Logan Webb had Padres rookie Jackson Merrill completely stunned with a ridiculous sinker that broke almost 2 feet
Just casually breaking the laws of gravity.
While Padres rookie Jackson Merrill already made his big-league debut in the Seoul Series against the Dodgers, Thursday’s Opening Day in San Diego came with a “welcome to the bigs” moment.
A sinker from Logan Webb will do that.
Facing Webb in the third inning, baseball’s No. 12 prospect worked the count even at 2-2 before the Giants ace unleashed one of the more ridiculous sinkers we’ll see this season.
Though the tweet above called it a two seamer at 23 inches of run, Statcast recorded the pitch as a 91.8 mph sinker with 22 inches or horizontal break. Considering the pitch initially was heading towards Merrill before breaking middle-middle, those stats are still silly.
Webb left the pitch over the heart of the plate, but the movement was so dramatic that I don’t know what Merrill could have done with it. The reaction said it all, really.
MLB fans were also impressed with the pitch. That’s one way to get a season started.