Fastball up. Slider away. Curveball in the dirt … Wait, what?

Edited 03/11/25 for clarity and grammar
If you’ve ever watched a baseball game and heard the commentators rattling off pitch names, you’ve probably found yourself wondering what they’re even talking about. It can definitely get confusing. Like, what actually makes a slider different from a sweeper? And how is a curveball not the same thing as a slurve?

Believe it or not, knowing what kind of pitch the pitcher is throwing can make the game way more fun to watch. It’s not just “that was fast” or “that was slow.” Whether you’re watching an MLB team in October or your local high school team on a Thursday, there’s a whole world of subtle differences like speed, movement, and style—and no two pitchers throw the same pitch exactly alike.

It sounds like a lot, I know. But don’t worry. By the end of this guide, you’ll have a solid understanding of the most common pitches, how to tell them apart, and some easy tips to help you spot them. Just in time for baseball season.

Before we get into the different types of pitches, it’s good to keep a few things in mind that will help you tell them apart. The three biggest clues are the speed of the pitch, how the ball moves, and maybe the most helpful of all, knowing what pitches the pitcher actually throws, also known as their pitch arsenal.
A pitcher’s arsenal is just the collection of pitches they rely on. Most pitchers have at least three or four they mix between, and usually one pitch they lean on the most.

For example, the 2024 National League Cy Young winner, Chris Sale, dominated with a four-pitch arsenal: a fastball, slider, sinker, and changeup. Knowing what’s in a pitcher’s back pocket makes it way easier to figure out what they’re throwing in the moment.
Alright, now that we’ve got the basics down, let’s dive in.

The Fastball(s)

We’ll start with the most important pitch in baseball: the fastball. No matter the type, whether it’s a four-seam, cutter, or sinker, this is usually a pitcher’s go-to pitch. It’s the foundation of their arsenal and the one they trust to get ahead in their duels with whoever is at the plate.
Spotting a four-seam fastball is pretty simple. A) Every pitcher throws some version of one. B) It usually travels in a straight line or with minimal movement. C) It’s typically the fastest pitch a pitcher throws, reaching anywhere from 90 to 105 MPH, depending on the player.

The Sinker

A sinker, otherwise known as a two-seamer, is a kind of fastball that drops in as it reaches the plate while maintaining its velocity. Oftentimes, a sinker looks like it’ll land as a ball before dipping back into the strike zone. While it’s still thrown hard, usually in the low-to-mid 90s, its downward movement, typically onto the hitter’s bat side, makes it harder for hitters to lift into the air, leading to more ground balls. Pitchers who rely on sinkers often use them to induce double plays or weak contact but the deceptive movement can lead to strikeouts as well.

The Cutter

A cutter, also known as a cut fastball, is a fastball with late, sharp movement that breaks slightly to the pitcher’s glove side, meaning right-handers’ cutters move left and lefties’ cutters move right. Thrown in the mid-to-upper 90s, it’s designed to break just enough to miss the barrel of the bat and count as a strike. Still with me here?
While the pitches mentioned above rely on their velocity first and foremost, the next two classes of pitches rely on spin and deception with an emphasis on significant movement. Whether these balls dive or sweep, they’re designed to throw off the hitter’s bat path.

Breaking Balls

The Slider

A slider is a breaking pitch that breaks sharply and late, breaking to the pitcher’s glove side—right-handers’ sliders break left, and lefties’ sliders break right. It’s typically thrown in the mid-to-upper 80s, with more velocity than a curveball but less depth. The best way to distinguish this pitch from a curveball is that a slider breaks horizontally, while a curveball breaks more vertically with its drop. The key to a good slider is its tight spin and sharp bite, making it one of the best swing-and-miss pitches in baseball.

A sweeper is a variation of the slider that has taken MLB by storm the last five years. Think of it as a slider that moves more side to side rather than dropping as much. It’s thrown in the low-to-mid 80s, and while it typically lacks the velocity of a traditional slider, the extreme movement of a good sweeper can make it tough for hitters.

The Curveball

A curveball is one of the easier pitches to identify while watching a baseball game. It’s iconic not only in name but in movement as well. The pitch is a slower breaking ball with more vertical drop, thanks to the extreme top-spin brought on by the way the pitcher grips the ball. Typically thrown anywhere in the high 60s to mid 80s, curveballs break downward in a looping motion, making them an effective change of pace pitch to even more so mess with a hitter’s timings.

Slurve

Another variation of a breakball is the slurve. Existing between a slider and a curveball, a slurve moves both horizontally and vertically, creating a diagonal break. Some pitchers naturally throw a slurve instead of a true slider or curveball, as it falls in the middle of the breaking ball spectrum. Velocity-wise, it’s usually thrown in the low-to-mid 80s.

It’s good to note that all of these pitches exist on a continuum of sorts, meaning the distinctions between them aren’t always rigid or exact. A slurve might look like a big slider, and a sweeper might blur the line between a slider and a curve. The key is to recognize general movement patterns rather than stress over pinpointing the exact label with pitchers themselves, who often tweak grips and release points, creating unique variations.

Offspeed Pitches

Offspeed pitches are typically thrown to disrupt a hitter’s timing, making a fastball look like it’s coming, only for the ball to arrive much slower or with unexpected movement!

The Changeup

My personal favorite pitch thrown in the sport, a changeup, is thrown with the same arm action as a fastball, but the grip reduces the velocity, causing it to arrive 10-15 MPH slower than a pitcher’s fastball, oftentimes making hitters look foolish at the plate. It can also have a slight downward fade, making it a deadly weapon when a pitcher wants to keep hitters off balance.

The Splitter

A splitter, or sometimes referred to as a split-finger, is gripped deep between the fingers, causing the ball to have a diving late motion as it reaches the plate or colloquially, is “buried in the dirt.” This pitch has seen a revamp in recent years, which is inspired by Japanese pitchers in Major League Baseball. This is due to the fact that many Japanese ball players come over from Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan with this pitch already in their arsenal. It’s typically thrown in the mid-to-upper 80s, and its sharp downward movement makes it one of the best pitches for generating strikeouts and getting whiffs, especially when thrown in two-strike counts.

Hopefully you’ve got a solid grasp of the different pitches thrown in baseball look like and how to distinguish them; watching baseball should feel a whole lot more engaging. Instead of just seeing a ball zoom past the batter, you’ll start noticing the subtle differences.

At first, it might seem like a lot to take in, but don’t worry! Pitch recognition comes with time. The more you watch, the more natural it’ll feel, truly. So next time you’re taking in a game at Dodger Stadium or watching on TV, take a moment to track the ball, see how it moves, and maybe even try to guess what’s coming next. You might be surprised at how much more you pick up.