In the increasingly data-driven world of Major League Baseball, pitchers are constantly searching for an edge — a new grip, release, or movement pattern to outmatch hitters. In 2025, that edge has arrived in the form of an innovative new pitch: the kick change.
What Is the Kick Change?
The kick change is a high-velocity off-speed pitch that shares some DNA with the traditional changeup, but thanks to a modified grip and release technique, it behaves much differently. Rather than fading horizontally like a typical changeup or slider, the kick change drops vertically, mimicking the action of a splitter.
Its name comes from the middle finger’s elevated positioning during the throw. This raised finger “kicks” the ball’s axis forward at release, altering its spin profile and producing the steep downward movement. As ESPN’s Jorge Castillo explains, a properly thrown kick change by a right-handed pitcher will resemble a curveball thrown by a lefty — a rare and highly deceptive movement for opposing batters.
Where Did It Come From?
The pitch was born not on a mound, but in a cutting-edge biomechanics lab at Tread Athletics in North Carolina. Former minor league pitcher Leif Strom developed the kick change in 2023 with a specific problem in mind: helping supinators — pitchers who naturally rotate their wrist and forearm outward — find a reliable off-speed pitch they could throw with confidence, especially against left-handed hitters.
Strom’s idea was simple but revolutionary: engineer a changeup-like pitch that plays to the strengths of supinators by leveraging their natural motion. His solution was the kick change, and he shared it publicly on social media.
From Lab to the Majors
The pitch quickly made its way to the mound. Giants rookie Hayden Birdsong became the first Major League pitcher to throw the kick change during a game in 2024. Since then, it’s gained momentum.
By 2025, it’s more than a novelty — it’s becoming a trend. Current users include All-Stars Andrés Muñoz and Pablo López, as well as multiple New York Mets pitchers who have helped power one of the league’s most dominant starting rotations.
Why It Matters
Baseball has seen its fair share of pitch revolutions in recent years — the sweeping slider (“sweeper”) exploded in 2023, and Paul Skenes’ “splinker” helped fuel his rookie dominance in 2024. Now, 2025 is shaping up as the year of the kick change.
As hitters adapt to high-velocity fastballs and movement-heavy breaking pitches, the kick change represents a new wrinkle in the cat-and-mouse game. Its unique movement profile, deceptive release, and growing adoption suggest it’s here to stay — and hitters around the league will be forced to adjust.
Bottom line: The kick change is not just a pitch — it’s a product of modern baseball’s technological arms race. And so far, it’s winning.
