Tommy Nance’s Slider Spin Rate Among Best in MLB

Those of you who stuck around to watch Tommy Nance make his MLB debut Monday night saw the righty work a perfect 9th to end the game. You also saw him throw sliders with spin greater than 3,000 rpm. Not many pitchers can generate that much spin, and the ones who do are probably aided by foreign substances.

The 30-year-old Nance, who had a great story that starts with signing as an undrafted free agent in 2016, maxed out with 3,224 rpm and averaged 2,959 rpm on the slider. The only other pitcher in MLB who has averaged more spin than that is Trevor Bauer. That’s it. Only one pitcher.

I know it’s a small sample size and everything, but whatever. I don’t really care. Find me pitchers who can do what Nance just did because if he can do it once he can repeat it. Did I mention his fastball was touching 98 mph also? Seriously, I want those pitchers on the Cubs.

I’m not sure how Nance was not playing in MLB or what devil magic he pulled to develop that slider, but he is a guy we all need to watch.