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 June.
Shane McClanahan’s sinker took the crown in April. Last month it was Kevin Gausman’s filthy splitter that took the cake. Which pitch will join them in the Nastiest Pitch of the Month crowd?
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!
Image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)
Tarik Skubal’s Knuckle Curve (4)
https://gfycat.com/memorablewildgraysquirrel
vs.
Tejay Antone’s Curveball (2)
https://gfycat.com/fixedcarelessamericangoldfinch
This is the shocker of all shockers. The upset of the century. I am not sure what happened or how Tarik Skubal’s knuckle-curve upset Miguel Castro’s ridiculous slider. Was this the work of Scott Chu and his Skubal Stans? I honestly think we may have had a voting mishap on our end, but I have no way of confirming it. So the results stick. I’ll be keeping a close eye on this one, so if there’s any tomfoolery this time around, you’ll be the first to know.
José Urquidy’s Changeup (1)
https://gfycat.com/healthyaggressivehoverfly
vs.
Caleb Thielbar’s Curveball (2)
https://gfycat.com/grandlargebutterfly
The largest margin of victory in the Smokin’ Sixteen was José Urquidy’s changeup over Jake Cousins‘ slider, but Caleb Theilbar’s curveball wasn’t too far behind. These are both nasty, nasty pitches, and they both deserve to move on to the Filthy Four. I think this is going to be a close one.
Paul Sewald’s Slider (1)
https://gfycat.com/snarlingfearlessdunnart
vs.
Rich Hill’s Curveball (3)
https://gfycat.com/denseimprobablearcticduck
Paul Sewald’s slider just barely squeaked by his opponent in the last round, but with Miguel Castro’s slider now eliminated, it has to be the odds-on favorite to take home the monthly crown. Our own Nick Pollack said it needs to win some awards… well, it ain’t gonna win an Emmy anytime soon, folks. Am I trying to sway the vote here? No, absolutely not. I love Rich Hill and could watch this curveball on loop all day long (I just may, actually). But as a curator of the art of nastiest pitches it hurts a little inside when the #1 overall seed loses out in the first round. It’s like watching one of my children lose a playoff game in Little League. I just don’t want it to happen again, ya hear?
Aroldis Chapman’s Splitter (1)
https://gfycat.com/thickmammothgoshawk
vs.
Blake Treinen’s Slider (2)
https://gfycat.com/remorsefullightheartedbobwhite
Both of these pitches are legitimate contenders for a spot on the Terrific Two, so this should be a fun matchup. It’s been the year of the slider thus far, and Blake Treinen has been leading the charge with his new and improved pitch. Meanwhile, Aroldis Chapman has had a rough go of it lately but that splitter still carries a filthy 38.7% CSW. May the best pitch win!
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 Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)