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.
Miguel Castro’s Sinker
https://gfycat.com/charminginformalambushbug
Miguel Castro has been the picture of mediocrity so far in his MLB career, owning a 4.40 ERA over 5 major-league seasons. He hasn’t been any better this season, with his season ERA sitting at 5.13 after a scoreless inning against the Red Sox. He may not be particularly exciting in general, but this absolutely devastating sinker to punch out Sam Travis should be a nice entry for his end of season highlight reel.
Kenta Maeda’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/unfortunatefewaustraliansilkyterrier
Entering the game in relief on Friday, Kenta Maeda pitched a scoreless 8th with 2 strikeouts to help secure a 2-1 win over the Marlins. The 31-year-old has been rock solid for the Dodgers since coming over from Japan in 2016, bouncing between the starting rotation and bullpen while posting a 3.79 ERA. Maeda is posting his best season since his rookie year so far, striking out 9.1 per 9 with a 3.71 ERA. He should retain fantasy value while in the rotation, but it remains to be seen how the Dodgers plan to deploy him for the rest of the season.
Mike Minor’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/impressiveobedientafricanelephant
Mike Minor flashed his talent as a member of the Atlanta Braves from 2010 to 2014, but he’s really come into his own over the last 3 seasons, possessing a 3.33 ERA over 112 games between both the starting rotation and bullpen. This breakout came to a head this season, as Minor made his first All-Star Game at age 31. His season ERA increased to 2.86 with a 4 ER outing against the Astros on Friday, though he also mowed down 10 Astros along the way, including this insane changeup to freeze Jose Altuve.
Adam Ottavino’s Fastball
https://gfycat.com/honestchiefafricanelephant
Adam Ottavino has more than earned his keep since signing with the Yankees in the offseason, owning a 1.66 ERA after striking out all 3 batters he faced on Friday. The former Rockies reliever has posted a 12.67 K/9, though that’s accompanied by a near career-worst 5.6 BB/9. Ottavino is in his 9th major league season right now, but he hasn’t truly shown what he’s capable of until these last two seasons.
Cole Irvin’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/energeticmammothemperorshrimp
There’s no sugarcoating it: Cole Irvin has been awful since his major league call-up, sporting a god-awful 7.24 ERA over 7 games in both the rotation and bullpen. The former Oregon hurler put up very good stats in the minors though, and should hopefully settle in and show the potential that made him the Phillies #16 prospect.
Craig Kimbrel’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/saneabsolutecrustacean
Craig Kimbrel seems to be settling in this last few games after a very rough start to his Cubs career, picking up 3 saves in the last 4 days. The future Hall of Famer is closing in on his 350th career save and will become just the 12th pitcher ever to reach that plateau. He still has a good 314 to go to reach Mariano Rivera’s career record, a milestone that became even more of a stretch by holding out the entirety of the first half of 2019.
Liam Hendriks‘ Slider
https://gfycat.com/pessimisticbowedcirriped
I
t’s crazy to think the Oakland Athletics may have their second consecutive Mariano Rivera Award winner, with Liam Hendriks making a strong case to follow Blake Treinen’s example from last season. The Perth, Australia native owns a 1.17 ERA on the year and picked up his 7th save on Friday after stealing the closer job from the scuffling Blake Treinen. He’s posted career bests in almost every metric and has racked up more WAR in this one season than he has the entire rest of his career.
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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