The 3 nastiest pitches from Opening Day 2025 ft. Sandy Alcantara’s wicked 95mph whiffle ball

Modified Mar 28, 2025 11:26 GMT

MLB: Pittsburgh Pirates at Miami Marlins - Source: Imagn — The 3 nastiest pitches from Opening Day 2025 ft. Sandy Alcantara’s wicked 95mph whiffle ball (Image Source: IMAGN)

One of the biggest perks of Opening Day is getting to see the best pitchers from every team take the mound. As expected, Opening Day 2025 did not disappoint from that standpoint, with some excellent pitching performances on display.

Let's take a look at three of the best pitches from Opening Day of the 2025 MLB campaign.

3 nastiest pitches from Opening Day 2025

#3) Ryan Helsley (Minnesota Twins v. St. Louis Cardinals)

Ryan Helsley stepped onto the mound to close the game with the Cardinals carrying a two-run lead over the Twins going into the ninth inning. The burly right-hander faced switch-hitting second baseman Willi Castro for the first at-bat.

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Helsley worked a 1-2 count in his favor before dishing out a 102 mph pitch located precisely on the lower inside corner of the strike zone. Castro was left completely frozen by the heater and kept looking towards the pitcher as he walked to his dugout.

The Cardinals' closer eventually ended up striking out the Twins in the ninth to record his first save of the campaign.

#2) Sandy Alcantara (Pittsburgh Pirates v. Miami Marlins)

Sandy Alcantara made his return to the MLB against the Pirates following his Tommy John surgery in 2023. The Marlins flamethrower posted a solid outing, which included a three-pitch strikeout of Endy Rodriguez in the fifth inning.

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Alcantara opened the at-bat with a 95 mph sinker that had an astonishing 26 inches of horizontal break in addition to 17 dropping inches. The pitch started way inside for the left-handed Rodriguez before finding the upper part of the zone.

The Marlins ace pitched 4.1 innings and struck out seven Pirates batters, but gave up a couple of earned runs off two hits and four walks.

#1) Zack Wheeler (Philadelphia Phillies v. Washington Nationals)

Zack Wheeler made his second straight Opening Day start for the Phillies as they started their season on the road against the Nationals. He punched out five batters in the first three innings, including one of Nathaniel Lowe on a nasty breaking ball.

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In the second inning, Wheeler dropped a looping 82 mph curveball on Lowe in a 0-2 count. The left-hander seemed to be expecting a slow pitch but still couldn't stop from swinging at a pitch that landed on the dirt before reaching the catcher.

It was a glorious performance on the day from the Phillies ace, who pitched six innings and gave up just one run while notching eight strikeouts.

About the author

Paranjoy Goswami (Bobo) is a baseball reporter at Sportskeeda with over 10 years of experience writing with publications such as Eagle Bet, India Bet and Paradine.

He has provided full coverage, match previews and betting tips on major tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup, English Premier League, German Bundesliga, ICC World Cup, Indian Premier League and several others.

Bobo grew up supporting the Red Sox but has also been on the Phillies bandwagon for the past couple of years. He also roots for the St. Louis Cardinals and Seattle Mariners.

While he hasn't played much baseball, Bobo's fascination with the sport started with an 8-bit Nintendo game, where he picked up the basic rules. He started watching live MLB matches on TV about 20 years ago and his love for baseball just grew by leaps and bounds from then on.

Bobo's favorite player was probably Tim Wakefield as not only was he the best knuckleball pitcher of his time, but he was also a Red Sox legend, an outstanding team player and a great human being. Among the current generation, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Max Scherzer and Bryce Harper get the nod.

Bobo's favorite moment in baseball history was when the Red Sox beat the Yankees before breaking their World Series curse in 2004. That said, Jackie Robinson's breaking the color barrier was the most important.

Outside of baseball, Bobo's interests include literature, comics, world history, science fiction, satire, classic movies, PC games, pets, playing sports, cycling, traveling, sightseeing and quiet reflection.

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Edited by John Maxwell