Max Scherzer
Finally, the best fastball of 2018 was that of Washington Nationals ace, Max Scherzer.
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Scherzer has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the game for years, before he even got to Washington. While Scherzer attacks hitters with several pitches, it all starts with his otherworldly fastball.
Scherzer’s fastball excels in every facet. He has good speed on the pitch as it averages 94.4 mph, it has a good six inches of movement toward his arm side, and it is one of the highest spin fastballs in the game. Add in his incredible command of the pitch and you get the best fastball in the game.
Only deGrom generated more swings and misses on his fastball than Scherzer’s 30.43% and no one held hitters to a lower xwOBA against the fastball than Scherzer’s .250. It was truly an incredible season that got overlooked thanks to deGrom’s historic campaign and the Nationals struggles as a team.
Watching Scherzer pitch makes you understand that while having elite velocity is important, it takes more to make a great fastball. All five of these pitchers had a strong case for having the best four-seam fastball of 2018 but the culmination of all the factors lead to the crowning of Max Scherzer. With as good as these pitchers are I would not be surprised to see similar faces on next year’s list.