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!
Blake Treinen’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/sandykindlyattwatersprairiechicken
I could have chosen one of Blake Treinen’s power sinkers for nastiest pitches tonight, but this slider was so good I decided to go for the left turn, not the right turn. Nick Castellanos wasn’t close to making contact with this pitch, thrown with mesmerizing tilt. (h/t to PL+ member Matt Nielsen).
Sonny Gray’s Sinker
https://gfycat.com/shabbysparklinggenet
Sonny Gray shows off his seam-shifted wake on this perfectly placed front-door sinker to his counterpart Clayton Kershaw. Gray also threw a nastiest pitches-worthy curveball. Many of the pitchers picked today had more than one type of pitch that could have been chosen.
Tyler Glasnows’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/darkcomfortableibis
Tyler Glasnow continued to use his slider more in his start yesterday. Glasnow seemed more comfortable with his feel for his new pitch and was able to throw it for strikes or as a chase pitch out of the zone. His best slider looked like his fastball in the zone before breaking away from the righty Aramis Garcia.
Clayton Kershaw’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/rareinferiordanishswedishfarmdog
I don’t have anything left to write about Kershaw’s curveball. It’s the signature pitch for a generational talent. It makes me a little sad even that Kershaw gets better results using his slider more than his curveball at this point in his career.
Kyle Crick’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/griminfantileafricanelephant
I don’t think Kyle Crick has a good idea where his slider is going once it leaves his hand, but when he breaks off a good one he generates swings and misses with ridiculous lateral movement. Hanser Alberto was left flailing at one of the good sliders Crick was able to get close enough to the plate to induce a swing and miss.
Jacob deGrom’s Four-Seam Fastball
https://gfycat.com/oldfashionedinfantileibizanhound
Jacob deGrom had his worst outing of the season, lasting only six innings and allowing one run. Everything in life is relative. Kiké Hernandez decided deGrom’s very lively 99 mph fastball on the outside black wasn’t going to be easy to hit and waited for another pitch he could hit. It didn’t work out and he ended up striking out, but I can’t fault his process on this pitch.
Huascar Ynoa’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/acclaimedunlawfulgordonsetter
Huascar Ynoa had himself a Little League MVP day, striking out nine hitters and hitting a home run in Atlanta’s win. Ynoa had his full arsenal firing on all cylinders last night, including his fastball, changeup, and especially his vicious slider he used to finish hitters. Kris Bryant can attest to the nastiness. (h/t to PL+ member Matthew Q).
Josh Staumont’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/pitifulsamedove
I already knew that Josh Staumont had a high-powered four-seam fastball to watch for, but his curveball is now fully on my radar as well. Staumont seems like he has locked down the closer job in Kansas City and, if the Royals keep winning, Staumont and all of his pitches will deserve more attention. (h/t to PL+ member AnOldOldWoodenShippy).
Patrick Weigel’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/downrightvigorousgraywolf
After seeing this pitch, I thought, “Maybe I’m not as attentive a baseball fan as I used to be because I don’t think I’ve heard of Patrick Weigel.” Then, I saw he was drafted in 2010 and spent nine seasons in the minors before finally breaking into the majors last year. If Weigel can figure out how to control his nasty slider consistently, he’d have a better chance of sticking in the majors. (h/t to PL+ member AnOldOldWoodenShippy).
Zack Greinke’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/slipperysplendidisabellineshrike
Zack Greinke doesn’t have a pronounced velocity differential between his fastball and changeup, but he generates swings and misses with his changeup because the two pitches look so alike. Greinke throws both pitches with the same arm action, and the pitches follow the same path before the changeup drops out of the zone late.
Bonus Position Player Nasty Pitch
Anthony Rizzo’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/heartyinfatuatedheifer
With the Braves blowing out the Cubs 10-0 in the seventh inning, the Cubs raised the metaphorical white flag and let Anthony Rizzo pitch. Rizzo showed a fastball and two breaking balls in his repertoire, including a slow 61 mph curveball that Freddie Freeman could not stay back on no matter how hard he tried. Freeman was a good sport and shared a good chuckle with Rizzo as he walked back to the dugout. Baseball is a multi-billion-dollar business, but at its core, it’s still just a game kids play for fun. This moment helped remind me of that. (h/t to PL+ member Burial).
Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns of Twitter)