- A slider has significant lateral break.
- Randy Johnson had one of the best sliders in MLB history.
- Sliders have the second-highest whiff rate among all pitch types.
Pitchers among the favourites for the Cy Young in MLB betting often have a great slider. Most pitchers have a slider in their arsenal, whether they’re throwing 180 regular-season innings or throwing big-time velocity to close games.
Learning about different pitch types, matchups, and their effectiveness can help to inform decisions for baseball parlays.
What’s a Slider in Baseball?
A slider is a pitch that moves laterally. A right-handed pitcher’s slider moves away from a right-handed hitter and would move into a left-handed hitter.
Why Do They Call It a Slider in Baseball?
The name “slider” seems to have come from a 1936 article in a magazine, which referred to George Blaeholder’s pitch as a “slide ball.”
This appears to be origin of the term “slider,” although Blaeholder’s pitch was more like a cutter than what is considered a slider in the 21st century.
Why Is a Slider Hard to Hit?
Sliders are so hard to hit because of their lateral break and high velocity. They usually break late, meaning it looks like a fastball until it’s very close to the hitter.
Depending on the arm slot and spin imparted on the ball, sliders can also have some vertical movement, making it even harder to hit.
Sliders – according to FanGraphs – have the second-highest whiff rate of any pitch type.
What’s the Difference Between a Curveball and a Slider?
Curveballs generally have a lower velocity than sliders. While sliders predominantly have lateral break, curveballs have more vertical break or “drop.”
The pitches are thrown with different grips, though some sliders can look like curveballs and vice-versa.
What’s the Difference Between a Slider and a Cutter?
A cutter is a type of fastball. Cutters are thrown harder than sliders and have less pronounced lateral movement.
Some hard sliders can be confused with cutters.
Who Had the Best Slider in Major League Baseball History?
Randy Johnson and Bob Gibson had two of the best sliders in major league history. Both pitchers paired their sliders with a high-velocity fastball, making the break of the slider even more devastating.
Dennis Eckersley, Steve Carlton, Chris Sale, and Clayton Kershaw also possessed dominant sliders at their respective peaks.
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