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 Third 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.
Craig Kimbrel’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/welllitadorablekentrosaurus
He may be a future Hall of Famer, but Craig Kimbrel has had a pretty rough start to this season, rocking a 9.64 ERA through his first 5 games. That said, we all know how good Dirty Craig is, and if Friday’s save against the Pirates was any indication, that should be the Craig we see for the rest of the season.
Chris Archer’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/phonyessentialclumber
Sadly, it seems the Chris Archer we once saw, the one who looked like a budding superstar, has gone on permanent leave. Every now and then though we see the underlying peek through, such as in Friday’s 6 IP, 10 K outing against the Cubbies. For as awful as Archer has been, he’s still striking plenty of guys out, though he’s also hemorrhaged walks at a career-worst mark this season.
Mike Clevinger’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/frankquerulousboto
It’s hard not to root for Mike Clevinger this season, what with all the combatting of the injury bug he’s had to do. It’s been awesome, then, to see him allow just 1 ER over his last 2 starts, striking out 15 over 11 innings of work. The craziest stat about Clevinger’s season has been his strikeouts though: a monstrous 14.1 K/9 over 29 1/3.
Kyle Crick’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/weepybrokenharrierhawk
Another Pirate slider, and another absolute doozy. The 26-year-old Kyle Crick has had a solid season thus far, exiting Friday’s game with a 3.41 season ERA and an 11.1 K/9. The Pirates picked up the reliever in the Andrew McCutchen trade, and he’s certainly paid dividends for them thus far, sporting a 2.67 ERA in 96 games in a Bucs uniform.
Stephen Strasburg’s Fastball
https://gfycat.com/weeklybluebeagle
Lucky for us baseball fans, Stephen Strasburg has stayed healthy this season, and we’ve gotten some truly special stuff as a result. He’s posted a 3.46 ERA and 10.6 K/9 so far for the surging Nationals and leads all NL pitchers in wins right now. As much as some bemoan his huge 7 year, $175M contract at times, it’s hard to argue that Strasburg more than puts his money where his mouth is when he’s able to stay on the mound.
Domingo German’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/hardtofinddelectableewe
Credit where credit is due: The Yankees have done an incredible job developing young talent, and Domingo German this season is just the latest example. Had he not blown his rookie eligibility last season, his 3.40 ERA and 9.9 K/9 would easily put him in the running for AL Rookie of the Year. Alas, German won’t become the 10th Yankee to bring home the award, but he should be a huge contributor in the Yankees rotation for years to come.
Yonny Chirinos‘ Splitter
https://gfycat.com/poshficklealleycat
Yonny Chirinos‘ splitter is no stranger to this list, and for good reason, as you can see above. The 25-year-old pitched very well last year but has turned it up a notch here in 2019, rocking a clean 3.11 ERA and 8 wins. His FIP isn’t quite as bullish on the youngster, but results are results. The Rays certainly won’t complain, as they cling to their lead in the AL wild card race.
GIF of the Night
Which was your favorite pitch? Vote below, and the winner will be featured in the GIF of the Third Quarter Contest.
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