Every week we review the nastiest pitches from the previous week in glorious HD GIFs. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite pitch and check back on Saturday to see if it will be in contention for the GIF of the First Quarter Contest. Week 4’s winner was Trevor Bauer’s Slider. The tilt on this pitch is mesmerizing.
Did we miss your favorite pitch? Send us a tweet next time @PitcherList and we’ll GIF it up + give you a shoutout here in the article.
This season’s 6th week of GIFs was a mix of slow curveballs, high heat, and a couple baffling changeups. Check back next Saturday to see which GIF our readers picked as the nastiest pitch of the week.
Trevor Richards‘ Changeup
https://gfycat.com/wildlikelykitfox
Trevor Richards‘ changeup to Daniel Descalso is part of a run of changeups from yesterday’s sleight of games. Look out for the similarities and differences from each change piece.
Chris Sale’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/NeatVeneratedBee
Not really sure what Hanser Alberto is doing jumping up and down here; maybe he’s just as excited as us seeing movement that ridiculous on this Chris Sale slider.
Jose Berrios’ Curveball
https://gfycat.com/understatedkindlyadeliepenguin
Jose Berrios threw so many nasty curveballs last night that it was hard to pick just one. This curve had a 21-inch horizontal break with a 45-inch vertical (w gravity) break.
Chris Paddack’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/ObeseTerrificGoldenmantledgroundsquirrel
This one was nearly the headliner of the article, because holy smokes is it a beauty. Chris Paddack’s career magnum opus so far, an 11 K win against the Mets was chock-full of spectacular pitches, was easily enough to fill an entire Nasty Pitch roundup on its own. So please, don’t get too mad at me if I didn’t pick your favourite ridiculous Paddack pitch. Leave the anger to Lagares, who’s left looking like countryman Julio Santos by the 23-year-old Padres phenom.
Justin Verlander’s Fastball
https://gfycat.com/BriskTartAfricanharrierhawk
In the battle of one of the greatest pitchers (if not the greatest) of his generation versus the God of WAR, the God showed us that even he has his weaknesses. Justin Verlander’s fastball nearly rises to Mike Trout’s neck, and miraculously, he is able to get the man who doesn’t swing and miss to do exactly that.
Rich Hill’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/BarrenComplexAmericancicada
Umm, Rich… You aren’t supposed to show up your fellow pitcher (Joey Lucchesi) like that. A good curve from Hill features an eye-popping amount of movement, so when he can place it the results are spectacular. This one starts behind Lucchesi and just nabs the black- no lefty is hitting this pitch.
Clayton Kershaw’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/AgreeableFixedBlesbok
With questions on how much longer Kershaw could keep looking like the first-ballot Hall of Famer he’s been his whole career, it’s been refreshing to see his stuff still working this year. Particularly his curveball, which was looking vintage today, with this looper to Ian Kinsler representing the best.
Which was your favorite pitch? Vote below and the winner may be featured in the GIF of the First Quarter Contest.
[polldaddy poll=10316650]
Graphic by Michael Haas (@digitalHaas on Twitter)