Every morning we review the nastiest pitches from the previous day’s games in glorious HD GIFs. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite pitch and check back this weekend to see if it will be in contention for the GIF of the First Half. Did we miss your favorite pitch? Send us a tweet next time @ThePitcherList and we’ll GIF it up + give you a shoutout here in the article.
Yu Darvish’s Fastball – Darvish has shown flashes of his power arsenal since his Tommy John surgery, and despite his seemed propensity for meltdown outings, is a fantasy ace when clicking on all cylinders. Darvish had 10 Ks in a dominant outing against the Angels last night using a powerful and precise Fastball like this one to Carlos Perez.
Luis Severino’s Slider – Severino is going to get every opportunity this year to develop in a barren Yankees rotation. That development may hinge on his inconsistent Changeup, but his slider has always been money. Here he uses a shelf dropper to get Evan Longoria during his breakout 11 Ks performance. (Thanks to @Low_rax for the tip!)
Robert Gsellman’s Fastball – This wasn’t the start we expected from Gsellman, but we can’t overlook the fact he cruised through 10 batters straight in the middle of his outing. One look at this beautiful front-door heater to Derek Dietrich will make you understand the potential this kid has. (Thanks to Redditor serfbufo for the tip!)
Dellin Betances‘ Curveball – Betances is a dominant reliever, but sometimes he makes things more difficult than they need to be. He got himself in quite a pickle like last night with 1st and 3rd with no outs in a one run game, but got out of it with his sharp Curveball like this one to get a picked on today Evan Longoria. (Thanks to Redditor XlPoLaR04 for the tip!)
Eduardo Rodriguez’s Changeup – Rodriguez had 8 Ks last night, but his as is typical his 4 BBs and inconsistent command get him from pitching deeper into the game. His lack of efficiency can be maddening, but his pure stuff keeps him on the fantasy radar. Here he uses a Changeup fading off the outside corner to get Andrew McCutchen to strike out weakly.
Francisco Liriano’s Slider – It was a great rebound for the southpaw as he fanned 10 Orioles batters across six frames. He struck out the first two batters he faced, including Adam Jones on this wicked Slider that started in the middle of the plate and finished near Jones’ ankles.
Jerry Blevins‘ Curveball – Thursday night featured a grueling game between the Marlins and Mets, aided by Blevins putting out a major fire in the seventh inning. He sealed the frame with this slow 69mph Curveball that Ichiro Suzuki couldn’t handle. (Thanks to Redditors the_furry_stoner and Ryuuken1789 for the tip!)
Adam Ottavino’s Fastball – We often talk about Ottavino’s luscious slide piece that bends more than most breaking balls, but don’t overlook his Two-Seamer that features excellent ride in the opposite direction. He showcased the pitch to Jarrett Parker in the seventh and it was all kinds of pretty. (Thanks to @andrew_vargha for the tip!)
GIF Of The Night
Which was your favorite pitch? Vote below and the winner will be featured in the GIF of the First Half Contest.
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