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.
Dustin May’s Sinker
https://gfycat.com/jitterybouncyasiantrumpetfish
A slew of injuries at the major league level aligned the stars for prospect Dustin May to make his major league debut on Friday, with mediocre results. He allowed 3 ER over 5 2/3 innings of work, allowing 9 H though not walking a single batter. May owned a 3.38 ERA over 106 2/3 IP in the minors this season, including a 2.30 ERA in 5 starts at AAA. Things can only go up from here for the 21-year-old, who turns 22 only next month.
Nick Kingham’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/honoredbouncyamericanrobin
After an awful start to the season in Pittsburgh, Nick Kingham has been rock-solid as a reliever in Toronto, owning a 3.00 ERA through 11 games. The 27-year-old has always had intriguing stuff, he’s just never managed to put everything together. It remains to be seen whether or not he’ll transition back into the starting rotation.
Tommy Kahnle’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/queasywickedkakapo
Tommy Kahnle has been nothing short of dominant for the Yankees this season, sporting a 2.62 ERA and 13.1 K/9, while his spectacular changeup has been no stranger to these nasty pitch roundups. The Yankees are the best team in the AL right now, and this great bullpen unit is a huge reason why.
Mike Clevinger’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/grizzledbouncyangwantibo
After a string of injuries, it was starting to look like this season might be a lost one for Mike Clevinger, and luckily he’s proven us very, very wrong. His 12.93 K/9 is colossal for a starting pitcher, and his 3.07 ERA is sparkling too. While he won’t have enough innings pitched, Clevinger’s efficiency numbers should be in line with the best pitchers in the AL.
James Paxton’s Cutter
https://gfycat.com/unitedimprobablecoypu
Poor Sam Travis. His second entry on this list was an ugly whiff on a cutter from James Paxton. The James Paxton trade hasn’t exactly gone as the Yankees planned thus far, though he does sport an impressive 11.57 K/9. Hopefully, Pax can turn things around in the second half, as the newly improved Astros roster is not going to be easy at all to take down without having all hands on deck.
Greg Holland’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/tangroundedangelwingmussel
With the way Greg Holland has pitched this season, it’s crazy to remember that just a few years ago, he was considered arguably the best reliever in baseball not named Craig Kimbrel. Though a 4 ER meltdown on July 29th has skewed his ERA poorly, his ERA even before then was still an unimpressive 3.51.
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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