Jhoan Duran’s 101-MPH Splinker Might Be the Nastiest Pitch in MLB

This pitch is a nightmare for hitters.

Twins closer Jhoan Durán unleashed a pitch Tuesday night that seemed utterly impossible to hit. And it comes with a very cool name: splinker. 

The 25-year-old right-hander struck out White Sox first baseman Andrew Vaughn on Tuesday night with one of those pitches, which hit 101 mph on the radar gun and left everyone watching in awe.

MLB.com had some details earlier this month on the pitch: 

The name is a portmanteau of “splitter” and “sinker,” and that’s really the essence of the pitch. Duran uses a split-fingered grip and throws it as hard as he can, causing it to move like the most violent sinker you’ve ever seen, falling off the table to his arm side.

That description is pretty accurate because look at this thing:

Jhoan Duran's 101mph Splinker grip/release pic.twitter.com/bszFMdqlU7

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 12, 2023

That could be a nightmare for hitters for years to come. 

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MLB fans couldn’t believe what they had seen: