, while his sweeper regularly hits 3000 RPM, which is one of the highest in the league. This causes large fluctuations in break/movement for Lawrence when playing at Coors Field compared to on the road.

Over the last two seasons, Lawrence’s sinker at Coors averages out with 30.4 inches of downward movement with 13.1 inches of arm-side break. However, when he pitches as a guest, he averages out with 31.5 inches of downward movement and 17.1 inches of arm-side break. Meanwhile, his sweeper has 36 inches of downward break/13.6 inches of glove-side run at home vs 33.7 inches of downward break/15.4 inches of glove-side run on the road.

Leaving Coors Field will give new Pirates reliever Justin Lawrence a better feel for his sinker

To make a comparison, Colin Holderman is a Pirates reliever who heavily incorporates a sinker and sweeper. Neither pitch gains nor loses even an inch of vertical or horizontal break if he is playing at PNC Park vs. on the road. Sure, this change of scenery isn’t going to turn Lawrence into Greg Maddux, but he is leaving an environment where he regularly gains/loses 3-to-5 inches of movement, depending on if he is pitching at home or away.

Lawrence should get a much better feel for his sinker and sweeper now. He doesn’t have to constantly re-adjust, depending on if he is pitching at home or away. He won’t have to worry about Coors Field’s thin air taking four inches of break away from his sinker, then going on the road a few days later and suddenly throwing the same pitch with a significant amount more movement. That peace of mind could play a significant role in his resurgence.