According to a poll among 85 MLB hitters,
Chris Sale's slider is the nastiest pitch to face in all of baseball. Of course, the most vivid example of the pitch's power was
Manny Machado's drop to his knees to end
The Fall Classic. While Sale's #1 ranking has gotten wide play over the last few days, the
fourth nastiest pitch has not gotten much attention. That belonged to Red Sox closer
Craig Kimbrel—
and it wasn't his fastball. As Boston fans came to recognize for
most of Kimbrel's three years in
Carmine Hose, his sick knuckle-curve (coming as it does right
after his 99-MPH heater) was absolutely
devastating. Assuming he has fixed whatever caused his cardiac saves in the post-season, Kimbrel is
still the best closer option for Boston. Multiple reports have indicated that a reunion may, in fact, be close at hand.
Stay tuned!
