Who has the straightest fastball?

General Pitching Topics
#1

Who has the straightest, most hittable fastball in the Major Leagues?

I would say my personal award would be a three way tie between Philip Hughes, Brad Lidge, and Clay Buchholz.

Hughes throws his at like 90-94 most of the time, hits his locations decently, but always seems to get hit fairly hard because his fastball stays on a straight line the entire way to the plate.

Lidge, idk about this guy. Guys always hit his fastball pretty well, to the point where he started throwing more Sliders than fastballs this year. He throws his anywhere from 93-97, yet guys seem to sit on it and most of the time get the barrel on it. Thank god he has the filthiest slider in all of baseball.

Buchholz throws his like 89-95, misses his locations fairly often, and just gets pounded. Hes straight over the top, and his four seamer gets killed. Decent two seamer that moves atleast a little, but he unlike the other two cant even keep his straight fastball on the corners. Likewise, he gets murdered. Hopefully he can figure it out and be a number 2-3 for my Sox next season.

#2

zumaya
its fast so it has less time to break

[quote]most hittable fastball in the Major Leagues?
[/quote]

some old pitcher

[quote]Hughes throws his at like 90-94 most of the time, hits his locations decently, but always seems to get hit fairly hard because his fastball stays on a straight line the entire way to the plate.
[/quote]

not really
he doesnt use his pitches
he throws every thing inthe strike zone or too far out

#3

Wagner’s was pretty straight. he threw 94 - 97 but was never a complete shut down closes, except for the first month of the season. he gives up too many home runs for a closer

#4

I’ve watched Lidge all year, and I don’t know what you’re talking about. True, he relies on his slider not only to throw strikes but to get batters out, but his fastball hasn’t been hammered this year. Obviously you’ve got the impression of how he pitched last year. Batters might sit on it, but Lidge only throws it for strike one or two. He doesn’t usually try to strike guys out with it. And if he can’t throw it for strikes, he’ll throw his humback slider for strikes.

Overall, his fastball hasn’t been getting hammered. No pitcher who is 45-45 on saves isn’t getting hammered on any pitch. If he throws a 16 pitch save, his 93+ fastball would only be thrown about seven times. But nobody is slugging that pitch when he throws it.

Maybe you saw the save in the playoffs when he threw his fastball and just got big flyball outs? He usually hasn’t done that this year.

#5

Kelv, fastballs don’t break.

I agree with whoever said Hughes. His fastball doesn’t move a quarter of an inch. Talk about getting hammered!

#6

False.

#7

hey kelvin, what type of breaking fastball are you throwing there buddy?

#8

"zumaya
its fast so it has less time to break "

Go check out Brandon League (reliever for the Jays). Throws a 100mph two seamer that moves like crazy.

#9

There is a running fastball … but I don’t really see the “break” that Kelv is talking about here….

#10

every pitch breaks down a little do to gravity

  • throwing from a downward angle
#11

It’s a new one Mr. Lee. The hard breaking fastball. I wish I had that one in the bag!

#12

you guys are saying the ball is goin on a straight line to the plate
not

it could be a four seamer pronated
like volquez - 98 mph moving fastball

#13

Kelv… . . is that you RiStar???

#14

just because the ball is going down from where you are throwing it from (i.e. overhand) doesnt mean its “breaking” kelvin. Everytime you say something and then get shot down you try and come back with something completely opposite to try and cover your own butt.

For once just admit that you are wrong, fastballs dont break, curveballs and sliders break

#15

[quote]just because the ball is going down from where you are throwing it from (i.e. overhand) doesnt mean its “breaking” kelvin. Everytime you say something and then get shot down you try and come back with something completely opposite to try and cover your own butt.
[/quote]

every pitch is gonna drop a bit due to gravity
it wont go completly straight off of flat ground either

well it doesnt break on purpose(most of the time)
you cant stop gravity

#16

^ omg i’m on my wits end!!!

#17

so you are saying a fastball goes perfectlty straight

#18

No.I’m not saying that. Gravity has effect on the ball but not enough to drive hitters crazy. A fastball will either run/cut/sink/or worse of all straight. Gravity makes a ball go down but not in a fast motion like sink its a gradual thing.

#19

thats all i was trying to say
did i not explaiin enough

#20

thats all i was trying to say
did i not explaiin enough[/quote]

But still not enough to count as “breaking”