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 September Nastiest Pitches GIF Tournament. 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.
Jacob DeGrom’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/bitesizedhatefulblackmamba
Jacob deGrom’s absurd run of dominance right now is best enjoyed with some context. Friday against the Reds, he shut them out over 7 IP, allowing four hits and striking out nine. DeGrom has gone at least 7 IP in every start since August 11. He now has eight starts this season without allowing a single ER, over a quarter of his total outings. He hasn’t allowed a run since September 9, and owns a 1.61 ERA in September. Given Max Scherzer’s relative struggles as of late, deGrom appears to potentially have the NL Cy Young on lockdown. Again.
Zack Greinke’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/wearytepidarabianwildcat
Though the four ER he allowed Friday is definitely suboptimal for Zack Greinke, his 3.48 ERA as a member of the Astros is more than respectable. Baseball’s signature stoic ace continues to dominate well into his 30’s, fitting in with a team featuring Justin Verlander, and who had Charlie Morton under contract until this year. There’s not a whole lot Greinke hasn’t done at this point in his storied career, but winning a World Series is one of those things. I’m not worried about his odds.
Rick Porcello’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/crazymaleichidna
Considering how atrocious Rick Porcello has been for the BoSox this season, zero ER over six innings of work is a massive victory for him. Though his 4.19 ERA as a member of the Red Sox before this season is hardly scintillating, it pales in comparison to the god-awful 5.56 ERA he’s currently sporting. Strikeouts are down, home runs are up, and memories of that 2016 Cy Young campaign are quickly fading.
Jason Adam’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/velvetypowerfulelephantbeetle
With just 17 innings under his belt this season, Jason Adam doesn’t have a whole lot for talking points for this segment. He got terrible results last year out of the Royals’ pen, but the 17 innings he’s submitted to the Jays this year have been rock solid. A 3.71 ERA is respectable for a second year MLBer, and his dominance in the minors confirms there’s definite talent here.
Alec Mills‘ Slider
https://gfycat.com/hoarsecheerfulflyinglemur
Here’s another guy who just doesn’t have that much career to talk about. The 27-year-old has just ~48 innings under his belt thus far, and results have been mixed. He has a 2.90 ERA for the Cubs this year though, for what it’s worth. He hasn’t been particularly dominant in the minors the last few seasons, nor in the majors. It’s hard to picture him as a lot more than a AAAA type guy, but he has plenty of time to prove that judgment incorrect.
Luis Castillo’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/basiccrispdamselfly
Some combos of names and pitches just melt in your mouth. Luis Castillo’s changeup definitely belongs alongside Jose Berrios‘ curveball, Gerrit Cole’s fastball, and Noah Sydergaard’s slider as some of the most consistently highlight-worthy, mouth-watering pitches to watch. Similarly to the aforementioned Berrios, the young Castillo has finally put it all together after a few years of potential-ridden inconsistency and has been a veritable ace in Ohio. He’s sporting a 3.25 ERA and 10.63 K/9, and has won more games this season (15) than in his entire career before this (13).
GIF of the Night
Which was your favorite pitch? Vote below, and the winner will be featured in the September Nastiest Pitches GIF Tournament.
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