So, as a "fun" little exercise, and also because I don't really know these things because I have ratings turned off, I've decided to present a little listing of the top 5 different varieties of pitches in the league. If I decide to do this again - and why not? - I'll probably do something programmatically but for now this is just the players listed (minimum: 1/2 as many IPs as team games in April).
Best 4-Seam Fastball (movement-wise, anyway)
Code:
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
| last_name | first_name | age | throws | team | w | l | Sv | era | pitch |
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
| Ortiz | Roberto | 24 | L | OAK | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3.54 | 186 |
| Winn | John | 27 | L | ATL | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 | 186 |
| Castillo | Andres | 33 | R | LAD | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1.13 | 185 |
| Kihara | Tanzan | 29 | L | CAL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.89 | 171 |
| Ramos | Angelo | 34 | L | MIN | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2.47 | 168 |
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
Best 4-Seamer (pure velocity)
Code:
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
| last_name | first_name | age | throws | team | w | l | Sv | era | pitch |
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
| Ortiz | Roberto | 24 | L | OAK | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3.54 | 19 |
| Jones | Clyde | 22 | R | PIT | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4.05 | 18 |
| Hernandez | Luis | 30 | R | MIL | 1 | 3 | 0 | 7.30 | 18 |
| Ramos | Angelo | 34 | L | MIN | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2.47 | 18 |
| Lucas | Bill | 32 | L | CHC | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3.47 | 17 |
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
I didn't check to see if any of those guys actually throw the 4-seamer; this is just the velo rating. The fact that the top guy in the first list is also the top guy in the 2nd tells me that velo is probably already baked in to the pitch quality though.
Best Cutter (okay, I know this is 1970 and all but pitchers would have surely thrown something like a cut fastball back then without calling it that)
Code:
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
| last_name | first_name | age | throws | team | w | l | Sv | era | pitch |
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
| Saus | Geoff | 28 | L | NYM | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6.48 | 182 |
| Carrillo | Ernesto | 26 | L | NYM | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3.28 | 168 |
| Nies | Chad | 26 | R | CHC | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8.10 | 162 |
| Sanchez | Omar | 27 | L | PHI | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6.23 | 157 |
| Luiso | Montay | 32 | R | BAL | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.00 | 156 |
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
Best 2-Seam Fastball (Sinker)
Code:
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
| last_name | first_name | age | throws | team | w | l | Sv | era | pitch |
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
| Post | Malcolm | 24 | L | CHW | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4.38 | 165 |
| Bowman | Phil | 23 | L | BAL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.23 | 162 |
| Ziegler | T.J. | 23 | L | BAL | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9.26 | 160 |
| Carrillo | Ernesto | 26 | L | NYM | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3.28 | 160 |
| Luiso | Montay | 32 | R | BAL | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.00 | 158 |
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
Best Splitter (technically a late-70s creation, although the differences between the sinker, the split-fingered fastball, and the forkball are kind of small I think)
Code:
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
| last_name | first_name | age | throws | team | w | l | Sv | era | pitch |
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
| Kindberg | Justin | 25 | R | BOS | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3.19 | 164 |
| Ortiz | Roberto | 24 | L | OAK | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3.54 | 159 |
| Hui | Kien-lung | 26 | R | CHW | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3.72 | 155 |
| Robinson | Kareem | 31 | L | MON | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7.63 | 149 |
| Sanders | Jason | 30 | L | SF | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3.73 | 148 |
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
Best Curve
Code:
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
| last_name | first_name | age | throws | team | w | l | Sv | era | pitch |
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
| Pesco | Michael | 26 | R | BOS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.87 | 196 |
| Waiters | Steve | 26 | R | CIN | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2.25 | 190 |
| Gutierrez | Edgar | 25 | R | KC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.68 | 189 |
| Lemus | Paz | 27 | L | PIT | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2.45 | 186 |
| Nies | Chad | 26 | R | CHC | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8.10 | 185 |
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
I was wondering how Pesco, who is maybe the best pitcher in the game stuff-wise, gets there with high-80s heat. Well, okay... how about the best Uncle Charlie in the league as well as the best change-up?
Best Slider
Code:
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
| last_name | first_name | age | throws | team | w | l | Sv | era | pitch |
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
| Winn | John | 27 | L | ATL | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 | 205 |
| Brock | Matt | 30 | L | BOS | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4.82 | 199 |
| Quintana | Roger | 22 | R | PHI | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1.85 | 188 |
| Lagunas | Andy | 29 | L | CLE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2.42 | 188 |
| Gaddi | Marius | 27 | L | PHI | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3.29 | 186 |
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
Best Knuckle Curve
Code:
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
| last_name | first_name | age | throws | team | w | l | Sv | era | pitch |
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
| Lopez | Mike | 27 | L | DET | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5.63 | 179 |
| Hinojosa | Sandy | 35 | L | BOS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.79 | 176 |
| Gilmer | Jason | 28 | L | DET | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4.58 | 157 |
| McNicholas | Dave | 25 | L | NYM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3.55 | 143 |
| Carrillo | Ernesto | 26 | L | NYM | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3.28 | 136 |
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
Best Screwball
Code:
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
| last_name | first_name | age | throws | team | w | l | Sv | era | pitch |
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
| Wilson | Chris | 33 | L | NYY | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4.50 | 123 |
| Giron | Hector | 28 | L | BAL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2.78 | 108 |
| Wilson | Bill | 34 | R | SF | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6.30 | 80 |
| Herod | Nate | 35 | R | MON | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1.29 | 69 |
| Rasmussen | Sean | 30 | L | MIL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.04 | 54 |
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
I hadn't even considered the scroogie in terms of handedness but as it turns out, only 2 players who've thrown significant innings even have it as a plus pitch.
Best Changeup
Code:
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
| last_name | first_name | age | throws | team | w | l | Sv | era | pitch |
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
| Pesco | Michael | 26 | R | BOS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.87 | 205 |
| Uscanga | Freddy | 24 | R | OAK | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0.84 | 202 |
| Sanchez | Marco | 22 | L | BOS | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1.87 | 200 |
| Schmidt | Ben | 29 | L | DET | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6.23 | 200 |
| Hagan | Joe | 29 | L | CIN | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4.08 | 194 |
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
Best Circle Change
Code:
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
| last_name | first_name | age | throws | team | w | l | Sv | era | pitch |
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
| Stuckey | Mike | 29 | L | SF | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2.15 | 191 |
| Wilson | Chris | 33 | L | NYY | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4.50 | 178 |
| Arango | Santos | 27 | R | PIT | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2.70 | 170 |
| Ruiz | Victor | 32 | L | MIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.96 | 158 |
| Carrillo | Ernesto | 26 | L | NYM | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3.28 | 143 |
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
Mike Stuckey is another one of those "how does he do it?" guys for me; well, now I know.
Best Forkball (I feel like this is basically a change-of-pace pitch rather than a breaking ball since its break is up and down, not left to right)
Code:
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
| last_name | first_name | age | throws | team | w | l | Sv | era | pitch |
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
| Ortiz | Roberto | 24 | L | OAK | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3.54 | 175 |
| Molina | Edgar | 25 | L | DET | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.89 | 167 |
| Mendoza | Raul | 27 | L | CHW | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4.43 | 159 |
| Barnard | Lee | 26 | R | OAK | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5.50 | 144 |
| Williams | Sam | 25 | R | STL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5.68 | 143 |
+ -------------- + --------------- + -------- + ----------- + --------- + ------ + ------ + ------- + -------- + ---------- +
Best Knuckleballers
Just kidding, there aren't any.