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!
Spencer Strider’s Fastball
https://gfycat.com/gracefulcreamybufflehead
Spencer Strider lit up the Nationals in the nation’s capital on Wednesday night, and he lit up the radar gun with triple-digit heat on multiple occasions. This triple-digit paint against the first batter of the game is a thing of beauty.
Luis Castillo’s Fastball
https://gfycat.com/vibrantblanddiamondbackrattlesnake
Strider wasn’t the only one pumping triple digits on the corner, either. Luis Castillo also accomplished that feat, albeit in the opposite corner but with the same result. We normally like to feature Castillo’s changeup but this pitch was too good to ignore.
Luis Castillo’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/massiverapidfattaileddunnart
Oh, hey, speak of the devil! Yeah, Castillo threw a filthy changeup as well. I know, you must be shocked.
Spencer Strider’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/pettysplendiddeer
While we’re at it, we might as well go back to the Strider well, too. This slider had a ton of late movement and painted the corner of the zone. Strider looked really, really impressive last night.
Clay Holmes‘ Sinker
https://gfycat.com/weightyslightkiwi
Speaking of impressive, Clay Holmes got in the game and earned another save last night. I’m just going to leave this tweet by former Pitcher List writer Max Greenfield right here:
Clay Holmes has faced 113 hitters this year. 83% of them have hit a groundball or struck out. His ERA is .29. https://t.co/gaiXD39YSd
— Max Greenfield (@GreenfieldMax18) June 16, 2022
Shane McClanahan’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/gargantuancloudybug
Earlier in the same game, Shane McClanahan threw this filthy curveball against Aaron Hicks which got an awesome reaction out of the catcher. McClanahan is getting some serious Cy Young discussion this year, but four runs allowed in the Bronx won’t help.
José Berríos‘ Changeup
https://gfycat.com/vigorousbossycob
We cap off this installment of Nastiest Pitches with someone who is no stranger to NP – José Berríos. First, this changeup that falls off the plate to get Rougned Odor swinging is a thing of beauty.
José Berríos‘ Curveball
https://gfycat.com/colorlesshelpfulamazondolphin
And, of course, we have to feature Berrios’ signature filthy pitch, the curveball, which did its’ fair share of damage on Wednesday night to the tune of a 51% CSW. Nasty stuff.
Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns of Twitter)