The We Love Baseball crew reviews the Nastiest Pitches from the previous day’s games every morning. If you see something you think should be included here, 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.
Spencer Schwellenbach’s Splitter
Not many pitchers make Shohei Ohtani look as lost as a medieval explorer without the stars to guide them. But we can now count Spencer Schwellenbach amongst their ranks. Schwellebach digs into his six-pitch bag of tricks and produces a stupendous tumbling splitter to stun Ohtani. While the Dodgers scored two runs off Schwellenbach, he navigated through them in Magellan-esque fashion by striking out six hitters in six innings.
Aaron Nola’s Knuckle Curve
Aaron Nola was soaring through the first four innings of Friday night’s matchup. He hadn’t allowed a hit or a run and limited base traffic to just a pair of walks. That’s in addition to punching out six. His second of the night came courtesy of this knuckle curve that disappears like a child from a brutish, overbearing Victorian orphanage. However, a series of unfortunate events would come for Nola in the fifth. His stat line read as follows: A loss, six hits, and six runs allowed in four-and-a-third innings.
Jacob deGrom’s Fastball
Friday’s list wouldn’t be complete without at least a mention of arguably the nastiest pitcher of the last decade. That’s right, Jacob deGrom is back and is just as electric as he was before. The lanky two-time Cy Young winner opts for a rising fastball to dispatch Julio Rodriguez. Though its location is an accident, its 99-mile-per-hour speed will settle the difference. Welcome back, deGrominator. We missed you.
Freddy Peralta’s Slider
Freddy Peralta is like a mystery-flavored piece of candy. Friday night’s start against the Diamondbacks is emblematic of that adage. The right-hander allowed six hits, four walks, and one run through his first five frames. Yet, he’d also struck out five and made each look like fools to varying degrees. This curveball, for instance, reduces Geraldo Perdomo to a rubber-faced clown.
Edward Cabrera’s Changeup
There aren’t many reasons to tune into a Marlins broadcast, but Edward Cabrera provided one Friday night. The starter gave the Nationals fits throughout his six innings, limiting the team to one hit and a walk with nine strikeouts. His second of the night came thanks to this bottom-dropping changeup that vanishes like the moon on a cloudy night.
Brant Hurter’s Sweeper
Though Detroit’s pitching staff was one out away from a combined no-hitter, Brant Hurter stole the show. The 26-year-old longtime farmhand befuddled Baltimore, striking out eight while walking just one batter in five-and-two-third innings. His final strikeout shined like Sirius and caught Cedric Mullins leaning.
Alec Marsh’s Slider
Plenty of pitchers can make the Pittsburgh Pirates look paltry. That said, Alec Marsh went the extra mile and was nearly perfect. The right-hander punishes Jared Triolo with this gnarly cross-body front door slider. Only a few others escaped Marsh’s reach as he held Pittsburgh to five hits, two walks, and a run while striking out a season-high 11 hitters.
Tanner Bibee’s Changeup
Tanner Bibee started his night off right. The second-year budding star made Josh Lowe look silly chasing this trailing changeup. In Lowe’s defense, few changeups are supposed to move like this, starting letter-high and then drifting outside the zone as if carried by a gust of wind. Bibee’s start failed to live up to its early heights, however. The 25-year-old allowed three runs and collected his eighth loss due to an offensive drought.
Justin Slaten’s Fastball
Justin Slaten is starting to stand out amongst an embattled Boston bullpen. The right-hander struck out a pair of Yankees in the bottom of the sixth to strand a pair. Helping the Red Sox reliever escape the admittedly self-created jam is this rising fastball that comes as fast as a September sunset. Thanks to his efforts, Slaten’s now down to a 1.86 ERA over his last 10-and-two-thirds innings.
Luke Weaver’s Changeup
Slaten isn’t the only reliever shooting up the ranks. Thanks to a collapse from Clay Holmes, Luke Weaver’s become the Yankees’ newest closer, and he’s not looking back — Just ask Cedanne Rafaela, who became Weaver’s final victim and fell prey to this sinking changeup. Weaver’s now up to a 1.27 ERA over his last 13 appearances.
Photos courtesy of Icon Sportswire
Adapted by Kurt Wasemiller (@kurtwasemiller on Twitter / @kurt_player02 on Instagram