Brett Cecil‘s fastball speed hasn’t returned to his 2009-2010 levels, but his location is better:

Cecil started to use his secondary pitches Sunday and was pleased with the results. So, too, was manager John Farrell. But it was how the pitches played off Cecil’s fastball location that was the talking point for Farrell.

“It just adds to the overall deception of his secondary pitches,” said Farrell. “When he forces hitters to look lower, then those mistakes he does make will hopefully turn into just fly balls, while a year ago they might have been hit with more authority.”

A fast fastball helps, but location and the ability to change speeds play a major role. Cecil’s velocity isn’t that far off from his former self. If he can maintain the big speed differences between his fastball and his off-speed offerings, he should be okay.