# MLB Pitcher Radar Charts — 6-Axis Visualization of Pitching Arsenal

> Learn how to read HeatCheck HQ's pitcher radar charts comparing velocity, whiff rate, command, K%, NRFI, and hard-hit rate across 6 key metrics.

**Date:** 2026-02-28  
**Author:** HeatCheck HQ Team  
**Tags:** mlb pitching, radar chart, pitcher arsenal, velocity, whiff rate, command, strikeouts  
**Full article:** https://heatcheckhq.io/blog/mlb-pitcher-radar-charts-guide  
**Live picks & dashboards:** https://heatcheckhq.io

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ERA and WHIP tell you what happened. Our [pitcher radar charts](/mlb/pitching-stats) tell you why—and whether it'll keep happening. Six axes, one hexagonal shape, and you can read a pitcher's entire profile in two seconds.

## The Six Axes

Each radar chart plots a pitcher against league percentiles across six dimensions:

- **VELO** — Average fastball velocity. Higher velocity correlates with more strikeouts and weaker contact. Each additional mph adds roughly 0.5 K/9.
- **WHIFF** — Swing-and-miss percentage across all pitches. This is the purest "stuff" indicator. High whiff rate means batters can't touch it.
- **CMD** — Command, measured as strike percentage plus walk rate inverse. High command means working ahead in counts and inducing weak contact.
- **K%** — Strikeouts per batter faced. Directly impacts K props and run prevention.
- **NRFI** — Career percentage of scoreless first innings. Some pitchers struggle early. This axis catches them.
- **HH↓** — Hard-hit rate, inverted. Low hard-hit rate is good—it means fewer 95+ mph exit velocity batted balls. High on the chart equals less damage.

The outer ring is 90th percentile. Middle is 50th. Inner ring is 10th.

## Shape Tells You Everything

You don't need to study the numbers. Just look at the shape.

**Large, balanced hexagon** — well-rounded pitcher. Think Corbin Burnes. Good at everything, weak at nothing.

**Spiky with VELO/WHIFF peaks** — power pitcher with less command. Think Hunter Greene. He'll miss bats but he'll also walk guys. High-variance arm.

**CMD/K% heavy, small VELO** — finesse pitcher. Think Kyle Hendricks. Lives on location, not stuff. Good for NRFI, riskier for K overs.

**Small, compact hexagon** — below-average across the board. Replacement-level arm. Fade this pitcher on everything.

## Betting Applications

**Strikeout props:** Look for pitchers with large VELO + WHIFF + K% triangles. When all three spike into the outer ring, you've got a mechanical strikeout machine. That's your K over play.

**NRFI bets:** Check the NRFI axis directly. Pitchers above 70% (outer ring) are strong NRFI candidates regardless of other metrics. A finesse pitcher with elite NRFI rate is better for first-inning bets than a power arm who struggles early.

**Game totals:** Balanced green hexagons—all metrics above average—point toward unders. The pitcher suppresses offense in every dimension.

**Hit/total base unders:** Strong CMD + HH↓ with weaker VELO describes a contact manager who induces weak ground balls. Batters make contact, but it goes nowhere.

## Real Profiles

**Spencer Strider (when healthy):** VELO 98th, WHIFF 95th, K% 97th, CMD 75th, NRFI 70th, HH↓ 80th. Grade: A. Dominant across every axis. The hexagon nearly fills the chart.

**Kyle Hendricks:** VELO 15th (87 mph), WHIFF 30th, K% 25th, CMD 85th, NRFI 75th, HH↓ 70th. Grade: C+. The shape is wildly lopsided—command and contact management spike while velocity and whiff rate crater. Perfect illustration of why shape matters more than grade alone.

## Limitations Worth Knowing

Small samples distort the chart. Pitchers with under 50 innings may show unstable metrics—don't trust those hexagons. Role changes matter too: a starter moving to the bullpen (or vice versa) will show different performance profiles. And pitchers returning from injury often have diminished velocity or command that the chart won't reflect until the sample builds.

The radar charts are on the [Pitching Stats dashboard](/mlb/pitching-stats)—select any pitcher to see their hexagon, pitch arsenal breakdown, and game log.


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*Data powered by HeatCheck HQ — sports analytics platform. Free tools at https://heatcheckhq.io*