What is a slutter in baseball? NSFW pitch name on Atlanta Braves scoreboard tickles MLB fans

The indecorous new pitch, seemingly called a "slutter" has gained traction among fans and commentators alike after its first widespread presentation to the world.

According to sources, the new pitch is a combination of a slider and a splitter. The pitch aims to combine the sideways trajectory of the slider with the hard, breaking motion of the splitball. Thus, slutters are meant to feature an extreme horizontal break.

The slutter is officially classified by the MLB as a "sweeper," and the league's use of this is evident on their site. The raunchy name, of course, is gaining more traction from outside observers.

"It appears the Braves scoreboard refers to this pitch as a "slutter" and the broadcasters are amused by this." - Clutchy McGritterson

Fans came face-to-face with the NSFW term in a recent game in Atlanta between the Braves and the San Diego Padres. During the seventh inning, the scoreboard at Truist Park showed that pitcher Stephen Wilson had pitched a succession of slutters.

Many fans originally thought that the seemingly-inappropriate term must have been a mistake. Several took to social media to connect with other fans, who also had no apparent idea of what the term meant.

In all fairness to Wilson, the slutter that he delivered to Braves catcher Sean Murphy did have some serious breaking movement. However, Wilson later relied on his fastball to overpower Murphy and complete the strikeout.

Atlanta Braves analyst Jeff Francoeur eventually shed some light on the topic. Francoeur, a former Braves player and Atlanta native, let fans know that it was intentional, but felt slightly too embarrassed to say the word on air.

"Padres pitcher Steven Wilson relies heavily on the ol' Slutter." - - Awful Announcing

It is still not very likely that we will see the slutter around the MLB very much this season

The term is originally thought to have been popularized by former Chicago Cubs starter Arrieta. Arrieta has used it consistently throughout his 2015 Cy Young winning year.

According to Arrieta, who is now retired, the pitch began as a cutter whose movements eventually became more extreme.

It's unclear if the term will find widespread use, or if screens at other MLB stadiums are intent on its use. One thing that everyone can agree on is that the use of the term can definitely elicit more than a few raised eyebrows, and second looks.