Last week, I wrote about difference-makers in the American League. This week, we’re looking at their National League counterparts.

Milwaukee Brewers: Dustin May, RHP

Since joining the Brewers, Dustin May has see-sawed from brilliant to excruciating. Across his last four starts, he’s only pitched a total of 10 ⅓ innings and has allowed 13 earned runs. Ask any Dodgers, Red Sox, or Cardinals fan, and they’ll tell you this sounds like the typical Dustin May experience, though it really did look like he’d finally turned a corner this year. When he’s on, his arsenal features a ton of east-west movement.

Since acquiring May, the Brewers have tinkered with his repertoire.  Against righties, he’s leaning more on his cutter, while against lefties, he’s relying on his fastball and curveball. Whether intentional or not, May’s arm angle has also jumped from 31.3 degrees in March/April to 37.2 degrees in August. This month, it’s hovering around 38.3 degrees. This coincides with May cutting his sweeper: At a higher arm angle, his sweeper and sinker lose movement. The sweeper “sweeps” less, and the sinker runs less, flattening the two pitches that give his arsenal east-west movement.