What a fastball looks like

This is an interesting illustration that demonstrates the difference between what three different pitches look like as they hurtle towards home plate.  That four-seamer is quite the blur, and it seems you would need quite the discerning eye to distinguish between the two-seamer and the curveball.  Factor in how fast many pitches travel toward the plate, and it goes to show how much batters really need to be prepared for anything.

ESPN the Magazine, 2014