Pitching Ninja’s Five Filthiest Pitches: Jacob deGrom’s slider is ridiculous

By Rob Friedman, aka “Pitching Ninja”

FOX Sports MLB Analyst

There were a lot of unclean pitches this week — so lotsof that it was difficult to choice my leading 5.

But on we go!

Jacob deGrom‘s ridiculous 96 milesperhour slider

DeGrom is back and may really be muchbetter than ever, if that’s possible.

“deGoat” had an unbelievable 90% swing-and-miss rate on his slider versus the Braves, which is the greatest swing-and-miss rate on a single pitch in a videogame (more than 20 pitches) because pitch tracking endedupbeing a thing in 2008. 

Nothing reveals deGrom’s supremacy more than this unbelievable slider.

Here’s an overlay that reveals what players have to offer with when dealingwith deGrom. This is a 100 milesperhour fastball and a 96 milesperhour slider, and you can see how well these pitches tunnel together and how constant deGrom’s mechanics are. The male is generally a robotic set to damage players.

Oh, and deGrom hit 102 milesperhour in this videogame, marking the fastest strikeout pitch of his profession! 

Michael Kopech‘s Bohemian Rhapsody fastball 

Mama, Michael Kopech simply eliminated a male.

Kopech’s fastball has a excellent bit of “rise” (a misnomer, however it implies his fastball battles gravity more than most other pitchers’ fastballs). This clip showcases why that’s a terrific thing for Kopech however not such a excellent thing for bad Vinnie Pasquantino, who had his soul taken.

Ryan Helsley‘s astonishing fastball and slider overlay 

Helsley hasactually been one of the finest closers in baseball this season, with a 0.79 ERA and a .635 WHIP. This overlay reveals why he is such a difficult at-bat for players — notification how long his slider and fastball are equivalent on their method to the plate. As a player, by the time you can figureout the distinction, you’re currently devoted to swinging.

This is really headache fuel for players. 

Corbin Burnes takingapart Joey Votto 

Burnes leads the significant leagues in strikeouts with 175 K’s this season. Here, Burnes ruins Votto with a wicked cutter and changeup combination. Making a excellent player such as Votto appearance like he has neverever swung a bat priorto is rather an achievement!

James Karinchak‘s hammer curveball

Not just did Karinchak buckle Jose Altuve‘ knees with this curveball, however he likewise made sure everybody in the arena understood it. I love my outrageous reducers, and Karinchak may be one of the wildest.

While this event may be a bit over the leading, offer me all the K struts and bat turns and gamers playing with feeling. Instead of acting like you’ve been there priorto, get fired up and get the fans included!

Bonus: The Ripper declares another victim. 

It’s no trick that my preferred umpire in baseball is John Tumpane. I’ve provided him the label the Ripper since of his stabbing punch-out movement on players who attempt to watch a 3rd strike go by.

Here the Ripper puts Elehuris Montero on the Eternal Injured List. 

Warning: Never go down looking while the Ripper is behind the plate!

Rob Friedman is a pitching expert on Twitter and YouTube, and his work hasactually been included on lotsof Major League Baseball broadcasts.