Every morning, we review the nastiest pitches from the previous day’s games in glorious high-definition 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 Fourth Quarter Contest. Did we miss your favorite pitch? Send us a tweet next time @PitcherList, and we’ll GIF it up and give you a shoutout here in the article.
Zack Greinke’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/adeptjampackedarmadillo
Surprise surprise: Zack Greinke has been even better since joining the Astros at the trade deadline. He owns a 2.45 ERA as an Astro, though his outing against the Angels on Friday (10 hits allowed, just one strikeout) wasn’t particularly great. Leaving the NL means he’ll likely not be in the running for either AL or NL Cy Young, though being on an unfairly talented Astros team should give him a very solid chance at winning his first World Series ring.
Amir Garrett’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/honoredscornfulbighornedsheep
While he’s likely more notable for punches thrown than batters punched out this year, Amir Garrett has quietly had a great season out of the pen in Cincy. He’s posted a 2.68 ERA, with an also great 12.64 K/9. The Reds’ playoff hopes may be pretty much squashed, but the emergence of Garrett after a few underwhelming years is exciting for their future.
Mitch Keller’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/mediocrereliablecuckoo
Considering the verrry rough start Mitch Keller has had to his major league career, his great Friday outing was very welcome. He allowed just a single run over six IP, punching out nine Reds batters. It hasn’t been smooth sailing by any means for the #1 rated prospect in the Pirates’ system, but his huge talent should come out on top eventually. Him and Jameson Taillon could end up being one of the scarier 1-2 punches in baseball.
Jacob deGrom’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/wellgroomedinexperiencedadder
Jacob DeGrom needs absolutely no introduction, and he continued his absolute obliteration of baseball on Friday, striking out 13 Braves over seven innings of work. He hasn’t allowed more than 2 ER in a game since June 28, and hasn’t allowed more than 3 ER since May 17. His ERA since June 1 is an absurd 1.86, with an 11.45 K/9 and a sub 2 BB/9 to boot. It’s not at all crazy to think he could win back-to-back Cy Young’s by the end of this season, and it’s hard to argue against him being the absolute best hurler in baseball right now.
James Paxton’s Fastball
https://gfycat.com/academicincompatiblebrahmanbull
The Yankees can’t exactly be pleased with what they’ve gotten out of James Paxton since acquiring him from the Mariners, though his Friday was a nice step in the right direction. He struck out 11 over 6 2/3 IP, allowing just five hits against the vaunted Dodgers offense. Lucky for the Yanks, they should be playing baseball well into October, and perhaps Big Maple is just saving his best baseball for when it really counts.
Hyun-Jin Ryu’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/lankyimportantfrilledlizard
Though Hyun-Jin Ryu is still assumably leading the pack in the NL Cy Young race, 11 ER allowed over his last 10 innings of work is far from ideal for the 32-year-old. His ERA has jumped from a microscopic 1.45 to a still absurd 2.00 in that span, and in any other situation, a two-game, 55 point swing in ERA would be cause for concern. Ryu just needs to stop the bleeding and maintain for the rest of the year to easily coast to his first Cy Young Award, though there’s plenty of other hungry suitors waiting for him to stumble into autumn.
GIF of the Night
Which was your favorite pitch? Vote below, and the winner will be featured in the GIF of the Fourth Quarter Contest.
[polldaddy poll=10392611]