As my son (sixteen in the season just ended) has grown and developed he may be developing into a pitching prospect. His velocity is increasing.

His four seamer is three, four miles per hour faster than his two seamer. The four seamer is straight as an arrow. His two seamer breaks hard to the right. He broke a bunch of wood bats this summer in the first year of full time pitching. He pitched in a regional D2/D3 showcase this fall. His velocity was good enough to impress the two D3's he would be interested in looking at.

I told him when he pitches in showcases with D1's next year the guns are always up on the first few pitches of the inning. Air out a couple of four seamers and hope they don't get ripped. This will give the coaches max speed. Then go back to the two seamer so they can see movement. I figure a coach would think he can teach movement on the four seamer and the two seamer will get more velocity as he continues to physically develop. He'll grow one or two more inches. He could easily put on twenty pounds. He's 6'1", 170 right now.

I'd like to see comments on what I told him, either positive or negative and any suggestions to optimize his exposure. This is about doing it right, not my way. Since I'm sure someone will ask he hit eighty-five on the gun this fall. He cruises with his two seamer at eighty-one to eighty-three.

Makes sense. He may also want to look for 0-2 type (1-2 if they start the count at 1-1) opportunities to try and max out on velocity. My experience is that you get the best pitching results from throwing that "waste" pitch at the top of the zone and the best velocity results from throwing it at the bottom of the zone.

A lot of the college camps I've seen keep the gun on them the entire time they are pitching which is often only 6 or so batters.

85 is very good for a 16 year old. The key is how much effort does it take to throw 85. If it is a fluid effortless 85 scouts/college coaches will get interested. If it is a head jerking, violent delivery it will create less interest.

Most scouts and recruiters are very good at noticing things. 4-seamers are usually fairly straight. Having command of the 4-seamer becomes important. Straight pitches thrown to the right locations will work just fine in most cases.

In the end, all will be determined by his peak velocity (within the zone), life, his off speed stuff and his command. His mechanics, arm action and ability to "pitch" (that covers a lot of things) will also play a part. And it's pretty hard to ignore body type, but that can be misleading at times.

Some will say that peak velocity is not as important as average velocity. Both are important, but everyone wants to know what the capability/potential is.

If one pitcher's average fastball is 85 and his peak is 87, and another pitcher averages 85 but touches 90 once in awhile... All things being equal (which they never are) one of those two pitchers has a higher ceiling.

Perhaps the thing that stands out like a sore thumb when we watch pitchers is if they are over throwing and throwing just for the gun reading. That is very obvious. Besides it usually works as a disadvantage in velocity anyway. Muscling up/tightness tends to slow the arm and decrease velocity.

It's best to go out there and just do your thing. If you have what it takes, the right people will notice. Too much thinking can get in the way sometimes.

PG,
I was waiting for you to weigh in on this one. Good stuff.

I know that all scouts are different too, and there's an adage, that if he can do it once, then we know it's in him.

In the fictitious, all things being equal category, and simply in your observations, would scouts/coaches prefer sitting 86 in the zone, or sitting 90 and a little wild? (I have no point to make, just curious since you've obviously got access to a perspective not often shared)

If I'm coaching I would take 86 in the zone everytime.

If I am scouting I would take 90 and a little wild everytime.

However, what "everyone" wants is 90 or better in the zone.

Someone once told me throw it hard as you can even if you launch it over the back stop. The point being is that they want to see the velocity....guess they figure they can teach how to get it in the zone..

I like what PG said:

As coach I like one thing, as a scout I like another...interesting.

So maybe a college recruiter wants the 86 in the Zone and the pro scout wants the 90 and wild?

quote:

So maybe a college recruiter wants the 86 in the Zone and the pro scout wants the 90 and wild?

Maybe, but I didn't say that exactly.

What was said...

If I'm coaching I would take 86 in the zone everytime.

Can't speak for everyone.

For me I just want to see the kid pitch the game to win the game and during that performance he will have every opportunity to show what he can do. When a player starts thinking about anything other than just performing or doing his job the way he supposed to or wants to do it thats a distraction. It would be no different than a hitter saying "At some point and time in this game I want to show I have back side power." No just approach every at bat with a great game plan and hit the way you hit.

I understand the post RJM and I see kids trying to impress every weekend. And then I see kids that just play the game and have the confidence in their ability that will be enough. I would tell your kid to just pitch to win each battle against each hitter and everything he needs to show will show. The 4 seamer will get thrown during the course of the game it will get seen. Let it happen in the context of the game. JMO

I am with Coach May---the game is the true test--for me the bottom line is did he and his team win---not how hard he threw--did he keep his team in the game--the bottom line is wins and losses

I understand the winning part, but have to disagree with winning being the bottom line.

Last October Shelby Miller got beat in Jupiter. There were hundreds of scouts watching him lose that game and he was throwing 95 mph. Then this June he went in the first round signing for nearly $3 million.

Winning or losing that game didn't mean anything. How hard he threw did mean something.

My post was not about winning or losing. It was in reference to RJM's specific question. Just pitch , during your performance you will have plenty of opportunities to show what you can do. Just by doing your thing.

The question was about pitching in showcases. Generally the pitcher isn't going to be going 5 or 6 innings. So most pitchers should throw a bit harder within their ability to throw strikes the same as closers who are converted from starters tend to throw harder than they did as starters.

The question I got from the post was should he air out a couple of four seamers early to get a max velo on the gun early in his outing and then go back to pitching so the coaches could see him movement and ability to pitch. Even if he is only going to pitch a couple of innings its hard for me to believe he wont get an opportunity to throw a couple of those four seamers without having to change his game plan.

To each his own but I dont want our pitchers trying to pitch like closers each outing because they are not going five or six innings. Just pitch your game regardless if your going 3 or 6. But thats just me. Good luck RJM it sounds like your son is really developing. I hope I get the chance to see him pitch this spring and play.

first showcase my son went to, he asked the coach what pitch should i throw? he said, " son,those guns aren't here to clock your curveball." not entirely true, but you get the point.

my advice is much in line with coach May's. pitch like it's game, pitch to win. don't think to much or try to hard,somebody there will notice what your doing.