Every morning, we review the nastiest pitches from the previous day’s games in glorious high-definition GIFs. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite pitch and check back this weekend to see if it will be in contention for the GIF of the Fourth Quarter Contest. Did we miss your favorite pitch? Send us a tweet next time @PitcherList and we’ll GIF it up and give you a shoutout here in the article.
Brad Wieck’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/welltodogloriousfinch
Brad Wieck may be having a pretty ugly season in the Padres’ bullpen, but this absolute gem of a pitch to K Kyle Seager will be getting replayed for a long while. In just his second season, there’s still hope for Wieck to recover from his unsightly 6.23 ERA this year, though even his efforts in the minors this year have been pretty pitiful.
Masahiro Tanaka’s Splitter
https://gfycat.com/playfulelaboratealbino
Once a massively touted Japanese import, Masahiro Tanaka has been remarkably underwhelming this season, with his 4.42 ERA and 7.3 K/9 both among the worst marks of his career. It speaks wonders about how incredible this team is in every other facet that even with James Paxton and Tanaka dropping the ball this year, the Yankees have still been among the best teams in baseball.
Freddy Peralta’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/theseequatorialgalago
He’s flashed immense upside at times in his young career, but Freddy Peralta has been a massive disappointment as a whole. His 5.68 ERA in 32 games split between the bullpen and rotation is unsightly to put it lightly, and no amount of strikeouts (11.37 K/9) can make up for the massive control and command issues that plague every aspect of his pitching. He’s only 23 and has the tools to be an incredibly dangerous pitcher if he can figure some things out, but man, he has a ways to go.
Gerrit Cole’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/directraggedgartersnake
Another day, another 14 strikeout effort for Gerrit Cole. Monday marks his 16th 10+ strikeout game of the season in 28 attempts, finishing below 7 K’s in just 3. With roughly 4 starts left in his 2019 season, Cole sits 34 strikeouts away from the hallowed 300 strikeout club, though he’s still 247 short of Matt Kilroy’s all-time record. Since coming to Houston, Cole has completely changed his career trajectory from pretty good starter in Pittsburgh to one of baseball’s most dominant forces of nature. His 13.6 K/9 on the year is the best ever by a qualified pitcher, surpassing Randy Johnson’s 18 year-old record. The only player standing between Cole and a more than earned AL Cy Young is teammate Justin Verlander, who has been just as good if not better this season.
Drew Smyly’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/amusedconventionalindochinesetiger
Cut by the Rangers after a god-awful start to the season, Drew Smyly has been a serviceable stopgap for the Phillies, with his 4.57 ERA being useable for a team that has largely fallen out of the NL East race after a huge offseason. Smyly’s career as a perfectly average journeyman who occasionally flashes interesting potential will likely continue this offseason, as he gets ready to join his fifth team in six MLB seasons.
Carlos Martinez’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/determinedcreamygoldenmantledgroundsquirrel
Finishing out 2019 in the bullpen before the Cardinals decide if he’ll rejoin the rotation in 2020, Carlos Martinez has operated as the Cardinals’ closer pretty effectively, owning a 3.23 ERA with 17 saves on the year. A career high K/9 and decreased walk rate from last year are positive signs, and hopefully we can see the man they call Tsunami (apparently, per baseball-reference) for more than just ninth inning cameos next year.
GIF of the Night
Which was your favorite pitch? Vote below, and the winner will be featured in the GIF of the Fourth Quarter Contest.
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