Cutter

A cutter, or cut fastball, is a type of fastball which breaks slightly as it reaches home plate. This pitch is somewhere between a slider and a fastball, as it is usually thrown faster than a slider but with more motion than a typical fastball. A common technique used to throw a cutter is to release a fastball with slight pressure from the tip of the middle finger.

The cut fastball is most famously associated with Mariano Rivera, a relief pitcher for the New York Yankees. Rivera has become one of the best closers in Major League Baseball history by relying heavily on this pitch. Rivera's cutter is particularly effective because of the significant amount of movement (away from right handed batters and in on the hands of left handed batters) that he is able to achieve while still throwing the ball around 95 mph. His cutter is so effective that, despite throwing only a cutter and a four seamer, Rivera is still one of the most feared and respected pitchers in the league. When Rivera's cutter is working well, the pitch "saws off" left-handed batters in on the hands, resulting in frequent broken bats and weakly-hit balls. Al Leiter rode his cutter to 162 career wins and a no-hitter. Esteban Loaiza effectively used a cutter to help him win 21 games in 2003. Mark Buehrle is also renowned for his cutter.