Joe Ryan’s new slider has become a crucial weapon in his pitching arsenal, elevating his effectiveness on the mound as the 2025 season unfolds. After already featuring a splitter and sweeper, adding this refined slider allows Ryan to challenge hitters more dynamically and avoid relying excessively on his fastball, which has proved vulnerable to hard contact. This development is drawing increasing attention from analysts and fans alike as they anticipate Ryan’s impact at the upcoming All-Star Game.
The Evolution of Ryan’s Pitch Selection and Challenges Faced
Ryan has long excelled at throwing strikes with his fastball, which can generate swings and misses up high. However, the pitch remains susceptible to being hit hard when batters do connect, regardless of their handedness. This vulnerability stems from Ryan’s delivery mechanics and the inherent shape of his fastball, making it prone to home runs. Recognizing this limitation, Ryan has been methodically expanding his repertoire to keep hitters off balance and reduce the predictability of his four-seam fastball.
Initially, Ryan’s arsenal included a splitter, a sweeper, a traditional slider, and occasional curveballs or sinkers. While the splitter induces weak ground contact and the sweeper adds horizontal movement, both have shown moments of vulnerability when lifted in the strike zone, leading to potential damage. This gap drove Ryan to refine his slider to complement his other pitches more effectively and maintain an unpredictable mix.
Adjustments Made to the Slider and the Emergence of a Cutter-Like Approach
Over recent years, Ryan gradually increased his reliance on the sweeper as his main breaking ball, which required him to adjust his slider by firming it up for a clearer velocity gap between the two pitches. This velocity difference helps keep hitters guessing.
Interestingly, Ryan’s approach contrasts with teammate Chris Paddack, who incorporated a traditional slider alongside a cutter-like pitch. Ryan, by contrast, has evolved his slider into something resembling a cutter. In 2025, this pitch averages nearly 88 miles per hour with reduced vertical movement, displaying less dramatic, plunging breaks and instead featuring a straighter trajectory compared to his sweeper.
This modified slider behaves less like a traditional slider and more like a cutter, offering subtle deception that complements his other velocity offerings.
Spin and Movement Analysis Reflect the Slider’s Transformation
When comparing Ryan’s spin profiles from 2024 and 2025, it’s clear that his slider has undergone a significant change. In 2024, the slider had noticeable glove-side movement created by grip effects, which altered backspin and seam positioning. This year, the pitch exhibits more consistent backspin with less distortion, resulting in a trajectory closer to a cutter’s flight path.
These changes are particularly pronounced when pitching to left-handed hitters, where Ryan aims to jam them without letting the ball dip too low and into an ideal hitting zone. Against righties, the new slider works especially well off Ryan’s sinker and helps set up his sweeper, leading to better plate coverage and more strike calls.
Statistical Impact: Increased Whiffs and Ground Balls
The slider’s effectiveness has noticeably improved in 2025. Opponents swung and missed at 20.6% of sliders over the previous two years, but that figure has increased to 26.7% this season. Equally important, the pitch now induces more ground balls, with hitters’ average launch angle against it dropping from 18° in prior seasons to just 1° this year.
While the slider technically features less glove-side movement and, in some cases, slight arm-side run against left-handed batters, it is more deceptive because it resembles Ryan’s fastball more closely. This deception makes it harder for hitters to square up the pitch, even though it drops less than before.
Subtle Changes in Arm Angle Enhance the Slider’s Effectiveness
Over the past two years, Ryan’s arm angle has shifted slightly lower across his entire pitch mix, although this was not an intentional adjustment. His slider, however, has experienced a larger drop in arm angle relative to his other pitches. This subtle crossfire delivery adds carry to the pitch, a rare benefit for a slider, contributing to its improved stability and deception. The minor grip change combined with increased backspin as Ryan delivers the ball generates more consistent movement and helped turn the slider from a liability into a neutral, reliable pitch.
Run Value Improvements Highlight Pitch’s Progression
Between 2023 and 2024, Ryan’s slider was a liability, performing five runs worse than average in 2023 and two runs below average in 2024, despite limited use. In 2025, the pitch’s run value has stabilized at zero, indicating that while it does not dominate hitters, it no longer contributes negatively to Ryan’s overall success.
This shift means Ryan can confidently employ the slider without fear of falling behind in counts or inviting costly damage, balancing his arsenal more effectively against opposing hitters.
Ryan’s Ongoing Refinement of His Pitching Arsenal
Known for his willingness to experiment and improve, Joe Ryan’s continual tinkering has produced a significantly upgraded slider this season. This enhancement is not merely a new addition but a renovation of an existing weapon that now fits seamlessly into his overall strategy. The better slider complements his splitter, sweeper, fastball, and sinker, making him a more complete and formidable pitcher.
As the All-Star Game approaches, all eyes will be on Ryan’s redefined arsenal, especially the new slider, which seems poised to be a dominant feature in his performance against top-tier hitters. This evolution not only strengthens his position among the majors’ best starters but also signals his capacity to adapt and grow his craft at the highest level.