Every morning, the We Love Baseball crew reviews the Nastiest Pitches from the previous day’s games. If you see something you think should be included here be sure to tweet @PitcherList to let us know. Or, if you’re a PL+ Member and part of our Discord, shout it out in the Nastiest Pitches channel.
Garrett Crochet’s Sweeper
The man of the evening, Garrett Crochet struck out nine over four dominant innings in Houston. He threw only 54 pitches, unfortunately giving way to Touki Toussaint far too early due to a pitch count limit that will only continue to frustrate fantasy managers as the playoffs draw near. Either way, this filthy sweeper to Yordan Alvarez is as good as it gets.
Aaron Nola’s Sinker
Aaron Nola’s sinker is the gift that keeps on giving. I feel like anytime he pitches he throws one that either perfectly clips the corner of the zone or does something like this that completely fools the batter. While he only struck out four on the night, he still threw 6.2 solid innings of four hit ball. After a period of subpar outings, Nola is looking to round into form for the stretch run.
Justin Martinez’s Splitter
Martinez unfortunately took the loss shortly after this pitch, but boy oh boy is this nasty. He’s got a live arm but a bit of a control issue, and if he could just rein that in a bit he’ll be talked about the same way we talk about Mason Miller.
Matt Waldron’s Sweeper
Matt Waldron is obviously known more for his knuckleball, but the pitch just wasn’t dancing the way it should at 5000 feet above sea level at Coors Field. Instead, here’s a nasty sweeper that makes Charlie Blackmon look like a rookie.
Paul Skenes‘ Curveball
Friday night’s marquee Apple TV+ matchup between Paul Skenes and Logan Gilbert lived up to the hype, for the most part. Skenes wasn’t quite himself and didn’t have his typical pinpoint precision, especially with his breaking balls. He hung a couple and left a few more way out of the zone. But this one? Yeah, this one is classic Skenes. It’s crazy to think he’s still only a rookie and being talked about as one of, if not the, best pitchers in the league.
Héctor Neris‘ Splitter
Héctor Neris blew a three-run lead in the ninth, but results really don’t matter for our purposes. This splitter was disgusting regardless of results and deserves inclusion here.
Spencer Arrighetti’s Curveball
Spencer Arrighetti is really coming on for Houston, and it’s a good thing because they need all the pitching help they can get. His curveball continues to mystify hitters, and this one eats Gavin Sheets right up.
Ryan Pepiot’s Changeup
Coming off the IL after an extended absence, Ryan Pepiot was hyped up and let his emotions fly after this pitch. He had a solid day, striking out five over 5.1 innings and 80 pitches. It was a step in the right direction for the young hurler as he looks to solidify himself as an ace for the young Rays for the rest of this season.
Ryne Nelson’s Cutter
Ryne Nelson jammed this cutter in on Brandon Lowe, so much so that it pretty much forced Lowe out of the batter’s box. It’s a sneaky nasty pitch that passes the “oof” test in a big way.
Trent Thornton’s Curveball
Finally, we finish with Trent Thornton who came in for the 8th after a disastrous 7th by the Seattle pitching staff. He did his part, keeping Pittsburgh from adding to their lead. This pitch is simply gorgeous.
Photos courtesy of Icon Sportswire
Adapted by Kurt Wasemiller (@KUWasemiller on Twitter / @kurt_player02 on Instagram