MLB: Showcasing the Nastiest Pitches of All-Time
MLB fans have lost a sense of appreciation for the art of pitching in the home run era. To fix this, let’s take a look at the nastiest pitches of all time.
MLB pitchers are constantly evolving. Every year, it seems that the average pitcher is throwing harder with sharper breaking balls. However, the average fan has seemingly lost a sense of appreciation for the masterful art of pitching in an era dominated by the long ball. To fix this, let’s take a look at some of the nastiest pitches of all time.
For even the most casual baseball fan, watching a player launch a 450-foot home run can leave you in awe. Everyone enjoys a slugfest, but true baseball fans value a complete game shutout even more. Watching a pitcher completely carve up the opposing team is like watching Leonardo Da Vinci paint the Mona Lisa.
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The elite MLB pitchers are masters of their craft. They possess inhuman arm strength mixed with precise control. Pitching to them is like a game of chess. They seamlessly work in and out of the strike-zone, creating a sense of fear and confusion in the batter’s mind. Once they get two strikes, its already game over. Batters are sent back to the dugout wondering if they chose the right career path.
Most elite pitchers have a large repertoire of pitches they can strike you out with. Cy Young winners like Max Scherzer and Jacob DeGrom can ring you up with a 98 MPH fastball, cut you down with a devastating slider, or make you look foolish with their change-up. However, sometimes a pitcher will have that one pitch that makes them almost un-hittable. This is the type of pitch that a batter can know is coming, and still swing out of his shoes.
Thus, I have compiled a list of the nastiest single pitches of all time. Each one is a different type of pitch, and corresponds to a Hall of Fame pitcher. These pitchers are some of the most dominant forces on the mound in the history of baseball, and all mastered their go-to pitch to the highest degree. In other words, if you had two strikes on you to any of these guys, good luck.