Courtesy of Fangraphs, an excellent resource.
Justin Verlander’s 12-6 curve
The
MLB 2K12 cover star gets ridiculous drop on his best breaking ball. The pitch only sits at 83 MPH, but when you combine this kind of movement with the fact that you can throw the pitch after hitters are used to 100 MPH fastballs, it’s easily one of the best pitches in the game. In real life, Verlander aims this pitch at the low outside corner of the strike zone. That’s the spot where you should place it as well – when your opponent makes contact, more often than not, it will be a weak grounder.
Courtesy of Fangraphs, the chart above is of Verlander's curveball movement. The pitches on the chart are as a catcher would perceive them. So, pitches further to the right would break in to left-handed hitters, and vice versa. Movement is relative to the average pitch.