The first half of 2019 was a big one for pitchers. Mike Fiers threw another no-hitter, and other pitchers are starting to come to full form. Most importantly, some absurd GIFs emerged in the first half. So ridiculous that the list of honorable mentions from this half probably would have made most other tournaments in the past. Now it’s time to crown the best pitching GIF of them all from the first three and a half months of the season.
The best 16 have been pulled aside and ranked. The field was whittled down to eight following yesterday’s round. Now it’s on you, the voter, to decide which stands above the rest.
Here are the rules:
- All GIFs were pulled from the first half of 2019 (All-Star Game does not count!).
- You can only vote on a matchup once, so make sure you pick the one you absolutely want.
- Voting will continue until 12:00 a.m. EDT the following morning. This is the second round.
Here are the results from Round 1:
American Bracket
1. Chaz Roe’s Slider defeated 8. Jordan Hicks‘ Slider
7. Jose Alvarado’s Two-Seamer defeated 2. Jordan Hicks‘ Fastball
3. Adam Ottavino’s Two-Seamer defeated 6. Aaron Nola’s Two-Seamer
4. Kyle Hendricks‘ Changeup defeated 5. Kyle Crick’s Slider
National Bracket
1. Luis Castillo’s Two-Seamer defeated 8. Yonny Chirinos‘ Two-Seamer
2. Yu Darvish’s Slider defeated 7. Luis Castillo’s Changeup
6. Clayton Kershaw’s Curveball defeated 3. Chris Sale’s Slider
5. Justin Verlander’s Fastball defeated 4. Framber Valdez’s Sinker
And here are the quarterfinal matchups:
American Bracket
1. Chaz Roe’s Slider vs. 4. Kyle Hendricks‘ Changeup
3. Adam Ottavino’s Two-Seamer vs. 7. Jose Alvarado’s Two-Seamer
National Bracket
1. Luis Castillo’s Two-Seamer vs. 5. Justin Verlander’s Fastball
2. Yu Darvish’s Slider vs. 6. Clayton Kershaw’s Curveball
Watch the GIFs in the Links Below!
Graphic by Justin Paradis (@freshmeatcomm on Twitter)
Chaz Roe’s Slider vs. Kyle Hendricks‘ Changeup
Both of these guys made quick work of their respective competition in Round 1 of the tournament, with Roe defeating Jordan Hicks, and Hendricks taking down Kyle Crick (who I apparently overestimated). This is my personal favorite matchup in this round. Both of these offerings are the epitome of nastiness for their respective pitch types. So this one might come down to whether you prefer late-breaking changeups or Frisbee sliders. I guess we’ll find out which one it is in today’s vote.
https://gfycat.com/plasticgroundedamericancrocodile-baseball
VS.
https://gfycat.com/dapperevenafricanparadiseflycatcher-baseball
Which was the better pitch? Vote to decide which pitch advances to the next round!
[polldaddy poll=10365161]
Adam Ottavino’s Two-Seamer vs. Jose Alvarado’s Two-Seamer
In the last round, we asked you to decide whether you prefer 103 mph on the paint or two-seamers that bend as if they’ve been hexed with black magic. Clearly, you preferred the latter, as the vote favored Jose Alvarado’s wicked two-seam fastball. But he’s got to compete with another two-seamer in this round, as he faces yet another pitch that bends and breaks out of the zone from Adam Ottavino. So what will it be? Can Alvarado put together another upset?
https://gfycat.com/quickverifiablearcticfox-ottavino-ft-baseball
VS.
https://gfycat.com/littleunripeethiopianwolf-alvarado-fb-4-16-19-baseball
Which was the better pitch? Vote to decide which pitch advances to the next round!
[polldaddy poll=10365261]
Luis Castillo’s Two-Seamer vs. Justin Verlander’s Fastball
Luis Castillo won his matchup with relative ease, while Justin Verlander fought through to the quarterfinals by a tighter margin. But that round is over, and now the decision is tougher. Is overpowering Mike Trout enough for Verlander to unseat our No. 1 seed? Or does Castillo’s ridiculous two-seamer just move to much to be knocked out of contention?
https://gfycat.com/pleasingslighthorsechestnutleafminer-baseball
VS.
https://gfycat.com/brisktartafricanharrierhawk-justin-verlander-5-5-19-baseball
Which was the better pitch? Vote to decide which pitch advances to the next round!
[polldaddy poll=10365223]
Yu Darvish’s Slider vs. Clayton Kershaw’s Curveball
Yu Darvish might have cruised in Round 1, but here he’s facing a giant in the form of Clayton Kershaw’s furious 12-6 hammer. Darvish used this monster breaking ball to get David Peralta off his feet on a ferocious ankle-breaker. But is getting Peralta off balance enough? After all, it’s tough to top a pitch that gets Yasiel Puig to do his best golf swing impression, as he tries (and fails) to hit a pitch that is simply too low.
https://gfycat.com/classicbasicgibbon-baseball
VS.
https://gfycat.com/criminalantiquedeviltasmanian-baseball
Which was the better pitch? Vote to decide which pitch advances to the next round!
[polldaddy poll=10365260]