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!
Sandy Alcantara’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/pertinentfrequentchimpanzee
Sandy Alcantara is a man on a mission He was a tough luck loser on Friday, allowing two earned runs over eight strong innings against the Phillies. He’s allowed only four earned runs over his last four starts, a 32 inning stretch of utter dominance. He’s the leader in the clubhouse for the NL Cy Young at the break.
Alek Manoah’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/giganticapprehensivecalf
Alek Manoah is must see TV every time he takes the mound, and his filthy slider is a big reason why.
Clayton Kershaw’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/littlealarmedhamadryas
After flirting with a perfect game for the second time this season, Clayton Kershaw earned the win despite allowing a single hit in the eighth inning. This curveball and the ensuing whiff from Shohei Ohtani should be played on repeat in Cooperstown for all of eternity.
Trevor Richards‘ Changeup
https://gfycat.com/enchantingpettygermanpinscher
Not enough people are talking about Trevor Richards‘ changeup this season. Did you know it has the third highest CSW% (39.1%) among all changeups in MLB this year? I bet you didn’t. That’s better than Devin Williams, Shane McClanahan, and Sandy Alcantara. It’s an elite pitch, and if he can make any adjustments to either his fastball or curveball, look out.
John Schreiber’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/jampackedunderstatedjackrabbit
John Schreiber has been an elite weapon out of the Red Sox’ bullpen this season, thanks largely in part to his slider. Its’ 42.1% CSW is the 11th highest among sliders in MLB this year and you can see why in this GIF.
Clay Holmes‘ Sinker
https://gfycat.com/unimportanthorribleabyssiniancat
Clay Holmes has arguably been the best reliever in baseball this year, and he’ll be taking his talents to LA for the All Star game on Tuesday night.
Jovani Moran’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/creativeviciousaddax
I happened to hop into this game just in time to see Jovani Moran throw this nasty changeup down and in to Reese McGuire for this helpless strikeout late in the game. What a nice surprise!
José Alvarado’s Sinker
https://gfycat.com/pinkvioletdrafthorse
I’m not sure what Miguel Rojas saw on this pitch, because it was middle-middle the entire way until that gorgeous little sink at the end forced it closer to the corner. José Alvarado’s sinker is one of the nastiest in baseball.
Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns of Twitter)