Take
Sato-Kreis

This was my second look this season at Sato-Kreis, pitching into the 6th in another strong outing in the books for the senior. Getting dealt a tough-luck loss, Sato-Kreis kept Foothill in the game throughout his start, finishing with a final line of 5 IP, 3 H, 4 K, 3 BB, and 1 R. A North/South approach on the mound, Sato-Kreis utilized a high ¾ slot to create an effective FB/CB/CH tunnel, keeping a tough Granada lineup off-balance across the outing. Consistently locating his FB at the top of/above the zone for whiffs, the senior was able to get a number of called strikes with his breaking balls (CB/SL) by front-dooring both pitches often, playing well off the tunnel, and displaying distinct shapes. The CB demonstrated a solid 11-5 action while the SL had a tighter, more horizontal shape. Sato-Kreis would also showcase a late-breaking CH used against LHH on both the outer third and below the zone. The few jams Sato-Kreis ran into were primarily self-inflicted, as he has a tendency to open up early in his delivery and fall over towards the 1st-base side. This led to a couple of HBP’s up and in, some misses up in the zone for BB’s, and a fairly high pitch count (97 pitches through 5.0+ IP). Sato-Kreis, however, was able to execute with runners on and pitch himself out of high-leverage situations. The only run he allowed was after allowing a leadoff, ground ball single to begin the 6th, with the runner coming around to score off a reliever. If he can create slightly more hip-shoulder separation and stay back slightly longer with his upper half, Sato-Kreis should continue to excel as the season winds down.