To win a baseball match, a pitcher must weave magic with his different pitches to gain competitive advantage against the batter. Throwing a similar pitch over and over gain can help the batter predict the kind of next pitch, thereby preparing to hit it harder than before. But with a different strike zone, pitch speed and pitch location, a pitcher can only keep the batter guessing about what the next pitch will be. If you’ve been familiar with the game of baseball, you know what exactly we are talking about. But if you are ignorant to the game of baseball, the word ‘pitch’ is sure to marvel you. A pitch is the act of throwing a baseball towards the hitter at the home plate to start off the game. A pitch forms the arsenal of the pitcher to confuse the hitter or batter. For this reason, different pitches are designed with differences in velocity, trajectory, movement, hand position, wrist position and arm angle. All pitches are categorized into three types: fastballs, breaking balls and changeups, which are further classified into sub-divisions. Take a look at the different types of pitches used in the game of baseball.
Different Kinds Of Baseball Pitches
This pitch is as common as “bread and butter”, as every pitcher knows it. It is generally the fastest pitch in the game, which can reach a speed of as high as 100+ mph. However, a four-seam fastball does not have much movement as pitchers simply throw it past the hitter.
A little slower than four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball has more movement and is thrown at a speed of 88-92 mph. It is also known as a sinker as the ball moves downward during the pitch, making it little easy to hit, but easier for the pitcher to control.
A cutter is a blend of a slider and a fastball. It is thrown faster than a slider and has more movement than a fastball. This pitch slides in on left-handed hitters when thrown by a right-handed pitcher or breaks in on right-handed hitters, when thrown by a left-handed pitcher.
A splitter is thrown at a high speed and ends with a sharp or sudden drop. Thus, it is also known as the “bottom falling out of it”.
A curveball is a slow breaking pitch with a “looping action”, such that the ball breaks or curve. Usually slower than a fastball, a curveball is delivered at a velocity equivalent to the movement.
Harder than a curveball, a slider is a sharp breaking pitch with a more sudden drop off. It has a smaller break with a tighter spin.
A pitch generally has a backspin, but a forkball has a forward spin. It is held between the index and middle fingers and thrown hard at varying depths. A forkball tumbles through the strike zone and drops violently, often diagonally.
Delivered with the same arm action, a changeup is slower than a fastball thereby, confusing the hitter. The maximum effectiveness is achieved by maintaining a proper arm speed. Further, a changeup is used to control bat speed.
The slowest pitch in baseball, a knuckleball has very little or no spins and is thrown using the fingertips of the pitcher’s hands. Though a knuckleball is the slowest baseball pitch, it is, in fact, the most effective with an erratic action, making it a hard pitch for the pitcher to control and for the catcher to catch.
The ball is gripped tightly in the palm, hence the name palmball. Similar to a changeup, a palmball is slower than a fastball and is used to slow the pitch in the hopes of the batter swinging it too soon.