The 10 Nastiest Pitches from Sunday

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.

As a bonus for PL+ members, let us know about a pitch on the PL+ Discord in the Nasty Pitches Channel, and if your suggestion is included the next day, you’ll be entered into a weekly drawing for a free T-shirt!

 

Jacob deGrom’s Slider

 

https://gfycat.com/EntireBewitchedCollie

 

The big story of Jacob deGrom’s start yesterday wasn’t his pitching but rather his right lat, which bothered the Mets’ ace enough that he had to be pulled from the game early. But even with the discomfort, deGrom was his usual self through his five innings pitched. Here he paints the corner with a filthy back door slider that freezes Josh VanMeter for a called strike three (h/t to PL+ member nvita).

 

Edwin Díaz’s Slider

 

https://gfycat.com/UnfinishedFemaleBull

 

With deGrom out after five frames, it was up to the Mets bullpen to pull through and hold the lead, which they were able to accomplish. Edwin Díaz closed the game with a five-out save and placed an exclamation point on his outing with this nasty slider on the final pitch of the game. Watch the late break on this filthy pitch that fools Daulton Varsho, who swings through it to end the ballgame.

 

J.P. Feyereisen’s Changeup

 

https://gfycat.com/ThirstyFairEyra

 

J.P. Feyereisen might be overlooked in a bullpen that features both Devin Williams and Josh Hader, but oh my, does he have a filthy changeup. Here Feyereisen uses the nasty off-speed pitch to induce a swing and a miss out of Marlins shortstop Isan Díaz. And wow, that offering is just unfair.

 

Sandy Alcantara’s Sinker 

 

https://gfycat.com/ComfortableRedIndianjackal

 

Sandy Alcantara was dominant on the mound for the Marlins on Sunday afternoon, as he struck out six hitters over seven frames and lowered his season ERA to 2.72 in the process. Alcantara is known for his wicked sinker that gets some fantastic late break. Here he blasts the pitch at 99 mph right past the bat of Jacob Nottingham for a swinging strike three.

 

Aaron Bummer’s Slider

 

https://gfycat.com/WhichPoisedHoneybee

 

Aaron Bummer was flawless in relief for the White Sox yesterday, facing five hitters and retiring all of them in Chicago’s rout of Kansas City. Three of those five went down on strikes, and here he bends a front door slider over the inside edge of the plate to freeze Andrew Benintendi for a filthy backwards K.

 

Joe Ross‘ Sinker

 

https://gfycat.com/GrandIckyAmericantoad

 

Joe Ross isn’t known for having overpowering stuff, but he is able to throw a sinker with impressive movement fairly consistently. This time the victim is Clint Frazier, who swings at a rising sinker (yes, I see the contradiction) that he has no shot at making contact with. And honestly, considering how much movement this pitch gets, I can’t really blame him. It’s just unhittable.

 

Domingo Germán’s Changeup

 

https://gfycat.com/OrdinaryCrazyGuillemot

 

Domingo Germán was solid on the mound for the Yankees on Sunday afternoon, as he struck out six over 6.1 quality frames. Germán looked in charge all afternoon, and here he throws a fantastic changeup that forces Josh Bell to swing out of the zone and lose his helmet in the process (h/t to PL+ member Mike Perugini).

 

Trevor Bauer’s Knuckle-Curve

 

https://gfycat.com/AccurateDefenselessDunlin

 

Trevor Bauer was solid on the mound for the LA Dodgers, who have found themselves in a bit of an early-season funk. Still, Bauer did his job on the mound, striking out nine and only allowing two runs to score over six innings. Here Bauer bends a disgusting knuckle-curve past Shohei Ohtani who swings right through the pitch for strike three.

 

Germán Márquez’s Slider

 

https://gfycat.com/RightRecentAzurewingedmagpie

 

Following an atrocious outing last Tuesday against the Giants, Germán Márquez rebounded on Sunday afternoon against the Cardinals, as he tossed six solid innings for the Rockies. Marquez was in control with his slider all day (the pitch had a 44% whiff rate) and here he brings Justin Williams to a knee on what was his finest pitch of the afternoon.

 

Adam Wainwright’s Curveball

 

https://gfycat.com/AdeptDimpledKatydid

 

Finally, we feature the other side of the Rockies-Cardinals pitching duel with Adam Wainwright. Waino got the win in this one, as he threw 8.1 scoreless frames for the Cards. Here’s Wainwright’s last out of the afternoon, a perfectly located curveball that gets a swing and a miss out of Trevor Story, one of the most lethal hitters in the game.

 

 

Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)