It’s time to crown the first monthly GIF winner of 2019. The first month of the MLB season was filled with a load of impressive pitches that were part of even more pitching performances. But only one among them can be named the best pitch of April.
The best 16 from the first month have been pulled aside and ranked. Now it’s on you, the voter, to decide which stands above the rest.
Here are the rules:
- All GIFs were pulled from the month of April, along with one from Opening Day in March.
- 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. EST the following morning. This is the first round.
Here are the matchups for Round 1:
American Bracket
1. Jordan Hicks‘ Slider vs. 8. Jameson Taillon’s Curveball
2. Jose Alvarado’s Sinker vs. 7. Joe Musgrove’s Curveball
3. Max Fried Curveball’s vs. 6. Charlie Morton’s Curveball
4. Jorge Lopez’s Two-Seam Fastball vs. 5. Jeurys Familia’s Sinker
National Bracket
1. Luis Castillo’s Two-Seam Fastball vs. 8. Jordan Lyles‘ Curveball
2. Yu Darvish Slider vs. 7. Tyler Glasnow Curveball
3. Chaz Roe’s Slider vs. 6. Clayton Kershaw’s Curveball
4. Trevor Bauer’s Slider vs. 5. Domingo German’s Curveball
Watch the GIFs in the Links Below!
Jordan Hicks‘ Slider vs. Jameson Taillon’s Curveball
This Jordan Hicks slider is both impossible to hit and almost as challenging to lay off of. Most sliders that start in the righty batters box don’t dip into the lefty’s. Meanwhile, Jameson Taillon started the season with a big yacker on Opening Day. A guy could tear his ACL on a pitch like this.
https://gfycat.com/softperkybackswimmer-baseball
VS.
https://gfycat.com/vigorousgrandioseafricanparadiseflycatcher
Which was the better pitch? Vote to decide which pitch advances to the next round!
[polldaddy poll=10312669]
Jose Alvarado’s Sinker vs. Joe Musgrove’s Curveball
All of these pitches were impressive in their own way, but Jose Alvarado’s sinker was next level, and he turned some heads with it throughout the month of April. Joe Musgrove, on the other hand, has been one of the best pitchers to start the season. He enters this matchup as an underdog, but his hook is no joke whatsoever.
https://gfycat.com/littleunripeethiopianwolf-alvarado-fb-4-16-19-baseball
VS.
https://gfycat.com/powerlessuntidyguineafowl-baseball
Which was the better pitch? Vote to decide which pitch advances to the next round!
[polldaddy poll=10312672]
Max Fried’s Curveball vs. Charlie Morton’s Curveball
Raimel Tapia hasn’t gone on record saying this is the grossest swing he’s ever taken in his life, but there’s a good chance it is. At least it came on a filthy curveball from Max Fried that breaks at the last possible second after appearing to be a batting practice fastball heading down Broadway. Fried’s curve goes against another one flipped in by Charlie Morton against Yoan Moncada, who whiffed right over the top of the back-foot hook.
https://gfycat.com/enragedcheaphalicore
VS.
https://gfycat.com/aggravatingbouncykangaroo-baseball
Which was the better pitch? Vote to decide which pitch advances to the next round!
[polldaddy poll=10312677]
Jorge Lopez’s Two-Seam Fastball vs. Jeurys Familia’s Sinker
Jorge Lopez actually used a whiffle ball on the offering below. That hasn’t been officially reported, but that’s the only way to explain the amount of break on this heater. But Lopez drew the short straw in the first round. He goes against a 96-mile-per-hour sinker from Jeurys Familia. Believe it or not, pitches can come in that hot and still have depth. That didn’t seem possible five years ago.
https://gfycat.com/obviouswellworncirriped
VS.
https://gfycat.com/offensiveofficialiraniangroundjay
Which was the better pitch? Vote to decide which pitch advances to the next round!
[polldaddy poll=10312682]
Luis Castillo’s Two-Seam Fastball vs. Jordan Lyles‘ Curveball
Luis Castillo made some noise in the pitching GIF world in April. This two-seamer is a great example of why. Not only is it 96 with a ton of movement, it starts just off Eric Hosmer’s hip, leading the slugger to believe he’s about to get drilled—not exactly an appealing pitch to swing at. As foolish as Jordan Lyles made Nomar Mazara look with this ridiculous curve, it’s going be tough for the Pittsburgh righty to pull off the upset. Not that it matters, but does Jordan Hicks have any friends?
https://gfycat.com/pleasingslighthorsechestnutleafminer-baseball
VS.
https://gfycat.com/sinfulopendevilfish-baseball
Which was the better pitch? Vote to decide which pitch advances to the next round!
[polldaddy poll=10312681]
Yu Darvish’s Slider vs. Tyler Glasnow’s Curveball
This Yu Darvish slider comes in at 83, which is a good speed for a slider, but it looks so much hotter, even after the break. Like many others at the major league level, his arm action is consistent with his other pitches, but for some reason, this looks like heat the majority of the way in. Darvish is matched up against an Uncle Charlie from Tyler Glasnow that turned the once unstoppable Evan Longoria into a puddle. In fairness, even if he swung, Longo wasn’t hitting this pure 12-6 yacker.
https://gfycat.com/classicbasicgibbon
VS.
https://gfycat.com/poshhugeauk
Which was the better pitch? Vote to decide which pitch advances to the next round!
[polldaddy poll=10312684]
Chaz Roe’s Slider vs. Clayton Kershaw’s Curveball
Most of the Chaz Roe sliders that are featured on Pitcher List include an opposing hitter looking like a fool, taking a big hack at a pitch that’s nowhere near where they’re swinging. Roe still made Teoscar Hernandez look silly, but he at least knew enough to lay off this pitch. The same can’t be said about Yasiel Puig when he went up against his old teammate Clayton Kershaw. The Cy Young award-winning pitcher got the better of his ex-teammate on this one — in a big way.
https://gfycat.com/giantgorgeoushoneyeater
VS.
https://gfycat.com/criminalantiquedeviltasmanian-baseball
Which was the better pitch? Vote to decide which pitch advances to the next round!
[polldaddy poll=10312695]
Trevor Bauer’s Slider vs. Domingo German’s Curveball
Bold prediction: Trevor Bauer is the most GIF-able pitcher of 2019 by the end of the season. He has too many pitches with insane movement and can get some rough hacks from hitters. Looks like Yuli Gurriel thought he had a big mistake up and in and tried to send this sick slider from Bauer into orbit. Bauer faces a Domingo German hook that has hitters throwing their bats at umpires. Seems like a problem Major League Baseball may need to address at some point.
https://gfycat.com/devotedimmenseamericanavocet-baseball
VS.
https://gfycat.com/wateryseriousgoldfish-baseball
Which was the better pitch? Vote to decide which pitch advances to the next round!
[polldaddy poll=10312698]
Would be nice to know how hard that pitch from Lopez was thrown.