Here’s a Little Dillon Maples Nastiness for Your Late Night Viewing
I’d been jonesing to write about Dillon Maples since watching him finish off the Mariners Wednesday night, but I couldn’t write anything Thursday morning because the content is NSFW. Or maybe it was because we were crippled by database and server issues that kept us from publishing anything for several hours.
Anyway, it’s late enough now for adult content and I really need some Maples sliders in my life after what has been an exceedingly odd evening. Let’s start with that outing against the M’s in which he struck out the side by throwing 13 sliders in 17 pitches.
Dillon Maples, Sliders. 😂 pic.twitter.com/YnVrChWsrd
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 2, 2019
As you can see, Edwin Encarnacion just had zero chance up there. He was bailing out from the start and was ill prepared to handle what he was seeing. Here’s another look at what was essentially a one-pitch K.
Dillon Maples, 1-0 Slider vs Encarnación
[AKA how to end an AB on the 1st strike] pic.twitter.com/MOyCBPvZDR— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 2, 2019
Hey, that looks really similar to last week’s appearance against the Diamondbacks. Well, one of them. Maples had a really rough outing in which he got a pair of outs on balls in play before walking the bases loaded and giving way to Tyler Chatwood. But this at-bat against Adam Jones was just…yeah.
Adam Jones on a Dillon Maples Middle/Middle 90mph Slider. 😂 pic.twitter.com/HTs11S2tKV
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 27, 2019
And if seasoned veteran hitters don’t want to stand in there against that insane slider, what’s an opposing pitcher supposed to do? This is from last year, but it’s so fun.
2018 PitchingNinja Self-Awareness Award. 🏆
Alex Wood ["I can't hit that" after the first slider from Dillon Maples.]
Nailed it. 😂 pic.twitter.com/1AoZLkHv7f
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) December 28, 2018
I mean…
Dillon Maples, 88mph Slider/Wild Pitch Movement. pic.twitter.com/LI4T4hbfen
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 28, 2018
Here’s the thing: Maples is never going to be a guy who eliminates all the walks from his game. But if he can just get a little more control, he’s…Nah, let’s not go down that road again. It’s been the same story for the last couple years. So I’m just going to revel in the highlights and pray that we get more and more outings like that last one.