MLB Power Rankings: Baseball's 25 Most Unhittable Pitches
In baseball, great pitchers lead teams to victories and postseason runs. The way most pitchers become great is by specializing one of their pitches. This specialized pitch then become their go-to pitch.
If you are reading this, there is a 99 percent chance that you cannot hit Major League pitching at all, and especially not the best of the best.
The 25 pitches on this list are pitches that confuse even the greatest hitters in the world. These pitches are almost unhittable.
But what makes a pitch unhittable?
A pitch is considered unhittable when it is a pitch that can be thrown over and over again without getting hammered. It is a pitch that makes hitters swing and miss. It is a pitch that batters know is coming, but they still can't hit it.
These things and more can be said of each of these pitches for sure.
So without any further ado, let's count down the 25 most unhittable pitches in the MLB today.
Keep in Mind
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Injuries are a part of the game, and that holds true for pitchers too. There are already a lot of pitchers who are on the shelf for extended periods of time, and they cannot be on this list.
Pitchers like Johan Santana and Adam Wainwright cannot be on the list because they are out for most of the season. However, pitchers who are only going to be out for a short time, or just a few days longer will be included because they will be throwing these pitches to batters shortly.
Just keep this in mind.
25. Zack Greinke Slider
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Zack Greinke has one of the best sliders in the game just as a pitch, but every rose has its thorns.
Greinke’s slider gets hitters to swing and miss (whiff) 37.6 percent of the time, which is good enough for 24th on the list of most whiffed on pitches. Greinke is also ranked in the top 20 for pitchers in the MLB, even though he has not pitched yet in 2011, but he is expected to start soon.
As I said before, every rose has its thorns, and the thorn for Greinke’s slider is the fact that he does not throw it nearly enough, relying more on his fastball and other pitches. If Greinke only threw his slider more often I could rank him higher, but he does not.
Note: swing and miss rates/ratios will now be called whiff rates/ratios.
24. Ervin Santana Slider
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Ervin Santana is a pretty good pitcher, and this comes from his dominant slider.
Santana’s slider ranks 13th on the whiff rate list at 41 percent, and the pitch itself is quite good. Santana’s slider has good movement and speed, but it is not spectacular in either category. Santana was ranked 37th for pitchers in 2010, but a down year has led to a big drop.
Santana’s downward spiral comes from his lack of usage of his slider, but he looks to right the ship in 2011.
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23. Mat Latos Slider
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Mat Latos is a top-20 starter in the MLB, and his slider is one of the best pitches in the game. Latos’ slider has a whiff rate of 41 percent, good enough for 14th on the list.
Latos is a great pitcher with a great slider, so why is he so low?
The fact of the matter is that Latos does not have the best control of his slider, and he does not throw it as much as some of us would like. If Latos works on his control and gains faith in his slider, he could move up this list over the next season or two.
22. Edwin Jackson Slider
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Edwin Jackson pitched a 149-pitch no-hitter in 2010, and he used his slider quite a bit.
Jackson was very wild for a no-hit performance, but his slider is what helped him get it done. Jackson would use this pitch when he was ahead of hitters to get strikeouts, or when he was behind to try to get groundballs or looking strikes.
Jackson’s slider has a whiff rate of over 40 percent and is 17th in the MLB. Jackson’s slider has the potential to be much higher on this list, but he fails to control it effectively. Jackson allowed nine walks during his no-no, and many came from sliders leading him to three-ball counts.
21. Justin Verlander Fastball
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Justin Verlander is easily one of the best pitchers in the game. The thing that makes Verlander so special is the fact that his velocity actually increases as the game goes on.
Verlander’s fastball usually starts around the mid- to upper-90s, but then reaches up to the mid-100s by the end of the game. Verlander leaves enough in the tank in the first five innings to startle batters with his speed the third and fourth times through the order.
Verlander is always good, and this is because his off-speed stuff is made better by his fastball that is so hard to catch up to.
20. Brandon Morrow Slider
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Brandon Morrow has not yet pitched in 2011, but he is expected to be back shortly. When he does, the first pitch he needs to get back is his slider.
Last season, Morrow’s slider was the fifth most whiffed-on pitch in the Majors at 44.4 percent. Morrow is a decent pitcher, who has been made a starter by the Cubs, and his success comes from his slider. Morrow’s slider moves very well, and it is very hard to make contact with, let alone hit it away from fielders.
19. David Price Slider
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David Price is one of the best pitchers in baseball, and his put-out pitch is his slider.
Most hitters think they have an advantage over him when they bat from the opposite side (right), but he runs his slider in on them, forcing a lot of groundballs and broken bats.
Lefties don’t have it any easier, as he slides the pitch away from them, leading to either whiffs or harmless groundballs off the very end of the bat.
Price’s slider has some darn good break on it, and that is what makes it so effective.
18. Clayton Kershaw Slider
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Clayton Kershaw is considered the 10th best starter in the game today, and his best pitch is his slider. Kershaw manages to get hitters to swing and miss 43.7 percent of the time with his slider (eighth best of any pitch).
Kershaw is the best pitcher on the Dodgers, who always have good pitching, and he loves to strikeout hitters with his slider. Kershaw is a special pitcher, and he is one of many young guys on this list.
17. C.C. Sabathia Slider
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C.C. Sabathia is a workhorse for the New York Yankees, and he always competes for the Cy Young.
Sabathia has a good fastball, and because of this, hitters are ripe for the picking with his off-speed stuff. Sabathia usually throws his slider to get whiffs or groundballs, and he usually gets them.
Sabathia has great stuff, but his slider is what he uses when he has a strike or two and needs an out.
16. Tim Wakefield Knuckleball
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Tim Wakefield throws the best knuckleball in the game today; the ball just flutters by the hitter.
Hitters usually get anxious against Wakefield, looking for his ever-changing knuckleball, which is never the same pitch twice. When they get it, they usually swing early or wait too long and foul off the pitch.
The knuckleball is effective because hitters don’t see it often, and they usually are ineffective against it unless they have seen Wakefield throw it many times before. The only hitters who hit the knuckleball well are those who adjust easily and see the pitch in generally the same spot a few times.
15. John Axford Slider
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John Axford is the closer for the Milwaukee Brewers for those of you who don’t know him, and his best pitch is his slider by far.
Axford is a Brad Lidge-type pitcher because his slider is so good, and he can throw it to get hitters out often. Axford’s slider runs away from hitters, leading to soft groundballs or strikeouts. Axford’s slider is best used when it is in the dirt, and it is one of his put-out pitches, along with his four-seamer.
14. Jon Lester Cutter
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Jon Lester is regarded as the fourth best starter in baseball, and his best pitch is his cutter. Lester could be on here for just about any of the pitches he throws because they are all so good.
Lester’s cutter is his bread-and-butter, and he relies on it in any count (like many other pitches on this list). Lester knows that his cutter can set up his off-speed stuff nicely, and this leads to his success.
Lester is a Cy Young candidate in 2011, and this stems from his nasty cutter.
13. Clay Buchholz Changeup
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Clay Buchholz is a young, underrated pitcher, who is a dark-horse candidate for the AL Cy Young award in 2011.
Buchholz throws a good changeup, which dips under the bat of Major League hitters. His changeup has a whiff rate of 46.3 percent (third in the MLB), and he relies on it in any situation. Buchholz has usually posted low ERAs in his career due to his changeup, and it has the potential to become the best pitch in the league when the 27-year-old matures a bit.
12. Carlos Marmol Slider
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Carlos Marmol may not be the best pitcher on this list, but his slider is incredibly difficult to hit.
Marmol’s slider has a whiff rate of 46.5 percent which is the second-highest of any pitch today. Considering hitters cannot even make contact with this pitch half of the time, they can only get hits less than one fourth of the time.
The problem with Marmol’s slider is the fact that he does not pitch it often enough, resulting in his ERA over 3.00. Marmol has started throwing his slider more in recent years and has only had an ERA over 3.00 once in the past five years.
11. Francisco Liriano Slider
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Francisco Liriano is regarded as one of the top-10 starters in baseball, and he racked up over 200 strikeouts in 2010 because of his slider.
Liriano’s slider has a whiff rate of 44.8 percent, which is fourth of any pitch in the MLB today. Francisco Liriano’s best season was in 2006, when he posted an ERA of 2.16. Liriano came into the league throwing his slider whenever he felt like it, and it almost always worked.
The reason Liriano has not been up to par with his rookie season has been because hitters are looking for his slider more often now. Liriano’s slider could be one of the top-five pitches in the game, but unfortunately, hitters can hit it solid when they are looking for it.
Liriano cannot pitch his slider too often without getting burned, and that is why his slider can go no higher.
10. Felix Hernandez Changeup
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Felix Hernandez is one of the best pitchers in the game for sure, and that is because he has four of the best pitches in baseball. King Felix’s best pitch, however, is his changeup.
Hernandez throws a changeup that baffles even the best hitters in the MLB, and it is his go-to pitch. Hernandez is probably the second best pitcher in the MLB today, and this is definitely due to his changeup.
Hernandez’ changeup draws whiffs 39.6 percent of the time, which is the 18th highest of any pitch in baseball. Felix knows he has a gift in his changeup, and he uses it well and often.
9. Cole Hamels Changeup
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Cole Hamels has one of the best pitches in the league for sure in his changeup, but it is the best whiff pitch in the game, with a 48 percent whiff ratio.
Hamels’ changeup is his strikeout pitch, but he also uses it to work out of jams. Hamels has been down 3-0 to hitters and come back with three changeups to strike them out.
Hamels was the ace of the 2008 World Series winning Phillies, and he was the 2008 NLCS and World Series MVP. All of the hardware Hamels has collected has been due in large part to his changeup, which he mixes in very well.
8. Shaun Marcum Changeup
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Shaun Marcum was one of two big pitching acquisitions for Milwaukee over the offseason, and he has the better pitch of the two.
Marcum’s change has the eighth highest whiff ratio at 43.8 percent, and it is his go-to pitch. Marcum is comfortable throwing his changeup as a first pitch, on a 3-2 count, and anywhere in between.
The best part of Marcum’s changeup is the fact that there are different varieties, which leads to it being better than Cole Hamels’. Marcum’s changeup can be sinking, cutting or extra-slow, but they are not different pitches.
Marcum could honestly throw his changeup a dozen times in a row and still have hitters guessing.
7. Josh Johnson Slider
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Josh Johnson is one of the hardest throwing starters in the game, behind Justin Verlander, Stephen Strasburg, etc. Johnson has a mid- to upper-90s fastball, which he follows up with a devastating slider reaching 88-plus mph and breaking effectively.
Johnson’s slider looks as fast as a fastball sine they are both thrown so hard, but its movement makes it incredibly difficult to hit. Johnson uses his slider 28 percent of the time, and this consistent use shows how good it is.
6. Ryan Dempster Slider
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Ryan Dempster has the best slider in baseball, even if it is just barely.
Dempster has a mediocre fastball, a splitter that takes vacations and leaves him for stretches of time, but he keeps posting a good ERA and strikeout per nine innings ratio. The biggest part of this is easily his slider.
Dempster’s slider is in the mid-80s, and dips right before the plate, leading to a ton of swings that are completely off or harmless groundballs. Dempster’s slider is still the best, but Johnson could pass him very soon.
5. Ubaldo Jimenez 2-Seamer
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Ubaldo Jimenez is easily a top-10 pitcher in the game today, and he showed it with his no-hitter in 2010. Jimenez was the National League’s starter in the All-Star Game last year, and he has had his success because of his two-seam fastball.
Jimenez used his two-seamer a lot in the first half of the 2010 season and was the best pitcher in baseball in the first half. Unfortunately, a combination of using his two-seamer less and hitters learning to look for it led to a downward spiral in the second half, and he did not win the Cy Young, which instead went to Roy Halladay.
Jimenez’s devastating two-seamer can mess with a hitter’s mind, and he could be in position for a good few months starting in May if hitters stop looking for it.
4. Cliff Lee Spike-Curve
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Cliff Lee is probably the best postseason pitcher in the game today, even with his losses in 2010. Lee’s success is due in large part to his disgusting “spike” curve.
Lee’s curve is not like any ordinary 12-6 curve, it drops farther and is faster. Lee can throw this pitch as often as 40 percent of the time, or as little as one time in his first 60 pitches as he did on April 14 against the Nationals.
Lee’s curve just drops like a lead weight when it reaches the plate. Lee can use his curve to start over the batter’s head and drop into the very top of the strike zone, he can start it just over the strike zone and have it drop below it, or he can throw it so it looks like it is in the strike zone but is in the dirt.
Lee’s curveball is the best curve in the game and is next to impossible to hit.
3. Tim Lincecum Changeup
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Tim Lincecum is a top-5 pitcher in the game today, and for good reason. The Freak has a powerful fastball and nasty 12-6 curve, but his changeup is his best pitch.
Lincecum’s changeup drops almost straight down, and is much, much slower than his other pitches. Lincecum mixes his changeup in with a mid-90 fastball, and he his change is at its best in the bottom part of the strike zone (which he almost always throws it in).
Lincecum change has led him to loads of success already, and two Cy Young awards in only four full seasons.
2. Roy Halladay Cutter
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Roy Halladay’s cutter is his go-to pitch when he’s in a jam, and it’s one of the best in the game.
“Doc” is the best pitcher in the game, and this is naturally because he has an arsenal of excellent pitches. Any of his five pitches could be on this list, but his best is easily his cutter.
Halladay does not throw a four-seam fastball often, so he uses his nasty cutter instead. His cutter comes in around 93 mph and has a good break on it. Halladay knows how to incorporate his cutter effectively, and hitters look foolish when they aren’t ready for it, and they usually walk back to the dugout looking sheepish.
1. Mariano Rivera Cutter
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Mariano Rivera needs no introduction, but I’ll do it anyways. Rivera is regarded as the best closer in baseball history because he has the best pitch today—possibly ever.
About 90 percent or more of Mo’s pitches are cutters. Hitters know it’s coming, and they still can’t hit it. Some people don’t even know Rivera can throw other pitches, but he does every once in a while. Rivera’s cutter is absolutely filthy, and it is exactly what we look for in a good pitch (one that can be thrown over and over without it being picked apart).
Rivera’s cut fastball come in at 93-95 mph, and it has great late break. The pitch jams lefties and slides away from righties, so that they usually hit it on the very end of the bat. Rivera’s cutter is almost never taken into the stands, and the 41-year-old allows only four home runs per 162 games.
Rivera’s cutter is absolutely unhittable because hitters know it’s coming, but they still can’t touch it.
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