Between a combined no-hitter in Aaron Sanchez’s Astros debut, a record-breaking 74 home runs for the Yankees, and the Twins hitting the single-season home run record, this August has been jam-packed with great action, great moments, and of course, nasty pitches. But before we kick off the August tournament, there are a few pitches that didn’t quite make the cut. In any other situation, these might’ve made the final cut. Who knows what could’ve happened from there?
Which pitch do you think deserved a spot among the final 16? Vote in the poll at the bottom of this article to let your voice be heard!
Max Fried’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/zestybiodegradableelephantseal-max-fried-8-18-19-baseball
Max Fried has played an important role this year in a surprisingly elite Braves rotation that features guys such as Fried and Mike Soroka, who have been super effective against opposing hitters. Yes, Fried does have a 4.05 ERA, but his .345 BABIP is far too high and should regress to the mean over time. Until that regression comes and Fried’s ERA goes down, let’s all appreciate this fantastic 3-2 back-door slider on which Justin Turner mistakenly thinks he’s got ball four.
Adam Ottavino’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/selfishunfoldedgreendarnerdragonfly-adam-ottavino-sl-8-6-19-baseball
Adam Ottavino’s slider is one of the most effective pitches in baseball. But you already knew that. He has been mowing down hitters left and right with the pitch for the entirety of the season. His Frisbee slider is sure to play a big role in the Yankees’ World Series push come October, and when you watch this offering from him, it becomes easy to see why.
Tyler Beede’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/bothweearmyant-baseball
The hype on Tyler Beede wore down after some poor starts, and the Giants rookie has yet to find his footing in the big leagues. His changeup gets whiffs but has trouble inducing soft contact, and until Beede can do that, he’ll have to rely on missing bats to make outs. However, that has been working, as you can see on this devastating changeup that gets Bryce Harper swinging.
Mike Clevinger’s Fastball
https://gfycat.com/affectionatequestionableblowfish-mike-clevinger-ff-8-18-19-baseball
He’s only pitched 86 innings so far because of a two-month stint on the IL, but when he’s been healthy, Mike Clevinger has been an ace. One of many of Cleveland’s lethal righties, Clev has been dealing a dominant mix of a fastball and slider this season. Here, the former runs up on Gary Sanchez to get the Yankees backstop swinging at strike three.
Blake Treinen’s Sinker
https://gfycat.com/tangiblerevolvingblackfootedferret-baseball
Blake Treinen has underwhelmed both A’s fans and his fantasy owners this year as his walk rate has doubled and his strikeout rate decreased by 10 points. Treinen’s sinker has taken a massive step back in its effectiveness, but Treinen has still managed to maintain his whiff rate on the pitch because apparently it’s really tough to make contact with a pitch that moves like this one does with near triple-digit velocity. Who’d have thought?
Luis Castillo’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/competentquaintdairycow-baseball
Finally, we’ve got Luis Castillo, whose changeup is perhaps the best pitch in all of baseball. The pitch has been good enough to meet the 23 pVAL mark, which ranks third in MLB behind only Gerrit Cole’s fastball and Justin Verlander’s slider. Here, the pitch does what it does best, getting a whiff from Matt Thaiss as it breaks out of the strike zone.
Vote
Which one of these pitches most deserved to be included in the tournament?
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