Ron, what do you take from that? Or maybe, what's wrong with the following take?
1. Q, as with most pitchers, needs to have mechanics relatively optimized. If his mechanics are off, things go wrong. Location, deception, spin, movement, velocity, velocity-gap, all of those things deteriorate when mechanics aren't optimal.
2. Hottovy and Q are well aware, and know the checkpoints. Have for some time.
3. Knowing and implementing aren't the same.
4. Implementing is more difficult when fatigued.
5. The mechanical understanding remained in H and Q's knowledge bank entering September, and were already there in April. He just wasn't able to implement during his first half slump or his September disaster.
Sounds like H and Q have a good understanding. When Q's locked into optimal, he's solid. But no pitcher stays locked, and he's drifted into and out of optimal, perhaps particularly when fatigued. His stuff doesn't allow him great margin for sub-optimal. Hottovy knew the check points during the first half slump, during the strong August run, and during the disastrous September. A dramatic new breakthrough insight is unlikely in year 4 with Cubs and 1700 pro innings in. So probably his upcoming season will hinge less on dramatic new analytics insights, and more on the ability to more consistently implement checkpoints he's been aware of for years. Most likely he'll be a kind of similar guy, drifting in and out of optimal.