Who do you think throws the best... Sinker Four Seam Two Seam Changeup Circle Change Slider Curveball Slurve Knuckleball Knucklecurve Cutter Splitter Palmball Forkball Screwball Gyro Shuuto?

Answer 1

This is a rather subjective question because each batter in MLB has their own strengths and weaknesses, thus have differing opinions on what is hard to hit and what is easy to hit. For instance, if you watch Major League Baseball, you know the announcers refer to a batter as a "fastball hitter" or a "junk hitter." This is because some batters have superior hand-eye-bat coordination, but may not have as much explosive power and speed required to hit a 100+ MPH fastball or vice-versa. Also, how do you define "best?" For a 4-Seam Fastball is the best one defined as the hardest or the one with the best movement? To remedy this dilemma, I will list two pitchers for each pitch and define WHY their respective pitches are considered the best, and the pitcher that had the best pitch overall (all time).

Sinker- Brandon Webb (Texas Rangers) and Chien Ming Wang (Washington Nationals)

These two pitchers are consistently considered the best sinkerball pitchers in Major League Baseball. They both throw a sinker at a high velocity (90-94 mph), and with incredible downward movement. (approximately 10 inches) and with great lateral (horizontal) movement. A sinker coming from a right handed pitcher (both Webb and Wang) also begins at the center of the plate and will move to the right of the pitcher, or towards the batter.

Best All Time: Brandon Webb

Four Seam Fastball- Aroldis Chapman (Cincinnati Reds) and Felix Hernandez (Seattle Mariners)

Aroldis Chapman possesses the undoubtedly fastest four seam fastball (Averages 101.3 MPH). A 105 MPH fastball explodes from his hands towards the batter, giving the batter approximately a third of a second to decide to swing or not, where to swing, how hard to swing, and to suppress the desire to back out of the box. Felix Hernandez possesses the best fastball for a starter, as he averages 96.2 MPH.

Honorable Mention: Ubaldo Jimenez

Best All Time: Nolan Ryan, Walter Johnson, Sandy Koufax, Aroldis Chapman (Fastest recorded pitch in major league baseball)

Two Seam Fastball- Tim Lincecum (San Francisco Giants) and Jake Peavy (Chicago White Sox)

Tim Lincecum throws his 2-Seamer at about 92-94 MPH. However, it has significant downwards movement (about 6 inches) and his unique, corkscrew delivery and long stride in conjunction make the pitch seem much faster as he releases it 53 Feet from the plate as opposed to 55 Feet away from home. Jake Peavy throws his Two Seamer at about 88-90 MPH, with incredible lateral movement in on the batter. He releases his pitch from a very low three quarter delivery, giving the pitch extra movement.

Best All Time: Greg Maddux

(Straight) Changeup: Brandon League (Seattle Mariners) and Ubaldo Jimenez (Colorado Rockies)

The straight changeup is a rare pitch in baseball, the circle changeup replacing it as the premier off speed pitch. However, a straight change, while more difficult to master, can have devastating results.

Best All Time: Mike Mussina

Circle Changeup: Johan Santana (New York Mets) and Cole Hamels (Philadelphia Phillies)

The circle changeup, a modified version of the straight changeup, is undoubtedly the hardest off-speed pitch to master, but the off speed pitch that once mastered, will be your best. Johan Santana is known for his devastating circle changeup. The pitch, while slower than a fastball but released with the same arm speed and arm slot, also has screwball-like motion (in towards a lefty for a LHP, in towards a righty for a RHP). Cole Hamels also has an amazing circle changeup, one that will probably overtake Johan Santana's.

Best All Time: Tom Glavine

Slider: Francisco Rodriguez (New York Mets), Tim Lincecum

The slider is a hybrid of a fastball and a curveball. It has sharp break as opposed to a fastball or slow curveball and has higher velocity than a curveball. Francisco Rodriguez possesses an effective slider that starts behind a batter, and moves to just nip the inside edge of the plate. Lincecum's slider, coming in at 87 MPH, has considerable downwards action to go with good lateral action, providing one of the best pitches in baseball.

Best All Time: Randy Johnson, Steve Carlton

Curveball: Tim Lincecum, Zach Greinke (Milwaukee Brewers)

The curveball is a pitch designed to exploit the magnus effect. It creates a pocket of air around itself, combined with the forespin of the ball, making the ball drop, reaching break of about 48 inches. It can also bend to the left of the pitcher, making the batter believe he will be hit with the pitch when it suddenly moves in to catch the black of the inner half. Both Lincecum and Greinke possess amazingly effective curveballs, both of which have incredible downwards action. Honorable mention here goes to Barry Zito who before his collapse with the Giants, had UNDOUBTEDLY the best of the best 12-6 curveballs in baseball.

Because so many major leaguers throw a curveball, I'll throw in some extras.

-Wandy Rodriguez (Houston Astros), Adam Wainwright (Saint Louis Cardinals)

Best All Time: Sandy Koufax, Burt Blyleven

Knucklecurve: AJ Burnett (New York Yankees) and Cliff Lee (Philadelphia Phillies)

The knucklecurve is a curveball thrown with one or more of the main fingers (index and middle fingers) bent. This supposedly increases the amount of spin that one may impart on the ball. AJ Burnett, a pitcher with perhaps the most "electric" stuff in baseball, has mastered the knuckle curve. At least the movement part. When it is on, it is literally unhittable, coming to the plate in the low 80's and nearly breaking into the dirt. Cliff Lee takes a more controlled approach to the knucklecurve, using in in a 12-6 manner.

Best All Time: AJ Burnett and Mike Mussina of the New York Yankees

Cutter: Mariano Rivera and Roy Halladay

Mariano Rivera possesses perhaps the best pitch to ever be thrown on a baseball diamond. He throws it 90-something percent of the time, and through his 15 year career, no one has ever mastered hitting it. He throws it in the mid nineties, and with such sharp break that it shatters bats at an alarming rate. It moves in towards lefties and away from righties. Roy Halladay also throws an impressive cutter at 90 MPH with good lateral movement.

Best All Time: Mariano Rivera

Splitter: Dan Haren (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) and Roy Halladay

The splitter is a type of fastball. It is thrown with the index and ring fingers separated, which produces a tumbling, downwards action. Dan Haren throws an extremely effective splitter. Roy Halladay also throws an effective splitter with late sinking action.

Best All Time: Roger Clemens, Bruce Sutter, Curt Schilling, David Cone

Palmball: Trevor Hoffman

The palmball is a changeup thrown with the ball deep in the hand in the palm. Trevor Hoffman, while at a declining age, made his outstanding career on the palmball, saving an astounding 601 games.

Best All Time: Trevor Hoffman

Forkball: Tim Lincecum, Jose Contreras

The Forkball is a pitch thrown with the ring and index fingers spread across the ball, splitting or nearly splitting the ball in half. The thumb underneath the ball causes the ball to "slip" out of the fingers with a lack of spin and drop anywhere from 18 inches to four feet. Lincecum calls his forkball a changeup. However, he grips it like a forkball, throws it like a forkball and it has the movement of a forkball. Therefore it is a forkball. Jose Contreras also throws an effective forkball.

Best All Time: Hideo Nomo, Tim Lincecum

Screwball: No one really throws a true screwball today.

Best In History: Fernando Valenzuela, Carl Hubbell, Christy Mathewson, Juan Marichal

Gyroball: No one in Major League Baseball throws a gyroball officially. A misconception of the gyroball is that it has screwball movement. However, a Gyroball (developed by Kezushi Tezuka) is supposed to go stright with little to no movement like a fastball.

Notable Gyroballs: Daisuke Matsuzaka (?), CJ Wilson (?), Jered Weaver (?)

Shuuto: Daisuke Matsuzaka

A Shuuto is simply a two seam fastball with less break but more velocity than a slider. It also moves in to a right handed batter for a right handed pitcher.

Best All Time: Greg Maddux

Please note that these are opinions and should not be taken too seriously. If I forgot a pitcher, please make note.