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.
Luis Gil’s Slider
Fresh off a brief IL stint Gil shows he’s still got great stuff. The question with him is of course command. This pitch exemplifies what happens when he has good placement.
Luis Gil’s Changeup
Gil also has a nasty changeup when it’s on. At 91.7 mph is has 99th percentile velocity, and he actually throws it slightly more than his slider. 26% vs. 24%. It’s also been more effective for him as a Called Strike pitch (93rd percentile) and for limited hard contact (81st percentile ICR). He ended the day with 15 whiffs.
Jake Cousins‘ Slider
I’ve spoken enough about the nastiness of Cousins’ slider. It’s good in most departments. Let’s just enjoy watching it.
Frankie Montas‘ Splitter
Montas’ splitter is not what it once was. Its SwStr% is 17.6%. In 2020-2021 it was 26%. When located properly, it is still capable of generating whiffs like this.
Ryan Feltner’s Sweeper
Coming into this game Feltner had only thrown 68 sweepers, but he sure knows how to locate them.
Source: Baseball Savant
It has an 84th percentile SwStr% and 99th percentile ICR. Maybe he should throw more of them? Maybe it’s been so effective because he doesn’t throw them often.
Nick Pivetta’s Sweeper
Stuff has never been a question for Pivetta. This sweeper has a unique shape. It’s generated an 87th percentile SwStr%.
Shane Baz’s Fastball
This rising fastball from Baz is perfectly placed and beats a good hitter. PLV considers it to be in the 89th percentile, but Baz could do a better job with location. It has a 92nd percentile x-mLoc%.
Zack Wheeler’s Fastball
Speaking of great fastballs. Wheeler has been one of the best SP the last few years and the consistency of his fastball is a big reason why. It has 93rd percentile PLV, 96th percentile SwStr%, and 96th percentile CSW%.
Max Fried’s Curveball
Fried’s been struggling recently, but he’s still a great pitcher. To me anyways, his curveball is one of the most recognizable pitches in baseball. It’s a classic big, slow breaker. It has a 7th percentile velo and 94th percentile Total Break. PLV considers it the 90th percentile.
Yennier Cano’s Changeup
Cano’s changeup is enjoyable to watch and it gets a strikeout here in a big spot. This is beautifully spotted and gets great movement. PLV loves it, rating it 99th percentile.
Photos courtesy of Icon Sportswire
Adapted by Kurt Wasemiller (@KUWasemiller on Twitter / @kurt_player02 on Instagram