Hey everyone — we’re just finishing up the first half of the season and I’m back with my filthiest pitches of the campaign so far. Let’s get right to it!
Matt Brash’s Bohemian Rhapsody Slider
“Mama, Matt Brash just killed a man.” Originally, I had this labeled a knuckle curve, but I’m pretty sure it was Brash’s slider. By any name, this pitch is elite filth. It’s not often you see one of the top hitters in the game get put on the Eternal IL from a pitch!
Zac Gallen’s Wrong Way Changeup
As you probably already know, usually changeups run arm-side. No one, not the umpire (who, amazingly, gets hit squarely in the mask), the hitter, Vinnie Pasquantino, nor Gallen himself expected this wayward changeup to cut. Gallen’s look, after he threw this, tells it all.
After the game, Pasquantino told me that it was perhaps the nastiest pitch he’s ever seen:
And, when I asked Gallen whether he could do this on purpose…his response was simply:
Shohei Ohtani‘s CGI Sweeper
This sweeper from Shohei Ohtani had an amazing 23 inches of horizontal break. It looks like it put on brakes in midair and headed into the strike zone!
Shohei’s sweeper combined with his two-seamer is downright unfair in terms of the amount of ground those pitches cover. You can see why he’s not only MLB’s home run leader, but also one of the filthiest pitchers in baseball.
Jhoan Duran’s Ridiculous 100 mph Splinker
Duran features perhaps the nastiest pitch mix of any reliever in baseball.
His flaming fastballs have touched 105 mph several times this season.
But Duran is more than just a flamethrower, he pairs those heaters with an unfair mix of hammer 90 mph curveballs and an angry “splinker,” which is his own unique hybrid of a splitter and sinker. The idea of an “off-speed” pitch going 100 mph and dropping off the table like this is the stuff of nightmares for hitters. Every successful hit off Duran is a minor miracle.
Zack Wheeler’s Treacherous Two-Seamer
This Soul-Stealing Two-Seamer ran an incredible 22 inches and totally dismantled the hitter, Alan Trejo.
On Pitching Ninja Soul-Cam, you can see the point where Trejo’s soul left his body!
Mitch Keller’s 2-FOOT Sweeper
Keller’s sweeper had an eye-popping 24 inches of horizontal break — yes, it broke 2 whole FEET! As a hitter, you can’t do anything other than ponder your career choices when you see this coming at you.
Jordan Hicks’ Bowling Ball 104 mph Turbo Sinkers
Hicks has long been one of the hardest throwers in the history of baseball. These flaming turbo sinkers not only have unconscionable velocity, but they also drop so fast that they look like they’re about to drill to the earth’s core.
Hicks’ Wicked 103 mph Two-Seamer in London
Not to be outdone, Hicks took his filthy pitch arsenal to London and threw this sick 103 mph two-seamer that ran 18 inches…that thing turns so fast it needs a blinker!
Dustin May’s Vicious Sinkers
Like Jordan Hicks, Dustin May’s two-seamers have an unbelievable mix of velocity and movement. These two-seamers look like they’re CGI. One of these pitches ran a jaw-dropping 23 inches!
The Volunteer Fireman, Ben Joyce. All Gas. No Brakes
Last year, Ben Joyce was lighting up radar guns in college at the University of Tennessee, topping out at over 105 mph and earning the nickname “The Volunteer Fireman” from me.
This year, he’s already incinerating Major League hitters, including José Altuve, who was completely outmatched by Joyce’s stuff. The sky is the limit for this 22-year-old flame-thrower.
Clay Holmes’s Dazzling Sinker
Look at the precipitous drop on this sinker from Clay Holmes! It looks like someone turned on a magnet mid-way to the plate to suddenly yank the ball to the dirt.
Kodai Senga’s Disappearing Ghost Fork
Kodai Senga claims his Ghost Fork isn’t really a Ghost, but the jury is still out on that with the way this pitch disappeared.
Senga’s Ghost Fork has been one of the most unhittable pitches in baseball this season, with over a 58 percent whiff rate. You can see why.
Bonus Awards
Call of the Year Describing a Pitch: Big Boi from Outkast
Aaron Nola’s knuckle curve was undoubtedly filthy, but Big Boi’s call of the pitch made it legendary: “Oh lawd, what is that?! He’s a magician.” Instant classic.
K Strut of the Year (so far)
Marcus Stroman doing the “Str-oto” shuffle after striking out Juan Soto (imitating Soto’s famous Soto Shuffle) was a brilliant taunt, as well as a hat tip to Soto’s normally incredible eye at the plate. Stroman is now the front-runner for the Pitching Ninja K Strut of the Year award.
Highest Pitch of the Year: Gerrit Cole
Gerrit Cole is apparently a strong believer in changing a hitter’s eye level. This fastball went so high that it ended up in the Yankees’ radio booth (ok, I might have edited that).
Rob Friedman is an MLB pitching analyst for FOX Sports whose work has been featured on many Major League Baseball broadcasts. Follow him on Twitter @PitchingNinja.
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Shohei Ohtani
Gerrit Cole
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