Every morning, the We Love Baseball crew reviews the Nastiest Pitches from the previous day’s games. If you see something you think should be included here be sure to tweet @PitcherList to let us know. Or, if you’re a PL+ Member and part of our Discord, shout it out in the Nastiest Pitches channel.
Spencer Strider’s Fastball
Not much needs to be said about this 98.7 mph fastball. Two of the game’s best going against each other. Strider’s four-seamer was 93rd percentile in Swinging Strike% in 2023 and 100th percentile PLV.
Freddy Peralta’s Slider
Peralta’s slider generated a 21.3% Swinging Strike% and 84th percentile PLV in 2023, despite being 19th percentile velocity. When healthy, Peralta is one of the better SP in MLB.
Zack Wheeler’s Sinker
This is a well-executer sinker to take advantage of a hitter looking four-seamer in a 3-1 count. Wheeler gets great fade and also nails his spot. It gets the most horizontal movement of any of Wheeler’s pitches today. Expect another workhorse season from him.
José Alvarado’s Sinker
Alvarado actually got bombed today, giving up 5 ER in just .2 IP. 100 mph sinkers are always fun though. In 2022-2023 Alvarado reduced his BB% to 11.2% and 10.5% respectively. This has allowed him to become a high-end RP. Across 97 IP from 2019-2021 he had a WHIP of about 1.70!
A.J. Minter’s Cutter
This is a beautiful cutter in a 1-2 count from Minter. So well-spotted I think the catcher could have caught that with his eyes closed. In 2023 that cutter had an 88th percentile Swinging Strike% and 97th percentile PLV. Minter has been a strong RP for several seasons now. Plus, have you seen his picture on his player page? I’m not messing with that guy.
Joe Jiménez’s Slider
This Jiménez slider was suggested in our Discord. I like it because it drops in a zone that Harper would not expect. There is a subtle beauty to it, but I wouldn’t suggest living there much. Otherwise, the baseball will take on a more cube-like appearance. Jiménez has been an underrated RP the last two years, with K-BB% of 28% and 25% respectively.
Chris Bassitt’s Curveball
This is a nasty curveball from a pitcher not known for his nastiness. However, he has a long list of pitches to choose from and several of them are graded quite nicely by PLV. The sinker was 99th percentile, cutter 86th, and curveball 78th. His ability to keep hitters off-balance is exemplified by his 34.4% ICR. That’s 93rd percentile.
Cristian Javier’s Slider
The movement on this pitch even fooled the umpire. In 2023 Javier used it primarily to get called strikes. It didn’t register many whiffs. He throws it very slowly, 4th percentile, but this allows him to generate 95th percentile Total Break. He used it 30% of the time too.
Photos courtesy of Icon Sportswire
Adapted by Kurt Wasemiller (@KUWasemiller on Twitter / @kurt_player02 on Instagram