Over the last year or so, as I have been busy constructing PitchF/x-based articles, I have consistently asked Nick Pollack, one of the brains behind @ThePitcherList, for GIFs to provide visuals for the complexities of PitchF/x data. In other words, we already knew a Carlos Martinez slider has roughly 10 inches of glove-side dragless horizontal movement, but what does that mean? The GIFs were an invaluable resource in helping us visualize what the pitch actually looks like to the hitter.
Effective immediately, the entire process of searching for pitcher GIFs will be so much easier, for everyone (not just those looking to write articles about MLB pitchers), as the completely overhauled PitcherList.com goes live today (editor's note: it was not yet live at the publishing of this article, but look for it to get straightened out today). Directly from Nick, here is what we can expect:
"Essentially a beefed up version of Pitcher GIFs - full on player pages with GIFs for each pitch plus descriptions for each pitch and full stat tables."
Personally, I think this site will be seen as a groundbreaking development for fans who want to learn more about pitchers, and not just those on the team they root for, but opponents as well. Now, considering this is a St. Louis Cardinals website, let's celebrate the news by enjoying some of the best pitcheof the starting rotation (plus Rosenthal) from last season.
Adam Wainwright Curveball
Michael Wacha Fourseamer
Wacha Changeup
Carlos Martinez Sinker
Martinez Changeup
Jaime Garcia Slider
Mike Leake Sinker
Trevor Rosenthal Fourseamer
Rosenthal Fourseamer #2
As always, if there is every a particularly devastating pitch you see during a game, direct the request to @ThePitcherList on Twitter, and I am certain they would be more than happy to memorialize it in GIF form and publish it on their website.