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Breaking ball
Breaking ball
Breaking ball
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A common grip of a slider

In baseball, a breaking ball is a pitch that does not travel straight as it approaches the batter; it will have sideways or downward motion on it, sometimes both (see slider). A breaking ball is not a specific pitch by that name, but is any pitch that "breaks", such as a curveball, slider, or screwball. A pitcher who primarily uses breaking ball pitches is often referred to as a junkballer.

A breaking ball is more difficult than a straight pitch for a catcher to receive as breaking pitches sometimes hit the ground (whether intentionally, or not) before making it to the plate. A curveball moves down and to the left for a right handed pitcher. For a left hand pitcher, it moves down and to the right.[1] And blocking a breaking ball requires thought and preparation by the catcher. The pitcher then, must have confidence in the catcher, and the catcher in himself, to block any ball in the dirt; if there are runners on base, they will likely advance if the ball gets away from the catcher. (Whether the pitcher is right- or left-handed will dictate which direction the catcher must turn his body to adjust for the spin of an upcoming breaking ball. This necessary movement may reveal the next intended pitch to the batter; therefore an experienced catcher must fake or mask his intentions when preparing for the pitch.)

If a breaking ball fails to break, it is called a "hanging" breaking ball, specifically, a "hanging" curve or even more specifically a "cement mixer" if it is a "hanging" slider that just spins. The "hanger" presents a high, slow pitch that is easy for the batter to see, and often results in an extra-base hit or a home run.

Don Mattingly wrote in Don Mattingly's Hitting Is Simple: The ABC's of Batting .300 that "hitting a breaking ball is one of the toughest things you'll have to learn" due to the ball's very brief window in the strike zone.[2]

Physics

[edit]

Generally the Magnus effect describes the laws of physics that make a curveball curve. A fastball travels through the air with backspin, which creates a higher pressure zone in the air ahead of and under the baseball. The baseball's raised seams augment the ball's ability to develop a boundary layer and therefore a greater differential of pressure between the upper and lower zones. The effect of gravity is partially counteracted as the ball rides on and into increased pressure. Thus the fastball falls less than a ball thrown without spin (neglecting knuckleball effects) during the 60 feet 6 inches it travels to home plate.

On the other hand, a curveball, thrown with topspin, creates a higher pressure zone on top of the ball, which deflects the ball downward in flight. Instead of counteracting gravity, the curveball adds additional downward force, thereby giving the ball an exaggerated drop in flight.

History

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Baseball lore has it that the curveball was invented in the early 1870s by Candy Cummings, though this claim is debatable. An early demonstration of the "skewball" or curveball occurred at the Capitoline Grounds in Brooklyn in August 1870 by Fred Goldsmith. In 1869, a reporter for the New York Clipper described Phonney Martin as an "extremely hard pitcher to hit for the ball never comes in a straight line‚ but in a tantalizing curve." If the observation is true, this would pre-date Cummings and Goldsmith.[3] In 1876, the first known collegiate baseball player to perfect the curveball was Clarence Emir Allen of Western Reserve College, now known as Case Western Reserve University, where he never lost a game.[4] Both Allen and his teammate John P. Barden became famous for employing the curve in the late 1870s.[5] In the early 1880s, Clinton Scollard (1860–1932), a pitcher from Hamilton College in New York, became famous for his curve ball and later earned fame as a prolific American poet.[6] In 1885, St. Nicholas, a children's magazine, featured a story entitled, "How Science Won the Game". It told of how a boy pitcher mastered the curveball to defeat the opposing batters.[7]

The New York Clipper reported, of a September 26, 1863, game at Princeton University (then the College of New Jersey), that F. P. Henry's "slow pitching with a great twist to the ball achieved a victory over fast pitching." By 1866, many Princeton players were pitching and hitting "curved balls".[8]

Harvard President Charles Eliot was among those opposed to the curve, claiming it was a dishonest practice unworthy of Harvard students.[9][10] At an athletics conference at Yale University in 1884 a speaker (thought to be from Harvard, likely Prof. Charles Eliot Norton, a cousin of the Harvard President[11]) was reported to have stated: "For the pitcher, instead of delivering the ball to the batter in an honest, straightforward way, that the latter may exert his strength to the best advantage in knocking it, now uses every effort to deceive him by curving—I think that is the word—the ball. And this is looked upon as the last triumph of athletic science and skill. I tell you it is time to call halt! when the boasted progress in athletics is in the direction of fraud and deceit."[12]

In the past, major league pitchers Tommy Bridges, Bob Feller, Virgil Trucks, Herb Score, Camilo Pascual and Sandy Koufax were regarded as having outstanding curveballs.

See also

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Breaking ball

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from Grokipedia
A breaking ball, also known as a breaking pitch, is a type of pitch that exhibits significant lateral or vertical deviation from a straight path as it approaches the plate, primarily due to the generated by the spin imparted by the pitcher's grip and release. This movement distinguishes it from straighter pitches like the , allowing pitchers to deceive batters by altering the ball's expected trajectory mid-flight. The most common forms of breaking balls include the , which features a pronounced downward and sideways break achieved through , typically thrown at speeds between 70-80 mph; the , a faster variant (around 85-90 mph) with tighter, lateral movement resembling a but veering late; and the rarer , which breaks in the opposite direction of most breaking pitches due to a unique pronation motion. Other variations, such as the —a hybrid of the slider and —or the , which adds unpredictable wobble, further expand the category, though their usage depends on the pitcher's arm angle and mechanics. Historically, the breaking ball traces its origins to the mid-19th century, with the credited to William "Candy" Cummings, who reportedly developed it around 1867 by experimenting with seashell spins during his youth, debuting it in professional play that year. Initially met with skepticism and accusations of trickery, as it defied the era's understanding of , the pitch was eventually accepted and became a staple by the late 1800s. The emerged in the early , often called the "nickel curve" for its subtler break, while the gained prominence in the 1930s through pitchers like . From a physics perspective, the break results from the Magnus force, where the ball's rotation creates uneven air pressure: higher pressure on one side pushes the ball toward the lower-pressure side, amplified by the 's raised seams that enhance drag and spin efficiency. For a right-handed , a typically breaks downward and away from a right-handed batter, while a might dart horizontally; these effects are most pronounced at lower velocities, giving the ball time to curve over the 60 feet, 6 inches to home plate. Breaking balls play a critical role in modern pitching strategies, as they generate higher rates of swings and misses compared to fastballs, contributing significantly to strikeouts and limiting hard contact—data from professional play shows they account for a substantial portion of a pitcher's , often comprising 20-30% of total pitches thrown, with sliders and sweepers now comprising a larger share and usage declining to around 8% as of 2025, while overall breaking ball usage has increased to over 30%. However, their repetitive use can increase arm stress and risk, particularly for developing pitchers, prompting debates on when young athletes should incorporate them.

Definition and Types

Definition

In , a breaking ball refers to any pitch in which the deviates from a straight path toward the batter, primarily due to spin generated by the pitcher's action during release. This movement, known as "break," arises from the rotation imparted on the , causing it to or drop unexpectedly as it travels the 60 feet, 6 inches from the pitcher's to home plate. The core characteristic of a breaking ball is its unpredictable , which challenges the batter's timing and hand-eye coordination by altering the ball's course mid-flight, often laterally or downward. In contrast to fastballs, which emphasize high velocity along a relatively linear path to overpower hitters, breaking balls prioritize spin-induced deflection over speed to deceive the batter. Changeups, meanwhile, rely mainly on velocity differentials to mimic fastball arm speed while arriving slower, but lack the pronounced spin-driven break of breaking balls. This deviation is achieved through a deliberate "snap" or break of the wrist, which differentiates breaking balls from straighter pitches and underscores their role in a pitcher's for varying location and movement.

Common Types

The most common types of breaking balls in are the and (including variants like the sweeper), each distinguished by their unique trajectories and strategic roles in deceiving batters. These pitches deviate from a straight path primarily through vertical or horizontal movement, allowing pitchers to induce swings and misses or weak contact. Rarer variations include the , , and . The curveball exhibits a sharp downward break, often described as a pronounced vertical drop, and is typically thrown at speeds between 75 and 85 mph as of 2025. This slower velocity enhances its deceptive arc, making it a staple for generating strikeouts by luring batters into chasing pitches out of the . The features lateral movement toward the pitcher's glove side with a slight downward tilt, traveling faster than a at an average of around 85 mph as of 2025. A common variant is the sweeper, which emphasizes greater horizontal break (often 15+ inches) while maintaining similar , and has seen increased usage to around 10% in certain matchups. Its quicker pace and tighter break make it effective for jamming opposite-handed batters or finishing off counts with late deviation. A serves as a hybrid between the slider and , blending lateral sweep with more vertical drop, and is usually delivered in the low 80s mph range. This combination provides pitchers with a versatile option for tunneling it closely to fastballs before breaking away from same-handed hitters, though its usage remains low. The , a rare breaking ball, moves inward toward a right-handed batter when thrown by a right-handed (or vice versa), often at speeds of 79 to 88 mph. Its uncommon arm-side run makes it particularly useful against left-handed batters, though its usage has declined due to concerns over arm strain. The , a variation of the standard , produces an even sharper downward plunge, typically clocking 80 to 85 mph. This intensified drop enhances its potential, especially in two-strike situations, and remains a go-to for select pitchers seeking extra bite on their breaking pitch. Among these, the and (including sweepers) are the most frequently thrown breaking balls in MLB, comprising a significant portion of off-speed arsenals for both starters and relievers.

Physics

Aerodynamics

The of a breaking ball in are governed by the interaction between the ball's motion through the air and the forces exerted by air resistance, primarily drag, which slows the pitch and contributes to its lateral or vertical deviation from a straight path. Drag arises from the and differences created as air flows around the ball, forming a wake behind it that influences the overall . This force is particularly significant for breaking balls, as it amplifies the pitch's movement by altering the ball's speed and direction over the flight path. A key mechanism in this process is separation, where the thin layer of air adhering to the 's surface detaches unevenly due to the pitch's spin, causing the to become turbulent and asymmetric over the seams. The spin imparts a rotational motion that accelerates air on one side of the while decelerating it on the other, leading to earlier separation on the side with opposing flow and delayed separation on the aligned side; this uneven separation shifts the wake and generates pressure imbalances that deflect the . The raised seams on a exacerbate this effect by tripping the into at lower speeds than a smooth would experience, enhancing the without requiring high spin rates. Seam orientation plays a crucial role in these aerodynamic disruptions, as the positioning of the raised stitches—such as in a two-seam or four-seam grip—creates varying degrees of resistance and gradients around the . For instance, a four-seam orientation can produce greater than a two-seam setup, resulting in more pronounced lateral movement by directing the disrupted to one side. These effects are related to the Magnus force, which arises from the spin-induced differences but is fundamentally driven by the seam-disrupted . Slower pitch speeds, typically 70-85 mph for breaking balls, increase the total break by providing more time for air deflection to accumulate over the approximately 55-foot flight distance to the plate, allowing typical lateral deflections of 4-10 inches, up to about 16 inches, for sliders compared to faster straight pitches.

Magnus Effect

The Magnus effect is the phenomenon responsible for the lateral or vertical deflection of a spinning baseball in flight, arising from a force perpendicular to both the ball's spin axis and its velocity vector due to pressure differences created by the rotation interacting with oncoming air. This effect generates lower pressure on the side where the ball's surface moves with the airflow and higher pressure on the opposite side, causing the ball to curve away from the lower-pressure region. The magnitude of the Magnus force FmF_m is given by Fm=12CLρAv2,F_m = \frac{1}{2} C_L \rho A v^2, where CLC_L is the lift coefficient (a function of the spin factor S=rω/vS = r \omega / v, with rr the ball radius, ω=∣ω⃗∣\omega = |\vec{\omega}|
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