Pitcher List was founded on the back of filthy pitches, and we strive to bring you the best of the best every day. However, with over 70+ pitches featured every week, there is a lot to sort through. We ask you, the readers, to vote for your favorite every day, and now is your chance to crown the best of the week.
Every week, we will be featuring the top pitches from each day as voted on by the readers. Then, every Tuesday, you’ll have a chance to vote for your favorite of the week. Make your voice heard in the comments, on Twitter, and in our Discord for which pitch you think is the best!
5/2 – Yimi Garcia’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/pessimisticcoordinatedauk
This ridiculous curveball from Yimi Garcia nearly caused Aaron Hicks to swing completely out of his clothes. This is one of the most painful looking swings we’ll probably see all year.
5/2 – Cole Sulser’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/actualgrimfirefly
I love this pitch. This is my biased pick of the week, which I think I’m allowed to do at least once per week. What’s not to love about a filthy changeup that simply disappears off the face of the earth? Sure, we didn’t get a super awesome slo-mo of the pitch, and it wasn’t by a big-name player
5/2 – Jhoan Duran’s Splitter
https://gfycat.com/harshallgoldenmantledgroundsquirrel
The splinker makes another appearance in the weekly column because why not? It’s the nastiest pitch in baseball right now and it’s not really close.
5/2 – Dylan Cease’s Knuckle Curve
https://gfycat.com/aromaticdeafeninghadrosaurus
Dylan Cease’s knuckle curve is a fan favorite, and for good reason. The pitch falls out of the sky and earns a whiff 17% of the time, an above-average clip for curveballs this season.
5/3 – Alek Manoah’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/recentinsidiousblackandtancoonhound
Aaron Judge is one of the hottest hitters on the planet these days and Alek Manoah breezed this slider past him with relative ease.
5/3 – Brandon Woodruff’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/miniaturenaturalconey
That late inward movement as the pitch drops about a foot is what makes this changeup from Brandon Woodruff so nasty.
5/4 – Andrew Chafin’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/incompatiblecreamybeagle
This slider from Andrew Chafin makes for a fantastic GIF thanks to the incredible whiff, but a better camera angle would have made it just a bit sweeter. We’ll take what we can get, though, because this thing is still filthy regardless.
5/4 – Michael King’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/immaculateequalgadwall
Poor Raimel Tapia had no chance against Michael King’s ridiculous changeup, a pitch that is fooling batters to the tune of a 53.3% CSW and a 36.7% SwStr%. Both numbers are just flat-out stupid.
5/5 – Aaron Nola’s Sinker
https://gfycat.com/circularcoldangwantibo
There’s nothing quite like a front door sinker, especially one for a called strike three that is accompanied by a dope slo-mo view to boot. Aaron Nola may not be what he was two or three years ago, but he’s still throwing junk on occasion.
5/5 – Jorge López’s Sinker
https://gfycat.com/cooperativemealycanvasback
Speaking of throwing junk, Jorge López has had a bit of a career resurgence as the closer for the Orioles this season. His velocity is up and the stuff – yes, even the stuff that misses way up in the zone – is working out quite nicely for him. Byron Buxton did not see this thing coming at all.
Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)