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 First Quarter Contest. Did we miss your favourite pitch? Send us a tweet next time @PitcherList, and we’ll GIF it up and give you a shoutout here in the article.
Clayton Kershaw’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/DelectableHatefulArawana
Let’s start you off this morning with some good ol’ Clayton Kershaw magic. Perhaps no other pitch in baseball is as nasty as the Kershaw curve, and he sure reminds us of this fact here with a disgusting strikeout on Brandon Woodruff.
Stephen Strasburg’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/brilliantcircularamericancurl
Stephen Strasburg tossed an absolute gem today, going eight strong innings without surrendering a single run and only giving up two hits. To top it all off, he managed to get 11 strikeouts out of the Marlins lineup, the nastiest of which is this fifth-inning curveball that went right by Lewis Brinson.
Trevor Richards‘ Changeup
https://gfycat.com/absolutefaintdonkey
Strasburg’s opponent on the mound, Trevor Richards, surely didn’t make it easy for him today. Richards had his changeup working all day and used it to strikeout seven guys over 6.1 innings. Just for a taste of what facing Richards’ change looks like, check out this great horizontal movement on the pitch that left Ryan Zimmerman looking clueless at the plate.
James Paxton’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/smuggrossbream
James Paxton threw yet another scoreless gem today, notching 12 strikeouts for his second consecutive start. (The last Yankee to do that? A man by the name of David Cone.) This disgusting slider sums up Paxton’s entire day perfectly, as well as his ability to paint the corner just as well as anyone in the game today.
Dylan Bundy’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/ConsiderateEquatorialAldabratortoise
Dylan Bundy’s name fits just fine among the likes of Kershaw, Strasburg, and Paxton … right?! OK, fine, maybe not. But still, to freeze Nelson Cruz the way Bundy did today in Baltimore nets him a spot among Sunday’s nastiest pitches.
Jordan Hicks‘ Slider and Fastball
https://gfycat.com/VigorousInsistentHerald
https://gfycat.com/EmptyFatherlyClam
Jordan Hicks‘ progression to Juan Lagares to end the game was something to behold, pairing a disgusting slider with 104 mph heat. I decided on putting these two together because it really shows Hicks’ ability to mix his nasty slider into his repertoire, leaving hitters looking absolutely stunned whenever he brings in his lightning fastball.
Max Fried’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/FatherlySlushyIraniangroundjay
Max Fried was absolutely cruising tonight behind an excellent performance from the Braves’ offense. He had his curveball working from early on, which helped him rack up a bunch of strikeouts, including this excellent strikeout on Francisco Lindor. (Shoutout to Matt Thomas for the tip on this one!)
GIF of the Night
Which was your favorite pitch? Vote below, and the winner will be featured in the GIF of the First Quarter Contest.
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