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.
Paul Skenes‘ Slider
Black is synonymous with yellow. Just ask the myriad of sporting teams touting the color scheme. But just as synonymous is Paul Skenes and our Nastiest Pitches’ articles. Skenes makes our list today courtesy of this parachuting slider to Trey Cabbage. There’s just nothing Cabbage can do with this. The second he twisted his hips was the second he passed the sentence.
Jameson Taillon’s Sweeper
If this is it for Jameson Taillon and the Cubs, at least it ended memorably. That doesn’t mean Taillon tossed a gem. He did the opposite, allowing six runs over four-and-one-third innings. But, on the plus side, fans can remember the good times when they looked at this cross-body sweeper so wicked it’d make a certain witch of the West proud.
Zach Eflin’s Cutter
Zach Eflin, meet Baltimore. Baltimore, meet Zach Eflin and his cutter. The pitch was in full force during this at-bat against Davis Schneider, starting middle-in before fluttering away and past Schneider’s outstretched arms. Eflin’s cutter belittled the Blue Jays all afternoon, accounting for five of his seven strikeouts. If Monday’s start is a sign of things, Baltimore and Eflin will get along swimmingly.
Zack Wheeler’s Sinker
Zack Wheeler’s preoccupation is interrogating the limits of baseball. He pushes them further here with a gorgeous, perfectly aimed sinker that traps Yankees catcher Austin Wells in a no-win situation. Swing or not, your fate’s already decided. The only problem with Wheeler’s pastime is the Yankees knew all the answers, scoring seven runs against Wheeler and bumping his career ERA against the team to a staggering 7.24.
Luis Gil’s Slider
What makes Luis Gil deadly, aside from the ear-splitting velocity, the head-spinning movement, or the atomic clock-level precision, is his release point. Gil gave Austin Hayes a fastball that looked identical to this slider coming out of his hand before this. The only difference is that one lasered the strike zone, and the other moved like it was attached to the arm of an Olympian yo-yoer.
Nick Pivetta’s Curveball
A tiger can’t change their stripes, and the Mariners still can’t score runs. Not as long as Nick Pivetta is on the mound. The right-hander stifled Seattle to just one run and four hits while striking out seven over the first five innings. One of those strikeouts came via this looping curve that disappears like a flaky friend.
Grant Holmes‘ Slider
Who’s Grant Holmes, and why does he look like Kenny Powers? Holmes is a journeyman making his first Major League start on Monday, and he left a lasting impression. The right-hander coughed up just one run on three hits while striking out eight and six of the first batters he faced. Rhys Hoskins fell victim to Holmes on this gnarly dovetailing slider. Why does he look like Kenny Powers? That’s something only Holmes can answer.
Jose Quintana’s Curveball
Jose Quintana isn’t flashy. He never has been. He can be a five-and-diver, a stop-gap, and a steady but never stellar arm. Those adjectives are for others. But tonight, let’s throw some of them toward this plummeting curveball that makes Royce Lewis look like another AL Central infielder. You know the one. Quintana had the curve working throughout, using it en route to three of his five strikeouts.
Bryan Abreu’s Slider
Have yourself an inning, Bryan Abreu. The Astros reliever entered a tied game in the seventh and obliterated the three hitters he faced. Abreu’s creme de la creme is this sinking slider baiting Joey Bart into a blunderous swing that fools even Astros catcher Yainer Diaz.
Justin Wilson’s Slider
Yes, Justin Wilson is still pitching in the Majors Leagues. And yes, he can still record outs. Just ask Patrick Wisdom, who falls for this divebombing slider. Wilson was one of the four Reds relievers that worked a scoreless frame.
Photos courtesy of Icon Sportswire
Adapted by Kurt Wasemiller (@kurtwasemiller on Twitter / @kurt_player02 on Instagram