A sweeper is a breaking ball that moves sharply sideways, sweeping across the plate with far more horizontal break than a traditional slider and less drop. It became one of the most popular pitches in baseball in the early 2020s, and Statcast began tracking it as its own pitch type in 2023. Shohei Ohtani’s sweeper is among the best known.
Sweeper vs. Other Breaking Balls
| Pitch | Speed | Main movement |
|---|---|---|
| Sweeper | Low to mid 80s | Mostly sideways, large sweep |
| Slider | Mid to upper 80s | Tighter, shorter break with some drop |
| Curveball | Upper 70s to low 80s | Mostly downward, big drop |
| Slurve | Upper 70s to low 80s | A mix of sideways and downward break |
| Cutter | Upper 80s to low 90s | A small, late glove side break |
Why Hitters Struggle With It
The sweeper starts looking like a strike and slides off the plate, so same side hitters chase it or give up on pitches that sweep back over the corner. It pairs well with a fastball that rides up in the zone, because the two pitches move in very different directions. For how pitch movement is measured, see spin rate.
Related
Spin rate · Exit velocity · Launch angle · Baseball slang glossary
Pitch classification from Baseball Savant.