Every week we review the nastiest pitches from the previous week in glorious HD GIFs. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite pitch and check back on Saturday to see if it will be in contention for the GIF of the First Quarter Contest. Week 3’s winner was Jose Alvarado’s Sinker. Another week, another win for a Rays reliever. Jose Alvarado takes back his crown from his teammate, Diego Castillo.
Did we miss your favorite pitch? Send us a tweet next time @PitcherList and we’ll GIF it up + give you a shoutout here in the article.
This season’s 4th week of GIFs was heavy on breaking balls except for one fastball that seemed to move like a breaking ball. Also included, as required this season, is one Rays reliever. Check back next Saturday to see which GIF our readers picked as the nastiest pitch of the week.
Trevor Bauer’s Slider
Trevor Bauer was a little sloppy on the night as he had six walks and trouble finishing off hitters. The stuff was still there though. This slider to Yuli Gurriel has a sharp break as it moves to the outside corner.
Blake Snell’s Curveball
Snellzilla’s (kind of) back baby! Though his start as a whole was a bit wobbly coming off of the IL, this curveball is pure Blake magic and is surely going to keep Jorge Soler up tonight. Expect to see Snell featured here once again in his next start, which hopefully goes a bit better.
Kirby Yates‘ Splitter
Quickly becoming one of MLB’s elite closers, Kirby Yates has been dominating with his split-finger fastball. The camera angle is a little off and doesn’t do this 87 mph gem the justice it deserves, but for context, Yates produced 1559 RPM with almost 10 inches of run on a 43-inch vertical break (with gravity). Maybe next time, Domingo Santana.
Chaz Roe’s Slider
Truly, there is no more iconic duo than Nasty Pitch Roundups and Rays pitchers. This masterpiece combines movement across the entire strike zone with a drop from Hamilton’s knees to the dirt. Whatever they’re feeding their pitchers in Tampa, it’s working.
Jordan Hicks‘ Slider and Fastball
Jordan Hicks‘ progression to Juan Lagares to end the game was something to behold, pairing a disgusting slider with 104 mph heat. I decided on putting these two together because it really shows Hicks’ ability to mix his nasty slider into his repertoire, leaving hitters looking absolutely stunned whenever he brings in his lightning fastball.
Luis Castillo’s 2-Seamer
I feel bad for Eric Hosmer, as there wasn’t anything he could with this. This column was made for this pitch. I love Luis Castillo.
Justin Verlander’s Curveball
The loop on this one is so ridiculous, Asdrubal Cabrera couldn’t help but smirk afterward. It takes something special to make a 13-year veteran like Cabrera flounder this bad.
Which was your favorite pitch? Vote below and the winner may be featured in the GIF of the First Quarter Contest.
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Graphic by Michael Haas (@digitalHaas on Twitter)