Jack Neely: Decoding the Cubs’ New Reliever with Pitch DNA

Who does Jack Neely look like?

Ever feel overwhelmed by all the data out there when evaluating pitchers? It’s like you need a PhD just to figure out what makes one guy stand out from another. That’s why I created Pitch DNA—a tool that cuts through the noise to show how unique a pitcher is, why he’s unique, and who he resembles.

Let’s talk about Jack Neely, the Cubs’ new reliever. Neely’s slider is unique. The reason? His release point. At 6’8,” he’s already towering over the mound, but Pitch DNA uncovered something surprising—Neely’s closest comparisons aren’t other extremely tall pitchers. Instead, he shares traits with Ryan Helsley, Giovanny Gallegos, Derek Law, Ross Stripling, and Adam Mazur. Despite his height, Neely gets lower to the ground at release.

Now, here’s the “too long, didn’t read” version of what Pitch DNA shows: each point on the graph is a pitcher. The closer the points are, the more similar they are. The further they are from the middle, the more unique. The arrows show why the points are placed in their location. It’s like finding similar genes—hence the name Pitch DNA.

Out of all these comparisons, Neely’s slider is probably most like Derek Law’s. Both pitchers throw sliders with more drop and less cut than most MLB pitchers—a combo that’s tough on both lefties and righties.

While these pitchers have similarities, they’re not identical copies. For instance, Ryan Helsley’s slider may look similar to Neely’s, but he throws it nearly 2 MPH faster. Pitch DNA helps highlight these subtle differences, giving us a deeper understanding of what makes each pitcher unique.

Pitch DNA suggests Jack Neely can learn from Derek Law because he has a 2.85 ERA this year. Figuring out how Law succeeds could give Neely some valuable insights as he refines his own game.

Overall, Pitch DNA tells us Neely’s slider significantly resembles many successful relievers, such as Derek Law’s. These two are similar because both sliders drop more than a typical one with tight,minimal cut. And despite Neely's 6' 8" height, he shares release point with shorter pitchers.