Koji Uehara continues to baffle hitters, draws praise, now is in the World Series

BOSTON — It’s said in the baseball world that a pitcher who throws two out of three pitches for strikes is among the cream of the crop when it comes to command. If a pitcher can throw with that level of accuracy and efficiency, and also happens to have “plus” stuff — that is, pitches that are considered exceptional — he’s in a class of his own.

Enter Red Sox closer Koji Uehara.

During the 2013 regular season, Uehara, who’s 38 years old and needs the help of a stiff breeze coming in from center field to break 90 mph on the radar gun, had a 74.1 strike percentage. In the postseason, he’s been even better, throwing 79.1 percent of his pitches for strikes.

“When he’s on the mound, it’s like watching a video game right in front of you,” said fellow Red Sox reliever Brandon Workman. “Whatever pitch he feels like throwing, he can locate it wherever he wants.”….

via Lindsay Berra: Koji Uehara continues to baffle hitters, draws praise | MLB.com: News.