Despite seeing their 13-game win streak come to an end last week, the Tampa Bay Rays have hardly missed a beat. They’ve won four-straight games and are already pulling away in the AL East standings.
It certainly helps to have a pitcher like Shane McClanahan.
The 25-year-old left-hander wowed MLB fans earlier in the season with a changeup that seemingly had a mind of its own. And on Saturday, he was back at it again, which was bad news for the White Sox.
McClanahan threw just 88 pitches in the Rays’ 4-3 win and recorded 33 swings and misses. According to MLB, that’s the most swings and misses a pitcher has drawn in an outing with fewer than 90 pitches thrown since tracking began in 2008. That changeup — which isn’t a splitter despite a similar grip — was a huge reason why.
Shane McClanahan had 32 swings & misses on 88 pitches today!
That's the most in an outing of 90 or fewer pitches in the pitch-tracking era (2008).
(H/T @SlangsOnSports) pic.twitter.com/pYuujSSONu
— MLB (@MLB) April 22, 2023
I mean, just look at the pitch he threw to Romy Gonzalez.
Insane Movement on Shane McClanahan's Changeup. 😳 pic.twitter.com/MEF63lGQ9y
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 22, 2023
That pitch had a ridiculous 19 inches of horizontal break, and that’s not even the best movement that McClanahan is capable of producing.
No wonder MLB fans were once again in awe by McClanahan’s changeup.
This was how Twitter reacted
The 16 swings at McClanahan changeups yesterday:
whiff
whiff
whiff
whiff
whiff
whiff
whiff
whiff
whiff
whiff
groundout
whiff
whiff
whiff
whiff
groundout https://t.co/qm25PrZ8K4— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) April 23, 2023
How on earth do you hit this? https://t.co/y5EuMfsuRk
— Mike Hellinger (@mikehellinger12) April 23, 2023
When your catcher knows it’s coming and still can’t put a full glove on it 🤯 https://t.co/ek0a4aoHxH
— PositiveMetsFan (@mets_positive) April 23, 2023
https://t.co/mAjKLAqO3Q pic.twitter.com/KFIqr4JhKx
— Amanda in Winchester (@AWhite7877) April 23, 2023
No RH hitter in the history of baseball even touches this pitch…fight me if you think differently. https://t.co/EzY5oYlVvm
— Premier Kicks and Collectibles (@premierkicks_2) April 23, 2023
WHO IS SUPPOSED TO HIT THAT?! 😮 https://t.co/zG8t46rXak
— Don Thomas (@REALDonThomas) April 23, 2023
planet-in-orbit spin, seams are the equator. gross. https://t.co/0GT7DLZAcz
— Tim Ryder (@TimothyRRyder) April 23, 2023
Nah this gotta be fake https://t.co/2YMC4RTV2P
— Ty (@Tydayton21) April 23, 2023
🤢🤢 That's one of the most devastating pitches in baseball when executed properly. It can make batters look silly at the plate! https://t.co/kGsrkqJsal
— Daniel Lugo (@DANIELSANTOS_LG) April 22, 2023
What is the hitter even supposed to do there? It’s impossible to hit.
