Every morning, we review the nastiest pitches from the previous day’s games in glorious high-definition 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 First Quarter Contest. Did we miss your favorite pitch? Send us a tweet next time @PitcherList and we’ll GIF it up and give you a shoutout here in the article.
Andrew Cashner’s Curveball
This was one of my favorite pitches of the night. Andrew Cashner drops this thing in on Adam Engel, who couldn’t believe it landed in the zone. The 81 mph pitch had 2194 RPM and dropped 54 inches (with gravity).
Jalen Beeks‘ Changeup
Honestly, this whole post could be dedicated to Jalen Beeks. His movement and command were on point last night against the Royals. This aggressive 88 mph changeup broke nearly 14 inches horizontally with a spin rate of 1914.
Daniel Ponce de Leon’s Four-seam Fastball
There isn’t anything too fancy here, but the command displayed by Daniel Ponce de Leon on this fastball was ideal. This middle-in 94 mph four-seamer was delivered with precision in a high-leverage situation to get out of a jam that could have cost the Cardinals the game. Hat tip to Yadier Molina for the subtle pitch frame.
Kenta Maeda’s Curveball
Kenta Maeda freezes Daniel Descalso with this “bunny hop” curveball. The game was already out of hand at this point, but Maeda dropped his slick breaking ball at the top of the zone to get himself out of a tough situation. The 78 mph curve had a 64-inch vertical break (with gravity) on a 2603 spin rate.
Wade Miley’s Curveball
This 72 mph curve induced a flailing swing from Jonathan Schoop for the final out at the top of the fourth. What’s great about this pitch is how rapidly it dives near the end of its trajectory and would have fooled many of the league’s keenest of eye hitters.
Kirby Yates‘ Splitter
Quickly becoming one of MLB’s elite closers, Kirby Yates has been dominating with his split-finger fastball. The camera angle is a little off and doesn’t do this 87 mph gem the justice it deserves, but for context, Yates produced 1559 RPM with almost 10 inches of run on a 43-inch vertical break (with gravity). Maybe next time, Domingo Santana.
GIF of the Night
Which was your favorite pitch? Vote below, and the winner will be featured in the GIF of the First Quarter Contest.
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