<
        >

          Keith Law Blog

          Fastballs, sliders, curveballs ... who throws them best?

          Who has the nastiest repertoire? Clayton Kershaw and Aroldis Chapman come to mind. Getty Images

          It's "best tools" week! For a second straight year, Keith Law discusses the players with the best tools in baseball. Earlier this week, he looked at players who have the best hitting/speed tools and the best fielding/throwing tools, and Dan Szymborski covered the "intangible" tools. Today Keith looks at the pitching tools, such as the best individual pitches and best command. (See last year's pitching tools here).

          Best fastball (velocity)

          1. Aroldis Chapman, RP, Cubs
          2. Mauricio Cabrera, RP, Braves
          3. Noah Syndergaard, SP, Mets
          4. Nathan Eovaldi, SP, Yankees
          5. Dellin Betances, RP, Yankees
          6. Arquimedes Caminero, RP, Mariners
          7. Carlos Estevez, RP, Rockies
          8. Kelvin Herrera, RP, Royals
          9. Edwin Diaz, RP, Mariners
          10. Arodys Vizcaino, RP, Braves

          It's a little tricky to combine relievers and starters here, as relievers get to throw harder since they work in shorter stints … but Chapman and Cabrera are pretty clearly a cut above, accounting for 62 percent of all 100-plus mph pitches in baseball this year (per MLB Statcast data). Syndergaard leads all starters in the same department with 80 such pitches; the only other starter with more than 20, Eovaldi, is about to get his third elbow.

          There's a lot of velocity out there right now, but I looked closely at this list, and the one thing I took away from it is that velocity is no guarantee of success, even though it's what everyone wants and pays for. Not pictured: Mets starter Bartolo Colon, who doesn't crack 90 anymore and rarely throws any off-speed pitches but has a 3.36 ERA/4.01 FIP this year.

          Best slider

          1. Michael Pineda, SP, Yankees
          2. Jose Fernandez, SP, Marlins
          3. Chris Archer, SP, Rays
          4. Max Scherzer, SP, Nationals
          5. Clayton Kershaw, SP, Dodgers

          According to Statcast, Pineda has more swings and misses on his slider this year than any other pitcher has on a slider OR curveball. Fernandez's return from Tommy John surgery was quick -- about 14 months between starts -- and he's now leading the NL in strikeout rate and is second in strikeouts. It's due to his two similar breaking balls, both of which are close enough in velocity that they tend to be scored as one pitch by automatic systems (including Statcast, which calls them all curveballs). Madison Bumgarner and Jon Gray also have consistently hard, effective sliders.

          Best cutter

          1. Jake Arrieta, SP, Cubs
          2. Kenley Jansen, RP, Dodgers
          3. Adam Wainwright, SP, Cardinals
          4. Corey Kluber, SP, Indians
          5. Mark Melancon, RP, Nationals

          If you want to argue Jansen's cutter is better, I won't put up a fight, but I gave a nod to the starter over the reliever here. Melancon's continued effectiveness is all about his cutter, which he throws about 60 percent of the time.

          Best curveball

          1. Clayton Kershaw, SP, Dodgers
          2. Lance McCullers, SP, Astros
          3. Corey Kluber, SP, Indians
          4. Craig Kimbrel, RP, Red Sox
          5. Yordano Ventura, SP, Royals

          I'm a sucker for an old-school breaking ball. While the pitch is still less common than the slider -- a good pitching coach can teach almost anyone a slider, but if you're not born with that curveball in your wrist, best of luck to you -- there are some really good ones in the majors right now. Kershaw's is still one of the best I've ever seen, but McCullers' has so much power to it that I rate it as the best right-handed curveball in the majors right now. Lucas Giolito would have made the list if he were eligible.

          Best changeup

          1. Felix Hernandez, SP, Mariners
          2. Chris Sale, SP, White Sox
          3. Kyle Hendricks, SP, Cubs
          4. David Price, SP, Red Sox
          5. Michael Fulmer, SP, Tigers

          The King has had one of the best changeups in baseball for years now, but Hendricks and Fulmer are both going to garner Cy Young votes this year partly due to the success of their changeups. Not present: Cole Hamels, whose changeup, while still good, hasn't been what it was in previous years.

          Best splitter

          1. Masahiro Tanaka, SP, Yankees
          2. Matt Shoemaker, SP, Angels
          3. Hector Neris, RP, Phillies
          4. Yu Darvish, SP, Rangers
          5. Junior Guerra, SP, Brewers

          Very few U.S.-born pitchers throw the splitter now, which tells me that it would be a great pitch to use, since hitters don't see many of them. But in Japan the pitch is more common, so Tanaka and Darvish throw two of the majors' best. Neris has been a revelation for the Phils this year in the bullpen thanks primarily to his split. Guerra, who made his major league debut at age 30 last year, has become an above-average big league starter this year for the Brewers largely on the strength of his plus splitter.

          Best knuckleball

          1. Stephen Wright, SP, Red Sox
          2. R.A. Dickey, SP, Blue Jays

          We have a changing of the guard!

          Best command

          1. Clayton Kershaw, SP, Dodgers
          2. Jake Arrieta, SP, Cubs
          3. Chris Sale, SP, White Sox
          4. Corey Kluber, SP, Indians
          5. Josh Tomlin, SP, Indians

          These guys all have great command, but Kershaw has the rare plus command of multiple off-speed pitches, which is why I'd give him the nod over the others on this list. Command is distinct from control, which is just the ability to throw strikes, although Kershaw, with a 2 percent walk rate this year, would top that list as well. Just missed: Big Sexy, as Bartolo wouldn't be in the big leagues anymore -- he throws primarily one pitch, with below-average velocity -- without plus command.