Most difficult to hit?

 

When I watched some videos on YouTube, some videos of pitching performances were shown as YouTube recommendations. While watching those videos, I was thinking of the most difficult pitches to hit in the majors.

To understand a little bit more, I went to check on the statcast website, where we can find data since 2008, and try to explore something interesting.

Well, I didn’t go too far. I found that some pitchers did generate a lot of swings and misses by certain pitches from 2008 to 2021.

First of all, Max Scherzer generated more than 2600 swings and misses by throwing his devastating 4-seam fastball. Scherzer already won 3 Cy Young awards and he’s surely one of the most dominant pitchers of this generation. Scherzer made it into the big league in 2008 and, in that season, Scherzer threw 56 innings for the Diamondbacks. He posted a 3.05 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. He generated 74 swings and misses via his four-seamer. However, he didn’t record a win in his first season in the majors.

Justin Verlander underwent Tommy John surgery in 2020 and he didn’t pitch in 2021. Nonetheless, he has earned more than 200 wins and thrown more than 3000 strikeouts so far in his career. Normally, Verlander threw his four-seam fastball more than 50% of the time from 2008 to 2020. Additionally, he generated more than 2500 swings and misses by using his four-seamer.

Knuckleball is not that common to see in the MLB. In 2021, Orioles’ Mickey Jannis made his MLB debut as a knuckleball pitcher and he’s the eighth knuckleball pitcher to debut in the majors in the past 20 years. When it comes to knuckleball pitchers, we can’t forget R.A. Dickey, who won the 2012 NL Cy Young award. Dickey spent 15 years in the majors and recorded 120 wins. Furthermore, he used his knuckleball to create more than 2500 swings and misses from 2008 to 2017. In 2012, he generated 409 swings and misses via his knuckleball in the season that he won the Cy Young award.

In addition, due to injury, Cole Hamels didn’t pitch last season. However, we shouldn’t forget his changeup. He generated more than 2300 swings and misses via his changeup from 2008 to 2020. It’s still unknown whether we will see him pitch in 2022.

Moreover, do not forget another 3-time Cy Young award winner, Clayton Kershaw. His slider is one of the most devastating pitches in the MLB. Kershaw made his MLB debut in 2008, but in the first two seasons in the majors, he didn’t rely on his slider. He has used his slider more than 20% of the time in a single season since 2010. So far in his career, Kershaw generated more than 2200 swings and misses via his slider.

Finally, Ervin Santana’s slider generated more than 2100 swings and misses from 2008 to 2021. Francisco Liriano just announced his retirement after playing 14 years in the majors. Liriano’s slider generated more than 1800 swings and misses from 2008 to 2019.

Max Scherzer already inked a 3-year deal with the Mets and we shall see him keep using his four-seamer to fool MLB batters. Justin Verlander will return to the Astros in 2022 and let’s see whether his four-seam fastball will still be the same. R.A. Dickey already retired from baseball. Cole Hamels and Clayton Kershaw are still free agents. Are we going to see Hamels’ changeup or Kershaw’s slider in 2022?