Pitcher List was founded on the back of filthy pitches, and we strive to bring you the best of the best every day. However, with over 70+ pitches featured every week, there are a lot to sort through. We ask you, the readers, to vote for your favorite every day, and now is your chance to crown the best of the week.
Every week, we will be featuring the top pitches from each day as voted on by the readers. Then, every Tuesday, you’ll have a chance to vote for your favorite for the week. Make your voice heard in the comments, on Twitter, and in our Discord for which pitch you think is the best!
5/10 – Phillips Valdez’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/tintedthosedove
Phillips Valdez is having a pretty good year out of the Red Sox bullpen, with a K/9 just under 9.00 and a WHIP of 0.85 to boot. This changeup that gets Ryan Mountcastle to curse immediately after his swing was naaasty.
5/11 – Freddy Peralta’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/flawlessbluehorsefly
Freddy Peralta’s deceptive delivery has been confusing batters all season so far, and Harrison Bader isn’t immune to that. His slider has been a strike accumulating machine, with a 61.4% Strike rate and a 36.7% CSW.
5/12 – Tejay Antone’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/briefrelievedacornweevil
Speaking of nasty breaking balls, Tejay Antone has been a monster out of the Reds’ bullpen. A lot of people have been clamoring for him to get a rotation spot, and I think he’ll earn one in due time, but he’s been dealing in his role of high leverage cleanup specialist with an ability to throw multiple innings of work. It’s been incredibly valuable for Cincinnati this season but at some point they’ve got to give him a shot in the rotation, especially considering that his curveball has a 46.3% CSW on the year.
5/13 – Rich Hill’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/boldlamegrunion
Rich Hill, whose colorful nickname is not fit to print in these parts, has been back to his old ways in 2021. When I say old ways, I of course mean that his 88.6 MPH fastball is carrying a 39.8% CSW thus far. On the surface that jumped out at me as a surprise. “Wow, what has he done to his fastball this year? His curveball is his best pitch! What’s going on?” Well, that’s why I’m the GIF guy and not the analytics guy, because apparently Hill has had a higher CSW on his fastball pretty much his entire career. The curveball is the prettier pitch, and the one most relevant for our purposes, so that’s what we’re getting here. And boy, is it a good one.
5/14 – Corey Kluber’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/happyshockingiridescentshark
What you don’t see in this GIF is that Corey Kluber threw basically the exact same pitch right before this one, which is probably why Pat Valaika reacted the way he did. Fool me once…
5/14 – José Alvarado’s Sinker
https://gfycat.com/beautifulrewardingcero
Sinkers have had a great run this year in our weekly tournaments, and I’m expecting this one to do well as well. This 99 MPH bullet explodes from José Alvarado’s hand and paints the outside corner to Marcus Semien, who I keep wanting to call Trevor Siemien for some reason but this is a baseball site and I need to figure my stuff out. Anyway, yeah. Sinkers are to nasty as pies are to tasty.
5/15 – Trevor Bauer’s Fastball
https://gfycat.com/failingclosedchinchilla
Looks like a sinker, right? Well, Trevor Bauer doesn’t throw a sinker, so there’s some late ride on this pitch as well as a little camera angle trickery. Either way, it’s still nasty and Isan Díaz has to back, back back it up to get out of the way.
5/15 – Shane McClanahan’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/scalyqueasygrasshopper
Shane McClanahan already won April’s Nastiest Pitch of the Month with his devastating sinker last week, will this slider also compete for the monthly crown? I’d say it has a pretty good chance. 92 MPH down and in with some devastating break to one of the best hitters in the league is no small feat. We’ve got a contender on our hands, folks.
5/16 – Clay Holmes‘ Sinker
https://gfycat.com/sentimentalcorrupthedgehog
I think this pitch got away from Clay Holmes a bit, but when it makes Mauricio Dubón swing like that? You’ve done your job, sir.
5/16 – Devin Williams‘ Changeup
https://gfycat.com/bareillustriousanophelesmosquito
We wrap up this week’s best of the best with one of the best pitches in the game—the Airbender. This one has fastball written all over it, right up until the very last minute when it almost looks like it hits the breaks on its’ own and drops below the bat, perfectly into the zone. There was nothing Ehire Adrianza could do in this one.
Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)