Every morning, the We Love Baseball crew reviews the Nastiest Pitches from the previous day’s games in glorious high-definition GIFs. We want to bring you the highest caliber of nastiness possible, so if you see a nasty pitch, please tell us about it. You can tweet @PitcherList to let us know and we’ll give you a shout-out here in the article if your tip makes the cut.
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Joe Ryan’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/chiefhoarsecanary
Wowsers! Some might not be so high on young Joe Ryan because of his lack of velocity, but when he can dial up off-speed pitches like this phenomenal 85 mph changeup with nasty late movement, who cares. A perfectly located strikeout pitch to rookie MJ Melendez.
Brandon Woodruff’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/popularpracticalhorsemouse
It’s been an up-and-down start to the year for Brewers ace Brandon Woodruff, who has struggled with command early in his outings thus far. There were no such issues today against the Nationals, with Woodruff picking up the win and registering six strikeouts. This delightful 87 mph changeup to get rid of Yadiel Hernandez was a highlight.
Patrick Corbin’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/crispimpartialbeaver
The same could be said about Patrick Corbin, who has been far from the frontline starter the Nationals hoped for this season. He once again flashed brilliance but fell short of stopping runs – this 82 mph slider low and inside was far too good for veteran Lorenzo Cain, however.
Justin Verlander’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/necessaryscientificgoldfish
The master was at his efficient, effective best once again for the Houston Astros – Justin Verlander shutting out the Texas Rangers across six dominant innings. This ripping 79 mpg curveball good enough to fool Corey Seager for the first out of the night with two runners on base.
Jeffrey Springs‘ Changeup
https://gfycat.com/madeupwanlamb
It has been quite the success story for lefty Jeffrey Springs this season. After tearing his ACL in 2021, Springs has bounced back in terrific fashion, enjoying the stretch out from the bullpen into a fully fledged starter. Springs recorded a season-high in pitches thrown yesterday against the Orioles as he earned his second win of the season. This fabulous 82 mph changeup to fell Jorge Mateo was his best pitch of the night.
Matthew Liberatore’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/decimalshamelesskitty
Exciting young Cardinals prospect Matthew Liberatore made his MLB debut to much fanfare and the young lefty showed enough to get everyone excited about his future in the majors. He got into a bit of trouble towards the end of his outing but this lovely 84 mph slider to strike out Michael Perez certainly hit the mark.
Kyle Wright’s Four-Seam Fastball
https://gfycat.com/dependableremarkablechameleon
If you were worried about Atlanta’s Kyle Wright not taking it up to the next level this season, then today’s start will allay all your fears. The 26-year-old was outstanding as he allowed just two hits through five innings. He also posted six strikeouts, including this vicious 98 mph heater high that rises beautifully up and out of the zone inducing Jazz Chisholm Jr. into the swing.
Aaron Nola’s Knuckle-Curveball
https://gfycat.com/periodicwholeadder
Aaron Nola’s nine strikeouts across five innings were a joy to watch – here’s the final one, a cracking 78 mph knuckle-curve that embarrasses Trea Turner.
Carlos Rodon’s Four-Seam Fastball
https://gfycat.com/warpedlegalbighorn
High heat on the West Coast is what Saturday baseball is all about! Carlos Rodón blew Jake Cronenworth away with a nasty 99 mph four-seam fastball in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Nestor Cortes‘ Cutter
https://gfycat.com/impurewellinformedcowrie
A simply brilliant outing from Yankees starter Nestor Cortes, who kept New York rolling with a virtuoso performance championing his devastating cutter. This 89 mph cut fastball low and inside to Luis Robert was perfectly located.
Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns of Twitter)