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 favorite pitch? Send us a tweet next time @PitcherList, and we’ll GIF it up and give you a shoutout here in the article.
Max Scherzer’s Cutter
https://gfycat.com/talkativegleefulamericanmarten
Max Scherzer was on fire last night in Miami, hitting double digit strikeout numbers in eight innings of work. Scherzer was dominant from the first pitch, as he cut through the Miami lineup with ease. Scherzer had all of his stuff last night, but the pitch that was most deserving of being featured on Nastiest Pitches was this back-foot cutter that J.T. Riddle stood no chance of hitting.
Max Scherzer’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/SparklingCrispGrebe
OK, Scherzer was so dominant on the mound last night that I couldn’t allow for just one pitch from last night to be up here. So to compete with his disgusting cutter that breaks in on J.T. Riddle, here’s a gorgeous changeup that breaks away from … J.T. Riddle.
Austin Adams‘ Slider
https://gfycat.com/TastyFaintHellbender
Austin Adams continues to use his filthy slider to make outs. Yesterday, he used it on all three of his strikeouts in his 1.1 innings of relief, and it’s easy to see why he does so. This slider starts out on the plate but ends about a foot and a half off, as Ryan Braun has to stand there and wonder what just happened to him.
Jesse Chavez’s Two-Seamer
https://gfycat.com/AchingEqualHydra
Jesse Chavez had himself a great game last night as he lowered his ERA to an impressive 2.79 on the season. Chavez registered a bunch of strikeouts looking last night, but this two-seamer that forced Niko Goodrum to back off the plate as the ball slid into the zone is just pure filth.
Max Fried’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/NastySpicyCuckoo
Max Fried notched his ninth win on the season yesterday after an impressive showing against a strong Cubs lineup. The Braves southpaw used his wicked curveball to stifle Cubs hitters, getting six whiffs on just 16 pitches, including this one that sent David Bote back to the dugout.
Chaz Roe’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/LividJitteryDugong
Would it really be a Nastiest Pitches article if it didn’t include Chaz Roe? Roe has been a mainstay of this piece, and for good reason. His slider is textbook filth. Here it is fooling Miguel Sano just enough to get the Twins slugger to break the plane of the plate for strike three.
Madison Bumgarner’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/EvenCautiousArcticfox
Ian Desmond knocked a homer off Madison Bumgarner in the fourth inning last night, but MadBum got the better of the Rockies center fielder in this plate appearance, taking Desmond out with a nasty curveball. It was a big one for Bumgarner, as it was his 10th strikeout of the game, on a night where he struck out 11.
Noé Ramirez’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/perfumedrequiredantelopegroundsquirrel
Noé Ramirez put up a stellar 1.2 innings in relief against the Reds last night. He struck out three batters and didn’t concede a hit. Ramirez’s bread and butter is his changeup, which has an impressive 46% O-Swing rate and 18% whiff rate, and he used it here to freeze Curt Casali for strike three.
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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