Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty says he will no longer answer questions about declining fastball velocity

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Jack Flaherty is far from his 2019 form when he finished in fourth place in the NL Cy Young Award voting in his second full season.

The St. Louis Cardinals righty's decline seems to stem from a drop in his fastball velocity the last few seasons. His average fastball in 2019 was 94.3 mph. In his start Tuesday night, his maximum fastball velocity was 94.8, and he averaged 91.9.

He owns a 6.18 ERA this season, and he doesn't exactly want to be reminded of his struggles or his fastball's dip in velocity.

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Jack Flaherty of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field May 9, 2023, in Chicago.  (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

After he allowed three earned runs in five frames Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs, he let the media know he was no longer talking about why his fastball isn't what it used to be.

"The next time somebody wants to mention the velocity on my fastball, just, I'm not going to answer that question," he said after St. Louis' 6-4 win. "Like, I'm gonna play with the velocity of my fastball based on what the game calls for. I can get outs if I need to at 95 [mph]. I'm going to play with it. I've always played with it. I've thrown frickin' fastballs at 87 before in games when I've been at my best. …

"Y'all want to make a big deal out of it, and I'm tired of it."

Flaherty added that anyone who asks about why his velocity is down doesn't "understand pitching."

Jack Flaherty of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers against the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning at Busch Stadium May 4, 2023, in St Louis.  (Dilip