Most intimidating pitchers heading into 2016

Betances' pure stuff is as intimidating as his size, standing at 6-8, 265 pounds. He averaged 97 mph on his fastball last season and actually threw his slider more often than his fastball. The result was a 1.50 ERA and 14 strikeouts per nine innings.

Britton throws his sinking fastball more than 90 percent of the time, and it's pretty much all he needs. The lefty's sinker averages better than 95 mph, and he induced a staggering ground ball rate of nearly 80 percent last season. It's not a comfortable feeling for hitters facing him in the ninth.

Bumgarner's scowl is not only intimidating on the mound, but also as a hitter. He's been one of baseball's best hitting pitchers along with one of its elite pitchers with a lethal fastball-slider combo. Last season he produced a sub-3.00 ERA for the third consecutive season.

Injuries are the only reason Capps isn't a household name yet, but he could be soon. He's one of baseball's hardest throwers, and his lankiness and mechanics make his fastball appear even faster. He had nearly 17 strikeouts per nine innings in limited time last season.

Carrasco is quickly becoming one of baseball's most dominant pitchers with a fastball and slider that are nearly untouchable. He had almost 11 strikeouts per nine innings as a starter last season.

No one in baseball throws harder than Chapman, and he throws from the left side to boot. He averaged more than 100 mph on his fastball in 2014 and above 99 mph last season. He's now struck out more than 15 batters per nine innings in four consecutive seasons.

The first overall pick in the 2011 draft, Cole is the definition of a power pitcher. He primarily works off a fastball at more than 95 mph and has started to mix in his plus slider more often. He reached 200 strikeouts for the first time last season.

There isn't much intimidating about looking at the 41-year-old Dickey, but it can be uncomfortable as soon as the knuckleball comes out of his hand. Dickey throws his knuckler harder than most past knuckleball pitchers, often in the upper-70s. He's had great success with an ERA below 4.00 in five of the last six seasons and won the NL Cy Young in 2012.

What more can be said about Kershaw? His mid-90s fastball and sweeping slider from the left side are lights-out, and he's produced three NL Cy Youngs in the last five seasons. Kershaw just keeps getting better, with a career-best 11.6 strikeouts per nine innings rate and 301 strikeouts last season.

Keuchel's beard can be an intimidating sight, but it's his nasty sinker that makes him so difficult. He doesn't even average 90 mph on the pitch, yet Keuchel has been dominant in consecutive seasons and took home the Cy Young in 2015.

Kimbrel is the prototypical closer with an intimidating stare down and the stuff to match. He averages better than 97 mph on his fastball and has a slider that's been routinely fanning hitters since he arrived in 2010. Kimbrel has a career 1.63 ERA and 14.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

Even in his late 30s, Lackey's velocity has maintained, but it's his fiery nature that can be intimidating. He's rarely made friends with home plate umpires, often showing disgust of calls, and rarely backs down from hitters. Lackey is coming off one of his best seasons and signed with the Cubs in the offseason.

Motte's velocity hasn't been the same since returning from Tommy John surgery, but he hasn't stopped trying to intimidate on the mound. The former Cardinals closer is known for his antics on the mound, and he can still throw in the mid-90s.

Miller throws downhill at 6-7 and shows elite velocity for a lefty with a fastball that averages in the mid-90s. His slider is his bread-and-butter pitch and has made him an elite reliever in the last several seasons with a 2.15 ERA and 14.6 strikeouts per nine innings since 2013.

Papelbon is a firecracker on the mound, and as Bryce Harper found out last season, he's even willing to attack his own teammates. He doesn't throw nearly as hard as he did earlier in his career, but Papelbon has still been able to get outs in Philadelphia and Washington.

Richards led the Majors in wild pitches in each of the last two seasons, which is especially concerning for hitters waiting on his mid-90s fastball. He's turned into the Angels' ace over that time.

Rodney's antics on the mound get under hitters' skin, but his velocity is just as intimidating. He still throws in the mid-90s as he approaches age 40 and has been an All-Star twice since 2012.

Salazar is capable of bringing big velocity with a mid-90s fastball. It's the effectiveness of his changeup that makes him so unhittable, with nearly 10 strikeouts per nine innings over his three seasons.

Lefties basically have no chance against Sale, and right-handed hitters don't fare much better. The side-arming lefty had a league-high 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings last season with his mid-90s fastball.

A former wide receiver at Notre Dame, Samardzija is a better athlete than many of the hitters he faces and has the look of a pure power pitcher. The "Shark" averages mid-90s velocity on his fastball and has more than eight strikeouts per nine innings during his career.

"Thor" is one of baseball's biggest pitchers at 6-6, 240 pounds, and he brings elite velocity. He averaged more than 97 mph on his fastball last season and showed the ability to keep hitters missing with three different pitches. The sky is the limit after fanning 10 batters per nine innings at age 22.

Uehara has been one of baseball's best relievers since moving to the bullpen in 2010, but he hasn't done it with velocity. Rather, Uehara has perhaps the most unhittable pitch in the game, a splitter that he's willing to throw at any time. The pitch makes hitters uncomfortable and has allowed Uehara to fan 10.6 per nine innings over his career.

Ventura's velocity is among the fastest of all starting pitchers, and he's grown a reputation over the last two seasons after causing benches to clear on several occasions. He averaged better than 96 mph on his fastball last season and had nearly one strikeout per inning.

No, Verlander isn't what he was a few years ago, but he's still an effective pitcher. He produced a 3.38 ERA in 20 starts last season and still features one of the best curveballs in the game.

Wainwright learned from Chris Carpenter in St. Louis and has carried on Carpenter's intimidating style. He shows a willingness to throw inside on any count and challenge hitters, and also still has one of the best curveballs in baseball.