Every morning, the We Love Baseball crew reviews the Nastiest Pitches from the previous day’s games in glorious high-definition GIFs. We want to bring you the highest caliber of nastiness possible, so if you see a nasty pitch, please tell us about it. You can tweet @PitcherList to let us know, and we’ll give you a shout-out here in the article if your tip makes the cut.
As a bonus for PL+ members, let us know about a pitch on the PL+ Discord in the Nasty Pitches Channel, and if your suggestion is included the next day, you’ll be entered into a weekly drawing for a free T-shirt!
Yimi Garcia’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/pessimisticcoordinatedauk
Aaron Hicks almost looks like he got shot on this pitch from Yimi Garcia, though thankfully Hicks was not injured on the play and only suffered one of the most embarassing-looking strikeouts of the day. In all fairness to Hicks, however, this pitch is absolutely disgusting, so I don’t blame him for failing to check his swing. Hicks and the Yankees got the last laugh, however, as they pulled off their tenth straight win on Monday night.
Félix Bautista’s Splitter
https://gfycat.com/cheapthirdcat
The Orioles have a penchant for finding filthy relievers and letting them show off their stuff for us all to enjoy. Last year it was César Valdez and the “Dead Fish” changeup, and this year it’s Félix Bautista. Bautista needs a cool name to call this pitch because it’s just as devastating as Valdez’s Dead Fish. The Wet Rock? The Banana Split? How about the Cannonball? We’ve got plenty of time to workshop something.
Félix Bautista’s Fastball
https://gfycat.com/dependentevenfritillarybutterfly
Not only does Bautista throw the Wet Banana (I’m not so good at these), he can also paint 99 MPH gas on the corner to catch one of the best hitters in the game looking for a called strike three. Baltimore has themselves a gem in their pen.
Cole Sulser’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/actualgrimfirefly
Look where this pitch ends up! Daulton Varsho didn’t stand a chance as this pitch was perfectly spotted and ran completely off the plate afterward. The only thing missing is an eye-popping slo-mo angle of this pitch, and if we had one I think it’d be a contender for Nastiest Pitch of the month. I’m not kidding. This pitch is that filthy.
Jhoan Duran’s Splitter
https://gfycat.com/harshallgoldenmantledgroundsquirrel
The Splinker claims another victim. Jhoan Duran threw three straight splitters to Tyler Nevin, ending the game on a high note on a vicious whiff by the young infielder. This is the nastiest pitch in baseball right now.
Pablo López’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/carelessuntimelychanticleer
Pablo López’s changeup is one of the most underrated pitches in the game. He’s kind of the forgotten man in the Miami rotation behind Sandy Alcantara and Miami’s plethora of pitching prospects, but he’s had a stellar season for the Marlins. He’s allowed five earned runs in five starts, and four of them actually came on Monday. That changeup is such a gorgeous pitch.
Chris Bassitt’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/qualifiedobeseblueandgoldmackaw
This slider from Chris Bassitt ate up Matt Olson and spit out the seeds all over the batter’s box. Don’t swallow the seeds! You’ll grow a watermelon in your belly. Or at least that’s what I was told growing up. This pitch is certainly a watermelon, though.
Chris Paddack’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/threadbareunsteadyhydatidtapeworm
Chris Paddack is quietly pitching very well this season, and his changeup is turning into a weapon yet again. Small sample size be damned, his 32.7% CSW with the changeup would be the highest of his career if it sticks through the rest of the year. Meanwhile, his fastball has the eighth highest CSW% in the league at 38.1%. He currently sits at #70 on The List and he’s a guy I’m keeping my eye on.
Max Fried’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/nicescarcekite
There’s not really much to say about Max Fried’s curveball. It’s just a beautiful pitch to watch over and over on a loop, and I think I’m going to do that now instead of writing any more about it.
Dylan Cease’s Knuckle Curve
https://gfycat.com/aromaticdeafeninghadrosaurus
From one pretty curveball to another, Dylan Cease’s Knuckle Curve helped propel him to an 11 strikeout day against the Angels. Kurt Suzuki wanted no part of this pitch but still couldn’t hold back from swinging at it.
Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns of Twitter)