Let’s Chat About The ‘Chitter’ – Jeremiah Estrada’s Nasty Pitch Headlines Padres’ Comeback Win Over Yankees
The San Diego Padres pulled off another late-inning rally to stun the New York Yankees 4–3 at Yankee Stadium on Sunday night, their sixth win in a row. But while Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts drove in the clutch hits, the buzz postgame wasn’t just about bats.
It was about a pitch, and not just any pitch.
It was time to chat about the “Chitter.”
What Is a Chitter Ball?
If you watched the game, you may have seen Estrada toss a ridiculous 84 mph changeup/splitter hybrid with nasty late break. It wasn’t a classic change, it wasn’t a Vulcan, and it certainly wasn’t a regular splitter.
It was a Chitter.
Yes, really. A pitch Estrada has been working on for over a year, which he first broke down in detail on the Baseball Dojo podcast. It started with frustration.
“I tried the Vulcan. I tried the splitter. Nothing was clicking,” Estrada said. “Then I just exaggerated everything. Held the ball while brushing my teeth. Slept with it in my hand. Eventually, it worked.”
How Is Chitter Different From a Splitter?
Estrada’s grip is completely unique. His middle finger sits off to the left side of the ball, and unlike a traditional splitter that drops hard, the Chitter fades laterally with arm-side run, almost like a turbo changeup with horizontal bite.
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Most splitters, especially from Estrada’s arm slot, would have little to no side movement. But this pitch? It breaks away sharply, while staying deceptively in the strike zone for longer than hitters expect.
And here’s the key: it looks just like his fastball until it’s far too late.
Is Chitter Similar To Vulcan?
No. The Chitter isn’t your classic Vulcan change either. The Vulcan is wedged between the middle and ring fingers, but Estrada’s grip spreads the middle finger further left and rests the ball differently in the hand.
It’s one of those feel-over-form pitches, something that came from repetition, not tradition. As he explained:
“I went the extra step and started sleeping over the baseball and started waking up and then my fingers in the face. I’m gonna brush my teeth. I’m gonna hold the base right here and brush my teeth, left you now, just every whatever it is like. I exaggerated it, and exaggeration took place, and it worked.”
Game 2’s coming Tuesday. Former Yankee Michael King gets the start for San Diego against Clarke Schmidt. But if Estrada’s Chitter shows up again?
Expect more confusion, more swings and misses, and maybe a few hitters wondering what exactly just passed them by.
Because the Chitter is here, and it’s filthy.
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