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 Fourth 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.
Noah Syndergaard’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/decimalwebbedavians
After a rather slow and unimpressive start to the season, Noah Syndergaard has gradually been turning things around as of late. He was particularly good on Thursday, allowing just two hits over six shutout innings against the Indians. Five strikeouts is fewer than his owners were hoping for, but with no walks and just the two hits allowed, they’re not complaining too much.
Gerrit Cole’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/frighteningfantasticcrab
The star of the show Gerrit Cole put on against the Tigers on Thursday was his fastball, which was seemingly unhittable, given he allowed just two hits all game while striking out 12 over seven innings. Cole is one of the front-runners for the AL Cy Young Award this season, pairing a 2.75 ERA with a ridiculous 13.1 K/9. He’s been arguably the best pitcher in baseball since being traded to the Astros.
Max Scherzer’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/spitefuldarkborer
Max Scherzer is in the midst of an absolutely bonkers season, managing to post the best season of his already illustrious major league career. The future Hall of Famer has a 2.41 ERA to match his 12.5 K/9, and in a world where Hyun-Jin Ryu didn’t exist, he would be the clear-cut front-runner for the NL Cy Young.
Mark Melancon’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/personalthirstyharpyeagle
Remarkably underwhelming since signing a massive free agency deal with the Giants, Mark Melancon is in the midst of a nondescript season out of the bullpen for the Giants and Braves. It hasn’t been smooth sailing in his first 10 games as a Brave, but the ship should right itself to its normal, unextraordinary state.
Carlos Martinez’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/innocentfemalebilby
Whether Carlos Martinez will shift back to the starting rotation next season remains to be seen, but for now, he’s been a respectable piece in the Cardinals’ bullpen, racking up 15 saves on the year. He was one of the better pitchers in baseball as recently as 2016, but he’s been significantly less extraordinary as injuries have sapped his effectiveness a bit.
GIF of the Night
Which was your favorite pitch? Vote below, and the winner will be featured in the GIF of the Fourth Quarter Contest.
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