Pitcher's Pitches

The goal of a pitch in baseball is very simple. Throw it for a strike and don’t let the batter hit it. As you journey in to the finer nuances of the game, it becomes more complex. The variety of pitches a player can throw, the mechanics necessary to throw them, and the decision of firing the right pitch in a certain situation morph this straightforward effort in to a challenging artform. So, what are the different pitches used in today’s game?

As for off-speed pitches, the curveball is the most well-known. The hand of the pitcher forms a “C shape” with two fingers on the right seam. As the pitcher’s arm comes forward, the ball is snapped downward at the top of the throwing arc to generate a forward spin. This causes the ball to eventually dive. The amount of break on the pitch depends on the pitcher’s arm velocity, the way the ball is snapped, the throw off, the arm angle, etc. The curveball can break straight downwards, which is known as a 12-6 curveball, or slant at an angle while traveling down. On average, a MLB pitcher throws a curveball at 77 MPH. However, with the aid of time, technology, and increasing athleticism, curveballs have more movement than ever before. Two prominent pitchers in today’s game with outstanding curveballs are Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander, while legendary pitchers Sandy Koufax and Orel Hershiser were also known for the deadly breakers.

A close relative to the curveball is the slider, which travels laterally and downward with more speed than a curveball. It is similar to the cut fastball but, has more break and less velocity. Movement of the slider is in direct correlation to the fingertip pressure applied on the ball while a pitcher throws in the same motion as a fastball. With a similar grip to the curveball, pressure is placed on the index (outside) finger instead of the middle (inside) finger. A slider often looks like a fastball out of a pitcher’s hand with a late break, making it exceedingly difficult for opposing batters. Zach Greinke has one of the best sliders amongst current players, while the “Big Unit” Randy Johnson had arguably the greatest slider in MLB history, paired with his 100 MPH fastball. Other pitchers who threw the slider very well were Bob Gibson, Steve Carlton, and Dennis Eckersley. Despite decline in recent years, the fastball is still the most common pitch thrown by baseball pitchers. As the name suggests, pitchers rely on the speed of the fastball to prevent the batter from making contact. Within the fastball category, there are options to make the task of hitting that much more difficult.

Circle Change

A lost art in the game of baseball, the change-up is the least flashy but, can arguably be the most effective off-speed pitch. Held further back in the hand, it is thrown the same way as a fastball, throwing off the hitters’ timing. While there are several change-up variations, the circle change grip is well-known. The pitcher forms a circle with the index finger and thumb while the rest of the fingers sprawl across the seams. With this hand positioning, it can lead to a break in the opposite direction of a curveball along with a slight downward shift. Stephen Strasburg, Lucas Giolito, and Max Scherzer are a few current pitchers who throw a phenomenal change-up. Many consider the change-up the best pitch thrown by Hall of Famer, Pedro Martinez, as well.

The knuckleball is one of the more unusual, yet entertaining, pitches in baseball. It’s designed to minimize the spin of the ball, causing erratic and unpredictable motion as it approaches the plate. This is challenging for hitters but, can also be difficult for catchers and umpires to judge. Common terms used to describe the movement of the ball are “flutter”, “dance”, and “jiggle”. Pitchers initially used their knuckles to grip the ball, leading to the name of the pitch. The more common and effective grip is with a pitcher’s fingertips while the thumb is used for balance. The most recent pitcher to use the knuckleball at a high level was Mets hurler, R.A Dickey, who won the Cy Young in 2012. Tim Wakefield and Phil “Knucksie” Niekro also had excellent knuckleballs.

An extremely rare pitch, the eephus is thrown with a very high trajectory, at a very low speed. Bearing resemblance to a slow-pitch softball arc, the pitch is normally thrown around 45-55 mph. Pirates pitcher, Rip Sewell, was the first to throw it regularly in the 1940s. In the 1946 MLB All-Star Game, Sewell threw the pitch to all-time great, Ted Williams. Williams swung and missed. He asked Sewell to throw another and Sewell obliged leading Williams to hit a home run. While any professional hitter could make good contact, the challenge is the hitter has to provide all of the power himself. Former Reds first baseman, Tony Perez, is remembered for hitting a home run in the 1975 World Series off an eephus pitch from Boston’s Bill Lee. ###

Two Seam Fastball

Split Finger