Marlins Reliever Might Have the Best Pitch in Baseball
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The "best pitch in baseball" conversation typically centers around dominant, unhittable aces or shutdown closers. It brings to mind Jacob Misiorowski's fastball or Christopher Sanchez's changeup, or perhaps Mason Miller's slider.
A sweeper courtesy of a Miami Marlins 31-year-old middle reliever, however, probably isn't at the forefront of that conversation.
And yet, it is Anthony Bender's best pitch that currently ranks first across baseball, as per Statcast's run value per 100 pitches. The heavy breaking pitch has been worth four runs over 100 pitches, ahead of the likes of Tanner Scott's slider and Shohei Ohtani's sweeper.
Bender Has Dominated MLB With His Sweeper
On the whole, Bender's numbers don't necessarily leap off the page. In 27 appearances so far this season, he owns a 1-0 record with a 3.04 ERA while assuming a versatile array of relief roles. He remains one of Miami manager Clayton McCullough's most trusted arms out of the bullpen, but Pete Fairbanks is still the team's closer while Bender's ERA sits nearly a run higher than his 2025 mark (2.16).
Look deeper, however, and you begin to see hints of Bender's stellar pitching thus far. After some shaky results early, the right-hander has allowed just two runs over his past 18 outings, totalling 17.2 innings of work. This year, he is on track to set career-bests in WHIP (0.863) and FIP (2.66) while striking out 9.8 batters per nine innings.
Unsurprisingly, Bender's sweeper stands as a big part of the equation. According to Statcast, he has thrown the pitch 202 times, representing 48.9% of his arsenal this season. It has generated a minuscule .096 batting average against, with a slugging percentage of .115. The pitch, boasting a break of nearly 20 inches for right-handed hitters, has yielded a 22.7% whiff rate.
As if a 20-inch break isn't enough to confound hitters, Bender also generates deception through a 16-degree arm angle on his 6'4" frame. In addition to the sweeper, he possesses a sinker that averages 96.4 mph.
Other teams may be starting to notice. Bender could prove to be a valuable trade chip for the 31-35 Marlins, who currently sit 14 games back in the NL East. With so many clubs in need of bullpen help, a trustworthy, versatile, high-leverage reliever who is under team control for one more season could be hotly coveted ahead of the August 3 trade deadline.
Whether Bender goes elsewhere if Miami decides to sell at the deadline or if they hold onto their prized reliever, he should bring plenty of value to the organization. Who knows, maybe he and his deadly sweeper will assume the closer's role sooner or later.
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