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.
Jordan Yamamoto’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/familiaruntidyarcticseal
Jordan Yamamoto had a great outing last night with strikeouts. Yamamoto primarily used a short cutter to finish off hitters, but he also has a great curveball. Yamamoto finished off fellow pitcher Michael Pineda with a true 12-6 curveball that seemed to drop down from the sky to just under the strikezone.
Liam Hendriks‘ Slider
https://gfycat.com/unkemptimpartialafricanbushviper
Liam Hendriks‘ career transformation from middling-velocity starter to high-leverage reliever is impressive. Hendriks has increased his velocity on all his pitches, and now, his slider is pretty close to the velocity of his rookie-year fastball. Hendriks closed the door last night on the impressive Brewers lineup, including this sharp slider to Keston Hiura.
Jack Flaherty’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/liquidessentialapisdorsatalaboriosa
Jack Flaherty allowed one hit over a sterling outing against the daunting Cubs lineup. Flaherty had already struck out Kris Bryant twice before starting him off with a sick curveball that Bryant wasn’t expecting.
Jake Arrieta’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/blackandwhiteeverykestrel
Jake Arrieta returned from the injured list to pitch well before falling apart in the fifth inning. Before the fifth, Arrieta was able to mix in his sinker with his signature curveball.
Zack Wheeler’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/bewitchedrectangularinsect
Zack Wheeler is still a Met after lots of trade chatter before the deadline. Wheeler can now build up his resume some more before hitting free agency this winter primed for a big payday. Wheeler toyed with the White Sox last night, including this changeup to finish off AJ Reed.
Brendan McKay’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/brilliantspiffyamazontreeboa
Brendan McKay pitched really well after a tough first inning that included a big homer from Xander Bogaerts. McKay’s fastball is quite straight, so he may be susceptible to the homer, but his command is so good that he can still be effective. McKay also has a good curveball that he uses to finish off hitters such as Mitch Moreland.
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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