Michael Wacha
- Kansas City’s roster as it stands #2 starter · 132 IP · 1.7 WAR in the role
- Trade read Available at a price: KC 39% playoff odds; control through 2028.
Pitching · 2026 percentiles
vs. MLB pitchers with 500+ pitches · 3,028 pitches
Arsenal & Pitch Lab
Movement normalized to arm side · Keystone Stuff by pitch
| Pitch | Use | Velo | IVB | HB | Stuff | Loc | Whiff | xRV/100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four-seam28% use | 28% | 93.2 | 18.0 | +5.6 | 86 | 107 | 20% | −0.16 |
| Changeup25% use | 25% | 80.6 | 7.1 | +13.2 | 115 | 112 | 28% | +2.16 |
| Cutter15% use | 15% | 89.5 | 10.2 | −1.6 | 86 | 101 | 14% | −0.02 |
| Sinker14% use | 14% | 93.2 | 15.5 | +11.9 | 90 | 101 | 13% | −1.75 |
| Curveball10% use | 10% | 75.9 | −12.0 | −11.7 | 86 | 90 | 26% | −0.86 |
| Slider9% use | 9% | 85.0 | 3.6 | −3.1 | 102 | 104 | 30% | −0.52 |
Curveball grades 86 and gets below-average expected results on 10% usage. Against all hitters, moving about 5 of every 100 pitches to the changeup (115 Stuff), about 49% of his curveballs to them, is worth an estimated 1.5 runs per season, after a 50% haircut for diminishing returns. vs. lefties: the changeup is worth +2.1 runs per 100 pitches more, 3.1 standard errors (594 and 187 pitches; his own results against that side combined with Stuff and the league’s platoon split). vs. righties: the changeup is worth +2.0 runs per 100 pitches more, 2.4 standard errors (168 and 114 pitches; his own results against that side combined with Stuff and the league’s platoon split). His fastballs stay at 35%+.
Sinker grades 90 and gets below-average expected results on 14% usage. Against all hitters, moving about 5 of every 100 pitches to the changeup (115 Stuff), about 37% of his sinkers to them, is worth an estimated 1.4 runs per season, after a 50% haircut for diminishing returns. vs. lefties: the changeup is worth +2.1 runs per 100 pitches more, 2.9 standard errors (594 and 134 pitches; his own results against that side combined with Stuff and the league’s platoon split). vs. righties: the changeup is worth +1.7 runs per 100 pitches more, 2.1 standard errors (168 and 279 pitches; his own results against that side combined with Stuff and the league’s platoon split). His fastballs stay at 35%+.
Most similar pitchers
Pitches like Wacha: same hand, shape, slot and mix
| Similarity | Player | Stuff | ’26 WAR | ’27 proj | 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57 | Chris Paddack TEX · ’96 | 85 | 0.1 | 0.4 | Free agent |
| 46 | Slade Cecconi CLE · ’99 | 88 | 0.7 | 0.7 | Arb |
| 43 | Grayson Rodriguez LAA · ’99 | 101 | 0.2 | 0.8 | Arb |
| 41 | Sean Burke CWS · ’99 | 96 | 3.2 | 2.2 | Pre-arb |
| 36 | Jameson Taillon TOR · ’91 | 93 | −1.0 | 0.0 | Free agent |
Same-handed pitchers nearest on fastball velocity and shape, arm angle, extension, pitch mix, secondary shapes, Stuff, whiff rate and workload. 2026 regulars only.
Pitch locations · 2026
Where each pitch finishes, by batter side
Where each pitch finishes, catcher’s view. The bar marks the batter’s side; the box is an average strike zone. Pitches with 40+ thrown to this side.
Contract & projection
Club control (RosterResource) · Keystone projected WAR