How a New Take on an Old Pitch May Save Randy Dobnak’s Career

[Cody Christie]

Pitching and hitting are continuously evolving. For Randy Dobnak, any big-league future might be tied to the continued development of one new, trendy offering.

Image courtesy of © Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

In a game where every pitch counts, Randy Dobnak could be on the cusp of reinventing his career with one new weapon in his arsenal, a pitch called the kick-change. Baseball, as we know it, is in a constant state of evolution. Batters are pushing the envelope by seeking innovative techniques to harness their power, as evidenced by the recent frenzy surrounding the "torpedo" bat during the Yankees’ home run rampage last weekend. Meanwhile, pitchers like Dobnak are under immense pressure to adapt and maintain their own competitive edge.

Dobnak’s story this season has been heartwarming. As a surprise addition to the Opening Day roster, he was thrust into an unexpected role when Bailey Ober’s shaky start left the bullpen in dire straits. With nearly 80 pitches thrown in relief during the team’s opening series, Dobnak’s workload skyrocketed, highlighting the crucial need for reliability in relief arms. Despite being designated for assignment (a move that, under current rules, won’t cut him loose due to the unique contract), Dobnak’s future hangs in the balance. Now, all eyes are on his latest experiment: the kick-change.

The kick-change is a fresh approach that’s been making the rounds across the baseball community this year. Developed by Shaun Anderson, this pitch rethinks the conventional changeup.

“Instead of keeping my middle finger on top and spiking it, I turn it over to the side and I almost spike the right side of the seam,” Anderson explained in an interview with The Sporting Tribune. “It’s just really about kicking the axis upside down, rather than getting really on top of it. So, just being able to kick it with your middle finger is really the purpose of the kick-change.”

In essence, the kick-change flips the script on the typical delivery, focusing on an innovative “kicking” motion with the middle finger to disrupt the batter’s timing. This new angle means that pitchers can introduce unexpected movement by altering the ball’s axis mid-flight (as it will seem to the batter, at least), rather than relying solely on velocity differences.

What we’re beginning to see, even in small samples, is that the kick-change is not only about deception but also about precision. In his recent outing, Dobnak experimented with this new twist on his repertoire by throwing 19 changeups, each exhibiting subtle yet meaningful differences. His average velocity dropped from 85.8 mph in 2024 to 84.9 mph this season. It’s a slight reduction that could prove lethal, when combined with the additional vertical drop. The vertical drop on the pitch increased from 43.3 inches to 44.0 inches, an adjustment that may sound minor on paper but could change how the ball behaves as it approaches the hitter. Additionally, the spin on the ball decreased from 1457 rpm to 1157 rpm, suggesting that Dobnak is intentionally dialing down the rotation to emphasize the pitch’s “kick” effect.

To help aid his kick-change, Dobnak has made a few other alterations to his delivery to help separate his breaking pitches from his fastball. His sinker movement changed this year, so the altered changeup (which moves similarly to last year) now has more separation from the fastballs than it did before. His arm slot is also slightly higher this year (+3 degrees), so the batter’s perspective of the pitch will be different even with a similar movement profile.

The implications for Dobnak are significant. In today’s game, where every edge is scrutinized and the competition is fierce, a pitch like the kick-change could be the key to salvaging his career and giving him a big-league role beyond 2025. His performance with Triple-A St. Paul will undoubtedly serve as the litmus test for whether this approach can be successfully translated to the major leagues. For a pitcher who has already been under the microscope because of his unique contract, this new pitch might be the catalyst that revitalizes his role in the organization.

Critics and fans alike will be watching closely, as the evolution of the kick-change could signal broader shifts in pitching strategies across baseball. Pitchers are in a constant arms race with batters. As hitters adopt new tools, pitchers are compelled to innovate to level the playing field. The kick-change represents one such innovation, a pitch that challenges traditional mechanics and offers a fresh approach to outsmarting batters who are ever-vigilant for any sign of predictability.

For Dobnak, embracing the kick-change is a calculated risk. His recent appearance, marked by subtle adjustments in velocity, drop, and spin, hints at a commitment to mastering this new tool. Although the sample is small, the early data is promising enough to warrant attention. Dobnak’s experiment with the kick-change is emblematic of that ever-present struggle to remain relevant in a sport that continuously reinvents itself. For a pitcher fighting to secure his future, a well-executed kick-change could be the turning point that saves his career. 

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Will the kick-change help Dobnak to extend his career? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

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[Karbo]

I hope it works well for him. He looked pretty good against the Cards.

[Patzky]

I really do love reading analyses like this. Dobber will be back when there's another injury or we use up McCaughan

[Doctor Gast]

In baseball, a .7 inch difference is hugh. A difference of hard contact to soft, a soft contact to foulball, a foulball to a SO. Hope the best for him.

[LambchoP]

Both Dobnak and Mccaghan have looked good in their long relief roles. My guess is the Twins will rotate the two of them back and forth as long men. At least until Stewart comes back. When that happens I could see Varland getting sent to AAA rather than our long man. The way the season has started, looks like we really need a guy in the pen that can give us length and Varland has looked way too hittable so far 

[LA Vikes Fan]

I think you're right on Varland. He's the weak man in the bullpen right now and probably the first to go when Stewart comes back if things continue this way. Varland is really a one inning high octane guy, so he's holding down Stewart's spot. We do need a long man and so far Dobnak has filled that role. He could also be a spot starter or a 2-3 inning opener if we need one. He really could be a good guy to have if this new pitch helps him continue to be effective.   

All of this is great, but none of it will matter if we can't find at least 2-3 guys who can hit. 

[Reptevia]

Hahahaha.  

[DocBauer]

Dobnak had a great and surprising story in 2019. And he was really pretty solid in 2020 as well until he hurt his finger. He's never been great, but he was solid as a #5 starter. But he lacked a K pitch, and then came his injury.

I say this only as a reminder that he wasn't just a good story, he was actually pretty solid initially.

He's worked hard to overcome the finger injury, finally finding some decent results at AAA in 2024 and a good ST this year. He's probably always going to be a pitch to contact guy, but if this new change works for him, he might still have a future in the pen. Whether that's for the Twins or someone else in the future is TBD. 

But despite debates about his usage with the Twins, it is nice to have him available as a role pitcher. He's a great guy and easy to root for. He sure wouldn't be the last guy to get healthy, then discover a new pitch, and suddenly turn in to a useful arm around 30yo. I wish him the best.

NOTE: I know NOTHING about McCaughan. And I only got to see a few of his pitches in his Twins debut against Houston. But I did see a couple really good looking offerings that looked a little nasty. 

[BSLinPA]

Any Twins fan that spent time in Ft Myers during Spring Training over the past 7 or 8 years has gotta be pulling for Randy.  He takes the time to make himself available to every fan he encounters.  We remember how it looked like he was putting it all together in Spring Training of 2021, adding a "new pitch" (reported mostly as a slider, i thought it was a split finger/sinker) that enabled him to average nearly 1 K per inning.  As the result, the front office signed him to the multi-year contract.  However, it was this first "new pitch" that caused Randy years of hand injury/misery/struggles.  It be great if this second "new pitch" enabled his full time return to MLB.  Keep pushing, Dobber.....we're with ya!!