cut fastball

American  

[kuht fast-bawl] / ˈkʌt ˌfæst bɔl /

noun

Baseball.

1. a fast pitch similar to a slider but delivered with a flick of the wrist, which abbreviates, or cuts, the turn of the ball upon release.

   It doesn’t matter that he always tosses the same cut fastball because it’s always too filthy to hit.

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Etymology

Origin of cut fastball

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

While he didn’t go full offseason implementation like he did with the splitter a year ago, he had been tinkering with a two-seam fastball and a cut fastball during his throwing sessions.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 17, 2024

One of the knocks on Anderson is that he doesn’t have swing-and-miss stuff, his three-pitch mix consisting of a four-seam fastball that averages 90.7 mph, a 79.0-mph changeup and an 85.7-mph cut fastball.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 2, 2022

“I had never seen a pitch like that before, but it excited me,” Suzuki told Japanese reporters of Burnes’s cut fastball.

From New York Times • Apr. 22, 2022

Five of the six hits that he allowed came off his four-seam or cut fastball.

From Washington Times • Oct. 7, 2021

With two on and no outs, Bassitt threw an 89.5 mph cut fastball that Brian Goodwin drove right back up the middle.

From Fox News • Aug. 18, 2021