Just try to follow path of May's wipeout pitch

August 5th, 2020

Many fans were formally introduced to Dodgers top pitching prospect when he filled in for Clayton Kershaw on Opening Night and promptly hit 100 mph.

Well, here’s an update: May is still throwing pure filth.

The right-hander was pumping gas to begin his Tuesday night start against the Padres at Petco Park, an outing in which he allowed two runs with a career-high eight strikeouts over six innings to pick up his first win of the season in a 5-2 Dodgers victory. After getting two quick outs, May started his matchup against superstar Manny Machado with a 100 mph sinker. Three pitches later, he unleashed this:

The official velocity reading on this sorcery: 99.4 mph -- with an even 18 inches of horizontal break before the pitch hit catcher Austin Barnes’ mitt. It wasn’t in the strike zone, but it didn’t have to be; Machado never had a chance once the bat left his shoulder.

We’ve already seen May do that before, as he unleashed a 99.1 mph sinker with 18 inches of horizontal break against Giants slugger Pablo Sandoval in that Opening Night game. Last season, May’s sinker averaged 16.8 inches of horizontal break with an average velocity of 96 mph. Entering Tuesday, his average horizontal movement this season was up to 18.2 inches on that pitch -- with a 97.4 mph average velocity.

That’s a lot of numbers, but the visual really says it all. May’s stuff is absolutely filthy.