No. 1 / Knuckleball: Pitches with Vertical Movement without Gravity / 2018
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Knuckleball: Pitches with Vertical Movement without Gravity 2018
Number of pitches with vertical movement recorded after gravity's effect is removed. This is the sample behind that average. Missing measurements are left out; recorded zeroes are included. Uses pitches recorded as knuckleball.
Recorded pitch types. Usage divides by all delivered pitches, including unknown types. Speed is in mph, spin in rpm and extension in feet. Averages use measured pitches only. Whiffs divide misses by swings. Movement is in inches. Positive sideways movement is to the pitcher's right when looking toward home plate. Positive vertical movement is upward relative to the initial flight direction. Removing gravity does not mean the pitch literally rises. Larger or smaller movement is not automatically better. Data through December 31, 2018. Data refreshed Sep 9, 2026, 2:25 PM UTC.
| # | Player | Team | KN no-grav count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  S. WrightSteven Wright |  BOS | |
| 2 |  E. KratzErik Kratz |  MIL | |
| 3 |  A. BlandinoAlex Blandino |  CIN |
- KN no-grav count
- Number of pitches with vertical movement recorded after gravity's effect is removed. This is the sample behind that average. Missing measurements are left out; recorded zeroes are included. Uses pitches recorded as knuckleball.
Understanding Knuckleball: Pitches with Vertical Movement without Gravity
Number of pitches with vertical movement recorded after gravity's effect is removed. This is the sample behind that average. Missing measurements are left out; recorded zeroes are included. Uses pitches recorded as knuckleball.
Season rankings use regular-season records. A player has one combined row across teams; the team label identifies the associated team, not a separate team stint.
Source: MLB statistics and MLBDB derived measures. Formulas describe the measure above. Data refreshed Sep 9, 2026, 2:25 PM UTC.