With the calendar officially flipped to 2022, it’s time to take one final look back at 2021 and relive some of the Nastiest Pitches of the year. We’ve hand-picked sixteen of the nastiest, filthiest, most disgusting acts committed by pitchers during the season, and it’s now up to you to vote and determine which pitch will be crowned Pitcher List’s Nastiest Pitch of 2021.
Voting has closed for the first round, but click here if you’d like to look back and see all sixteen pitches in all their glory. For this round, voting will run throughout the day and every vote counts. Each round will run this week and the winner will be announced on Twitter on Saturday.
Design by Michael Packard (@designsbypack on Twitter @ IG)
After some upsets in the Smokin’ Sixteen, we’ve got some exciting matchups for the Exciting Eight. Let’s see what we’ve got!
Shane McClanahan’s Sinker (1)
https://gfycat.com/adolescentfocusedlarva
vs.
Paul Sewald’s Slider (3)
https://gfycat.com/snarlingfearlessdunnart
While Paul Sewald’s slider was an underdog in the first round, nobody should be surprised that it was able to “upset” Aroldis Chapman’s splitter. This pitch is absolutely filthy. It faces off against a battle-tested sinker from Shane McClanahan that has won every matchup it’s faced after being crowned April’s Nastiest Pitch. Whichever pitch comes out of this region has a very good shot at making it to the Terrific Two.
Kevin Gausman’s Splitter (1)
https://gfycat.com/dangerousignorantacouchi
vs.
Blake Treinen’s Slider (2)
https://gfycat.com/reflectingmeanaltiplanochinchillamouse
No upsets here, as both pitches won by a healthy margin over their opponents in the last round. We all know about Kevin Gausman’s filthy splitter and Blake Treinen’s entire repertoire being straight-up disgusting, but which of these pitches is the best of the two? Is Gausman’s best splitter nastier than Treinen’s best slider? You have a very important decision to make, reader.
Logan Webb’s Sinker (4)
https://gfycat.com/wickedcontentjenny
vs.
Diego Castillo’s Sinker (2)
https://gfycat.com/valuableunpleasantangelwingmussel
In the upset of the tournament, Logan Webb’s sinker took down a filthy slider from reigning Nastiest Pitches champion Tanner Houck. Its opponent in the Exciting Eight, however, is a sinker from Diego Castillo that won by the largest margin of victory in the Smokin’ Sixteen. This matchup is a battle of which sinker you like best — the kind that starts on your hip and ends out over the plate, or the demonic kind that starts over the middle of the plate and ends in hell on Satan’s lap. Choose wisely…
Miguel Castro’s Slider (4)
https://gfycat.com/querulouspinkhen
vs.
Blake Treinen’s Sinker (2)
https://gfycat.com/unselfishappropriateazurevasesponge
Finally, while Miguel Castro’s slider upset José Urquidy’s changeup in the last round, it really shouldn’t come as too much of a shock. This slider from Castro elicited the wildest reaction to a pitch by a batter of anyone all season. That’s pretty darn nasty. Meanwhile, Blake Treinen’s second entry in this year’s tournament also moved on in a surprisingly tough matchup against Caleb “Meat Raffle” Thielbar’s filthy curveball. Is a Treinen-Treinen final destined to happen? Only time will tell.
Photo by Jimmy Simmons, Ric Tapia & Lawrence Iles/Icon Sportswire | Design by Michael Packard (@designsbypack on Twitter @ IG)