Every morning, the We Love Baseball crew reviews the nastiest pitches from the previous day’s games in glorious high-definition GIFs. We want to bring you the highest caliber of nastiness possible, so if you see a nasty pitch, please tell us about it. You can tweet @PitcherList to let us know and we’ll give you a shout-out here in the article if your tip makes the cut.
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Devin Williams‘ Changeup
https://gfycat.com/unsteadyblushingcottontail
Devin Williams was not messing around. Williams came into last night’s game at a high leverage point and was able to strike out four of the six hitters he faced in a tight Brewers win. Williams’ changeup was savage, and he was able to make hitters like Kevin Newman look foolish repeatedly during his stupendous outing.
Garrett Richards‘ Slider
https://gfycat.com/unsteadywelcomebichonfrise
Garrett Richards brushed off his run of poor starts and was able to cut through the Rockies lineup and allow no runs and only one hit in just under four innings. Richards’ slider has great depth and it doesn’t seem fair that he throws it 90 MPH as well.
Tyler Glasnow’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/shamefuleverlastingaustraliankelpie
Tyler Glasnow made the Yankees lineup look silly all night with his curveball. There were more than a couple of swords on balls in the dirt, but I went with this pitch to Clint Frazier because it was the last one of Glasnow’s night and it looks prettier when we can see the path of the pitch fully without the ground getting in the way.
Shane Bieber’s Cutter
https://gfycat.com/idioticvictoriousamurstarfish
I chose this Shane Bieber cutter, but what’s fun about Biebs is that I could have chosen a straight fastball, a knuckle-curve, or a slider from him. I loved this cutter because of its perfect spot and the beautiful shot of the cut that takes the ball just off Jorge Soler’s bat.
Anthony DeSclafani’s Sinker
https://gfycat.com/tallbigheartedemperorshrimp
This season Anthony DeSclafani has shown flashes of potential that weren’t readily apparent so far in his career. He is still inconsistent, but more time with the Reds cutting edge player development department may help him keep improving going forward.
Lucas Giolito’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/maleimpassionedconure
Lucas Giolito doesn’t have the vertical break on his changeup that Devin Williams does, but Giolito is able to force some of the worst-looking swings in the game playing his changeup off his fastball expertly. Jorge Polanco seems to try to stay back and he still ends up swinging with all his might at only the air.
Max Fried’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/pointedgreatappaloosa
Another start and another win for Max Fried. I’m impressed my Fried’s composure and confidence on the mound and he seems to have settled into a groove that no one can knock him off. Fried made a depleted Red Sox lineup look overmatched mixing his curveball and slider along with an effectively elevated fastball.
Giovanny Gallegos‘ Slider
https://gfycat.com/warliketimelydassierat
Giovanny Gallegos is back healthy and in a limited sample is showing that his 2019 breakout was not a fluke. Gallegos got the last two outs last night throwing a lot of his two different sliders just like he did in 2019. Aristides Aquino saw three of them and then the game was over.
Spencer Howard’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/peskyfrigidflyingfish
Spencer Howard was ready to go in the first inning as he struck out the side and flummoxed Juan Soto. Howard has a lot of confidence in his changeup to throw it in a 3-2 count against a hitter like Soto and this GIF shows a little bit of why he’s so confident in his change.
Freddy Peralta’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/gleefulsnoopyladybug
I’m a sucker for a slow curveball. Freddy Peralta throws one of the few really good ones around the majors these days, and I try to highlight the pitch whenever I see it in the wild. It’s funny how silly Peralta can make hitters look.
GIF of the Night
Which was your favorite pitch? Vote below, and the winner may be featured in our Nastiest Pitches tournament midway through the season.
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