David Laurila’s notes column concentrates on Lucas Sims and his slider. The grip Sims uses, however, comes from the curve ball of Sonny Gray. Sims delivers his pitch differently:

Which brings us to the offering itself. Is Sims throwing a slider with Gray’s curveball grip, or does Gray throw a curveball with a slider grip?

“I don’t know,” the righty responded when asked that question. “I just know that his is like a top-spinning two-seam, and I don’t get my wrist as far, so I don’t get that top spin. Mine is more side spin — a lot more side spin — and that’s why it goes horizontal while his gets that sharp downward movement. He also has a little bit higher [arm] slot than I do.”

FanGraphs.com

This reminds us delivering a pitch is an extremely high dimensional problem. Grip, spin, release point, leg drive, position on the rubber, and wind up provide a near infinite number of possibilities of delivering a ball. A pitcher finds the three or four combinations that allow him to put the ball where he wants, and then spends his career trying to repeat those. Don’t forget the ball construction is a bit inconsistent. In light of this, pitching well is a rather amazing feat.