Every day we bring you the nastiest pitches of the previous night’s games, and there are a bunch to sift through for our weekly Nastiest Pitch series to determine which pitches are the nastiest of the week. We’ve since narrowed it down to sixteen of the very best pitches from the previous month, and it’s up to you to determine which pitch will be crowned the Nastiest Pitch of May.
Last month it was Shane McClanahan’s sinker that took the crown. His fastball is a two seed in this month’s bracket and should be a strong contender for the title. Can he win back to back months? Only time will tell.
Vote for one pitch in each matchup, and be sure to come back tomorrow to vote in the next round. Every vote counts, and your opinion matters!
Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)
5/17 – Yu Darvish’s Sinker (1)
https://gfycat.com/forkedlazyboa
vs.
5/5 – Blake Treinen’s Slider (2)
https://gfycat.com/severefarawayindianabat
Yu Darvish’s sinker, the number one overall seed, narrowly squeaked by Rich Hill’s curveball in what ended up being the closest matchup of the day. Is it in danger of losing to Blake Treinen’s disgusting slider? It absolutely is.
5/14 – Corey Kluber’s Curveball (1)
https://gfycat.com/happyshockingiridescentshark
vs.
5/14 – José Alvarado’s Sinker (2)
https://gfycat.com/beautifulrewardingcero
This might be the toughest matchup of the day. Both of these pitches are filthy, and in retrospect, I might have done José Alvarado dirty by putting him as the two seed in this bracket. If you want to be the best you gotta beat the best, though, so Alvarado has his work cut out for him.
5/30 – Kevin Gausman’s Splitter (1)
https://gfycat.com/dangerousignorantacouchi
vs.
5/27 – Shane McClanahan’s Fastball (2)
https://gfycat.com/livelyillustriousdodobird
Once again, the Shane McClanahan Stans helped propel him to a victory in the first round. Now he must face off against the best pitcher in the majors in the month of May (not named Jacob deGrom), Kevin Gausman. Which pitch will rise to the final four, and which one will fall?
5/11 – Freddy Peralta’s Slider (1)
https://gfycat.com/flawlessbluehorsefly
vs.
5/9 – Aaron Bummer’s Slider (3)
https://gfycat.com/whichpoisedhoneybee
Both of these pitches won tight races that came down to the wire. Both are filthy sliders that end up getting a strikeout, albeit in two entirely different ways. Only one of these sliders can move on to the Filthy Four.
Tune in tomorrow for the Filthy Four, and don’t forget to let us know in the comments if your favorite pitch deserves some love!
Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)