Every week we review the nastiest pitches from the previous week in glorious HD GIFs. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite pitch and check back this weekend to see if it will be in contention for the GIF of the Second Half Contest, which will be live in November. Did we miss your favorite pitch? Send us a tweet next time @ThePitcherList and we’ll GIF it up + give you a shoutout here in the article.
Chaz Roe’s Slider – He won last week’s “Best Pitch” and he’s already putting in another contender with this Slider that has way more bend than it has any right to have. You can’t lay off this pitch, but you sure can’t hit it either.
Aroldis Chapman’s Fastball – You know Chapman throws hard, but we couldn’t help but feature The Cuban Missile ending Monday’s affair with an overpowering 104mph heater. There’s just nothing you can do. (Thanks to @Low_rax for the tip!)
Chris Sale’s Slider – Sale made it to 300 strikeouts on the season as he faced the Orioles on Wednesday, with plenty of focus on that strikeout pitch. However, our favorite offering from Sale was this Slider to Trey Mancini that simply isn’t fair. You can’t lay off it as it travels through the entire zone, but you definitely can’t hit it either.
Kirby Yates‘ Changeup – It was a big spot for Yates during a grueling at-bat against DJ LeMahieu, but he ultimately won with a Changeup that dropped off the table to the Rockies infielder. Notice how the pitch started well inside the zone before falling off the plate in a blink of an eye.
Craig Kimbrel’s Curveball – This pitch didn’t come close to landing in the zone, which should tell you plenty about the vicious bite Kimbrel gets on his Knuckle-Curve. It reminds me of a classic Jose Fernandez Curveball to Yasiel Puig back in 2014.
R.A. Dickey’s Knuckleball – We haven’t had too many mind-blowing Knucklers from Dickey this year, but this one is certain to get you excited. This pitch changes direction multiple times on its way to the plate, leaving Jayson Werth with just air as he swings at a pitch right down the middle.
Blake Treinen’s Fastball – I know we’ve featured Treinen plenty, but just look at this movement he gets at 97mph. This starts away and then falls to the bottom of the zone feet well inside the strike zone. Jeeeeez.
GIF Of The Week
Which was your favorite pitch? Vote below and the winner will be featured in the GIF of the Second Half Contest.
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