cutter

Definition

In baseball, a cut fastball that breaks slightly away from same-handed hitters, moving late enough to turn solid contact into weak ground balls. Popularized by Mariano Rivera, who rode this single pitch to the Hall of Fame while making professional hitters look foolish for two decades. It's the pitcher's equivalent of having one really good party trick and refusing to learn any others.

Example Usage

The pitcher's cutter was so devastating that batters knew it was coming and still couldn't hit it.

Source: Baseball pitching terminology

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