This one hits a bit differently! Fans of our previously daily nastiest pitches articles will be familiar with the content in this new weekly article that covers all the need-to-know highlights of baseball from the past week in GIF form. From cool moments, the nastiest pitches, and the moments you’d want to forget, our GIFs of the week are sure to entertain.
Defensive Wizardry
Manny’s Great Play
Manny Machado returned from his fractured hand last weekend, and while the offensive results have not returned yet, he showed on Monday that he has not lost a step in the field. He backhanded a grounder down the line and made a fantastic throw from foul territory to nail Seiya Suzuki at first.
Donaldson’s Technical Difficulties
Adjusting to new technology is always difficult and though PitchCom has been around for a couple of seasons now, there are still some growing pains. Josh Donaldson found that out the hard way, as the pitch was delivered while the Yankee third baseman was making an adjustment. Luckily, he was able to recover; tossing the entire hat aside and making the play.
Nastiest Pitches
Kevin Gausman’s Splitter
It wouldn’t be Nastiest Pitches without a Kevin Gausman appearance. He struck out 13 in his Tuesday start, but his best of the night may have been his first. Jeremy Peña had no chance on this splitter.
Edward Cabrera’s Curveball
Edward Cabrera would leave Wednesday’s start after only 65 pitches due to a blister issue, but the Marlins’ young pitcher did enough to pick up the win. Hopefully, the blister is not a long-term issue as the righty was seemingly getting his walk issues under control and had produced a string of good outings. Salvador Perez was one of his four strikeouts on the night on a great curveball.
James Paxton’s Cutter
Outside of one hiccup, James Paxton has been outstanding in 2023 as he works his way back from multiple injuries. He picked up the win on Tuesday in Cleveland and struck out nine in the process. This cutter to Josh Bell was particularly nasty.
Aaron Nola’s Sinker
Aaron Nola has had an up-and-down campaign over the season’s first couple of months. He turned in his best start of the season on Monday tossing seven innings without allowing an earned run while striking out a season-high twelve. He froze Akil Badoo on a front door sinker that ran back over the plate.
Corbin Burnes‘ Curveball
Corbin Burnes in 2023 has not been the infallible ace that we’ve seen in years past, but the Brewers’ righty has consistently given his team a chance to win every time he takes the mound. Wednesday’s start showed a glimpse of vintage Burnes when he tossed eight shutout innings while striking out nine.
Top Long Balls
The First of Many
Elly De La Cruz is one of the most hyped call-ups in recent memory and the phenom has not disappointed in the early going. His first career hit on Tuesday was the hardest hit ball by any Red this season, and he followed that up on Wednesday with a towering 458 ft homerun that was two rows shy of exiting the entire stadium.
Julio to the Upper Deck
The Mariners and Padres spilt a quick two-game series this week as both underperforming contenders look to gain some momentum. Seattle took game one on Tuesday night behind a strong Logan Gilbert pitching performance and a homer by Julio Rodríguez. J-Rod cruelly greeted San Diego reliever Steven Wilson, depositing a 436-foot home run into the upper deck on the Padre’s first pitch. This homer exemplifies the old adage of “hang it and bang it”.
Oh, No!
Rough First Pitch
Throwing out the first pitch has to be nerve-wracking as all eyes are on you in a stadium with tens of thousands of fans. We’ve seen some horrific first pitches over the years, and 50 Cent’s infamous first pitch with the Mets may have been the worst. Until Thursday. While 50 Cent was at least able to throw his pitch, this Guardians fan slipped on the mound and took a tumble into the infield grass creating a new leader in the clubhouse of dreadful first pitch performances.
No More No-Hitter
Lucas Giolito was lifted after six no-hit innings, and reliever Joe Kelly retired the first two men he faced in the seventh. After a walk, no-hitter still intact, Isaiah Kiner-Falefa hit a fly ball to semi-deep left center field. The two Chicago outfielders, Andrew Benintendi and Luis Robert Jr. seemed to have a miscommunication and the ball dropped harmlessly between them for New York’s first hit of the night. While it ended the no-hitter, luckily the White Sox were able to hold on for the victory.
Featured Image by Kurt Wasemiller.