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. If your suggestion is included the next day, you’ll be entered into a weekly drawing for a free t-shirt. If you’re not already a PL+ member, you’re missing out!
Aaron Ashby’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/hotaltruisticgodwit
Ashby got the solid hitting Josh Bell to swing at this curveball down and in. He only throws in 11% of the time, but hitters have just a .083 AVG and .122 wOBA against it. Other than a poor BB% Ashby’s metrics are excellent. Though he struggled in this one, it will be fun to watch him develop in the always-strong Brewers rotation.
Spencer Strider’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/dentalkaleidoscopicirishdraughthorse
At this point in the game, Strider had already thrown 9 fastballs 99.5 mph and up. It is easy to see why this well-placed changeup makes Vogelbach look silly. If Strider can bring his 13.5 BB% down he will be dominant.
Roansy Contreras‘ Slider
https://gfycat.com/closedismalanchovy
Contreras hits the catcher’s spot on this 0-2 pitch. His slider has a 25 % SwStr%, .103 AVG, .182 wOBA, and 13% Hard Contact rate. He is an exciting young piece for the Pirates.
Spencer Strider’s Fastball
https://gfycat.com/accomplishedshrillbellsnake
Strider simply blows Chavis away with this 99.2 mph rising fastball. At 2,447 RPMs it was the highest spin of his young career, about 100 above his average.
Paul Blackburn’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/wanweeklycob
Blackburn gets Owen Miller to chase this nasty 12-6 curve. Blackburn has been somewhat surprisingly solid this year. He throws the curveball 20% of the time but primarily relies on his sinker to keep launch angles low. Pair that with a good 6% BB% and he is able to overcome the mere 19% K%.
Triston McKenzie’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/greedyplushayeaye
Murphy did have a pitch go about 2 feet over his head in this AB so we can cut him some slack. This was one of six whiffs McKenzie had on curveballs below the zone on the night, some of which bounced. He has an excellent 0.89 WHIP on the season.
Luis Garcia’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/academichardbillygoat
Garcia gets Berti to chase this down-and-away slider. Garcia has been a solid starter for the Astros for several seasons now. There is generally nothing special about his slider, but he throws it only 6% of the time. That apparently is enough to keep hitters off his fastball and cutter which he throws a combined 80%.
Elvin Rodriguez’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/genuineidealbass
Rodriguez got shelled in this one, but this slider is a beauty, getting 46″ of vertical break. Elvin seems to be able to spin off some good stuff now and then, but he’s got a long way to go.
José Berríos‘ Curveball
https://gfycat.com/matureinsistentaruanas
Berríos has the ability to throw curveballs with different breaks, depending on what he wants to do. This one works out quite well. He has not been good so far in 2022, but his last two starts have been much better, totaling 18 Ks. Most expect this to be the start of a turnaround as he has been very consistent throughout his career.
Luis Castillo’s Sinker
https://gfycat.com/popularcarefreeindri
This was Castillo’s last pitch of the night, #102. A 98 mph sinker with 18″ of horizontal break to tie Bader up. After getting a late start in 2022 he has looked much like his former self. A heavy groundballer, decent K%, and below-average BB%.
Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns of Twitter)