page_title: Pat Neshek
section_title: Pitching style
hierarchical_section_title: Pat Neshek / Pitching style
caption_attribution_description: English: Pat Neshek, a professional baseball pitcher, during a game in Houston in April 2015.
context_page_description: Patrick John Neshek, is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball for the Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, Colorado Rockies and Philadelphia Phillies. The Twins selected him in the sixth round of the 2002 MLB draft, out of Butler University. Neshek made his MLB debut for the Twins in 2006, and played for them until 2010. He was selected to his first All-Star Game in 2014, and his second in 2017.
  Probably best known for an unorthodox pitching delivery, Neshek's arm motion slots about sidearm, with an explosive release point, which developed after a baseball struck his forearm in high school. Right-handed batters have difficulty tracking the path of his pitches, resulting in a .193 batting average, .243 on-base percentage, and a .311 slugging percentage against Neshek, in 1,143 career plate appearances, through 2019.
context_section_description: Neshek has a very unorthodox style of delivery that transitions from starting at a submarine angle to finishing sidearm with an explosive thrusting motion.  Near the release of the pitch, his torso and arm angle in a moderate "V" shape.  He developed the delivery after being struck in the forearm with a ball in high school by C. J. Woodrow (a former Philadelphia Phillies farmhand).  He then began to throw sidearm and play shortstop due to his injury.  When it healed, he could not change back to over the shoulder and his unique delivery stayed the way it is.  He still has a lump in his forearm where he was struck.
  The delivery has earned mention on SportsCenter as well as Baseball Tonight.  Professional baseball scouts have had a divided opinion on the issue. Some were worried that this violent-looking delivery would lead to arm problems.  Others considered the delivery to be an asset, as right-handed batters have a very difficult time seeing the ball.  For example, José Marzán, his former manager with the Single-A Fort Myers Miracle, believes that one of Neshek's greatest strengths is his ability to have enough strength to throw hard from such an angle, as his fastball used to top out around 96 mph (154 km/h) prior to his Tommy John surgery.  Neshek has had great success in both the minor and major leagues as a reliever, averaging more than a strikeout per inning pitched.
  After joining the Cardinals in 2014, Neshek's sinking fastball showed effectiveness well-above expectations through May 21.  With a mean movement of 10.9 inches, it averaged more horizontal movement than any other pitch from any other reliever on the Cardinals staff, which was 1.3 inches more than Carlos Martínez' two-seam fastball.  Martínez' own fastball has been heralded for its movement.  Neshek's sinking fastball also averaged over 91 miles per hour (146 km/h) during that time, its highest velocity since 2007.
caption: Neshek in 2015
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