I would like to gain 5 mph to my fastball in about 7 months. I am a 6'1" 180 lb 15 yr old lefty who throws about 73 and was the #6 pitcher on the state champion varsity squad as a sophomore. The top 5 pitchers were all seniors. So i am going to have to step up next year. What can i do?

you gotta longtoss and work your core and legs

Increased velocity will come from improving your mechanics, growing stronger and getting bigger.

The latter is pretty much out of your control. Just make sure you get enough protein (and that can be done with regular foods, it doesn't have to be supplements).

As you work on strength training, just be sure to use a baseball oriented program. Conditioning is a part of this as well.

A top notch pitching coach (which is often difficult to find) can help with the mechanics.

You need to work on both mechanics and strength.

You can certainly look into a weighted ball program. Many big schools are using these programs with different levels of success. It must be followed and monitored closely and any discomfort should be reported to a coach or parent. Then of course the core work and weight training, leg work and long toss. Good luck

That's an admirable goal and one you should continue to pursue. However, it is only a step in the right direction and you'll have to increase your velocity further to be successful as a varsity pitcher. While 73 mph can be too slow for many varsity hitters to adjust to, 78 mph is right about what they really like to see.

78 is about where I expect my son to be in 7 months, and I expect him to play JV as the level of play in our league is a bit higher and he'd have to be throwing low 80s with decent command and an offspeed pitch to be considered for varsity. We had a couple seniors throwing high 70s this last season with good command and they got very few innings. One year a kid throwing mid to upper 80s played JV as a junior because there was no room on varsity.

In other words, while you're working on increasing your velocity don't forget to work on your command and your secondary pitches.

Thanks for the advice, my control is very good. That was the only reason i was able to be part of the varsity team. Thanks