They say pitching wins in the postseason, so what pitches should hitters, and fans, be on the lookout for? Here are the five most devastating pitches that you will see these playoffs.
Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers, Curveball
Kershaw is the best pitcher in baseball, and even though he has an array of pitches he can throw for strikes and make hitters look silly with, his curveball stands out. It comes at hitters at 73.5 miles per hour, a cool 20 miles per hour less than his fastball. He uses it somewhat sparingly; Kershaw throws his fastball and slider more than the hook, but he uses the curveball as a hammer. When Kershaw is on, it is his greatest weapon.
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Masahiro Tanaka, Yankees, Splitter
Tanaka is the Yankees’ ace, and he’s set to toe the rubber in the American League Wild Card round. He doesn’t have Kershaw’s numbers, but Tanaka’s split-fingered fastball is one of the filthiest pitches in the sport.
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Tanaka is virtually unhittable when that pitch is working for him, and it has maintained it’s effectiveness even though elbow issues have forced Tanaka to use it more as he has had to lay off throwing fastballs.
He throws the split 27 percent of the time, and it has been a pitch worth 8.9 runs above average per Fangraphs. If you see the Yankees making a lengthy run, best believe you’ll see a lot of this:
Matt Harvey, Mets, Fastball
Harvey generated negative press for having some thoughts about protecting his right arm and sticking to an innings limit that would knock him out of the postseason. Thankfully he didn’t go through with that, because he is a bully on the mound and a treat to watch.
Harvey is the leader of the Mets’ rotation, and his success isn’t based off incredible breaking stuff. He overpowers with straight heat, whipping 95.3 miles per hour fastballs 61 percent of the time.
Andrew Miller, Yankees, Slider
Miller has served as the Yankees closer this season over Dellin Betances, who in 2014 posted one of the most dominant relief pitcher seasons in MLB history. With 36 saves and only two blown chances he’s justified the Yankees’ decision to keep Betances in his fireman role.
Miller struck out more than 14 batters per nine innings this year, and threw his killer slider 54.9 percent of the time. That slider was worth 14.4 runs above average, and becomes even more impossible to hit when it’s accompanied by a 94.3 miles per hour fastball. The Yankees have arguably the two best relief pitchers in the sport in the same bullpen, so their opponents have a lot of pressure to get ahead early.
David Price, Blue Jays, Changeup
Kershaw has his curveball, and Price has his changeup. Price is one of the most dominant pitchers in the American League, and has been for six years now. Price absolutely brings the heat, but he becomes impossible to touch when his changeup, which is his second-most used pitch, is on. That changeup comes at hitters at 85 miles per hour, almost 10 miles per hour less than the heater. It’s deadly.
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