Every day we bring you the nastiest pitches of the previous night’s games, and there are a bunch to sift through for our weekly Nastiest Pitch series to determine which pitches are the nastiest of the week. We’ve since narrowed it down to sixteen of the very best pitches from the previous month, and it’s up to you to determine which pitch will be crowned the Nastiest Pitch of April.
Vote for one pitch in each matchup and be sure to come back tomorrow to vote in the next round. Every vote counts and your opinion matters!
Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)
4/12 – Diego Castillo’s Sinker (1)
https://gfycat.com/valuableunpleasantangelwingmussel
vs.
4/7 – Shane Bieber’s Knuckle-Curve (2)
https://gfycat.com/colorfulshadowyfox
It should come as no shock that Diego Castillo’s sinker moved on, and it blew away Adbert Alzolay’s sinker by a very wide margin. Meanwhile, the matchup between Lucas Giolito’s changeup and Shane Bieber’s knuckle-curve was much closer, and the Biebs ended up squeaking out a narrow victory. Now it has to face off against Castillo’s ridiculous pitch and… good luck.
4/2 – Chaz Roe’s Slider (1)
https://gfycat.com/jaggedweepyfieldmouse
vs.
4/14 – Blake Treinen’s Slider (2)
https://gfycat.com/illiteratepoorgentoopenguin
Chaz Roe’s sick slider also moved on in a blowout victory, and he’ll face Blake Treinen in this Exciting Eight matchup. The slider region has delivered two disgusting sliders that are both worthy of Filthy Four consideration, but only one can move on.
4/29 – Shane McClanahan’s Sinker (1)
https://gfycat.com/adolescentfocusedlarva
vs.
4/7 – Jordan Hicks‘ Sinker (2)
https://gfycat.com/delightfulvioletbassethound
This matchup between two triple-digit pitches is a tough one. Do you go with Shane McClanahan, the rookie with ace potential, or Jordan Hicks, the back-end bullpen monster who just can’t stay healthy? It’s a shame he keeps getting nagged by the injury bug because he can be such a weapon out of that bullpen, not to mention how much fun he is to watch. Hopefully, he’s back soon so we can see more of this filth.
4/20 – Kenley Jansen’s Cutter (1)
https://gfycat.com/gentleimpuredoe
vs.
4/19 – Dustin May’s Curveball (3)
https://gfycat.com/hiddenlightcockatiel
Two Dodgers square off in this Exciting Eight matchup, and honestly, I’m not sure which pitch is nastier. Both pitches have a ton of glove-side movement, and Kenley Jansen’s 95 MPH cutter moves like few pitches in its’ class, but the late break on Dustin May’s curveball is just as impressive. You really can’t go wrong with either pitch here.
Tune in tomorrow for the Filthy Four, and don’t forget to let us know in the comments if your favorite pitch deserves some love!
Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)