When you think of a pitcher with seven different pitches, you might imagine someone just throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks. But Washington Nationals lefty Foster Griffin isn't just collecting pitches like baseball cards—he's wielding a carefully crafted arsenal where every weapon has a purpose.

Let's be clear: Griffin doesn't have one single "elite" pitch. Instead, he's got a whole toolbox of seven offerings that are all at least average. And here's the scary part for hitters: he'll throw any of them at any time. Whether it's a righty or lefty standing in the box, Griffin isn't afraid to reach into any pocket of his repertoire. That unpredictability, combined with pinpoint command, is why he currently owns the lowest ERA among all qualified left-handed starters in baseball.

So, what are those seven pitches? In order of how often he uses them: cutter, four-seam fastball, sweeper, sinker, changeup, curveball, and splitter. But the real magic isn't just in the variety—it's in how they work together.

The bread and butter is his cutter. Griffin throws it 31% of the time—double his next most-used pitch—and he turns to it when he absolutely needs a big out. Batters are hitting just .241 against it, and he's already racked up 11 strikeouts on the pitch this season. But like most great cutters, it's not about blowing hitters away. The average exit velocity against Griffin's cutter is a stingy 85.5 mph, meaning even when they make contact, it's weak.

Griffin loves to spot that cutter on the inside part of the plate to righties, then run it away from lefties. It was his go-to pitch before his stint in Japan, and it's still the one he trusts most now. Against the Marlins last night, he was locating it brilliantly—throwing it in the zone 68% of the time while staying off the middle of the plate.

But here's where it gets really interesting. Griffin's cutter sets the tone, but his other six pitches make it even more effective. When a hitter has to respect a sweeper that bends away, a sinker that dives, and a splitter that falls off the table, that cutter looks even nastier. He's essentially playing chess while hitters are playing checkers.

Friday night against Miami, Griffin set a career high with 17 whiffs, posting a 16.5% swinging strike rate. That's not just a good outing—that's a statement. And it's proof that when you have seven pitches that all serve a purpose, you don't need one dominant offering to dominate.

So next time you see Foster Griffin on the mound, remember: it's not just about having seven pitches. It's about knowing exactly when to use each one.