There’s a common misconception that exists among today’s generation of baseball players that faster is better, and slower is worse - that if I can throw 100 mph, but you can only catch up to 95 mph, then I’m going to win every time. We see this notion manifest itself each and every year in the majors.
According to Baseball Info Solutions, the average fastball velocity of major league pitchers has risen a full 2 mph since 2002 and since PITCHf/x was introduced into all MLB stadiums in 2007, it’s risen almost 1 mph.
The idea, then, is that the harder you throw, the better chance you have of making it to the majors. In all reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Many of those flamethrowers are injury prone, due to the fact that they emphasize throwing gas over taking great care of their arms.
The key to longevity and consistency lies not in the ability of a pitcher to blow his fastball past a hitter, but in the mental aspect of the game, and emphasizing pitching safety and good mechanics. The mental part of pitching is what makes decent pitchers good, good pitchers great, and great ones hall of famers. There are two components of being mentally strong as a pitcher: discipline in training, and discipline on the field of play.
Discipline in training
Every young pitcher needs to keep a close eye on how they are preparing and training, both during the offseason and during the regular season. Core strength is a key part of pitching safety and good mechanics, and even more important than upper body strength. If you can place an emphasis on maintaining a strong core and strong legs, those muscles should end up doing most of the work for you on the mound, limiting the stress you put on your arm. Here’s a great article by former pro pitcher Steven Ellis outlining some effective strength and conditioning methods for young pitchers, as well as some great insight on pitching safety and good mechanics.
Discipline on the field of play
Physical conditioning starts and ends at the gym. Once you step out onto that mound, it’s all between the ears. Your mind is your greatest asset if utilized properly. Any great pitcher will tell you that pinpoint accuracy and high velocity are great tools to possess, but are nothing without a smart pitcher to wield them. Simply put, if I throw a fastball, and you know it’s coming, you’re more likely than not to win that battle. It’s when a pitcher throws a pitch that the hitter isn’t expecting that this cat and mouse game is really amplified.
It’s not enough to have the hardest fastball. Not only that, but without emphasizing pitching safety and good mechanics, throwing harder may even put you at greater risk for injury. In order to play this game for a long time, you need to be mentally strong. This should be the emphasis for all young pitchers during their early developmental years and especially as they look toward a career beyond high school ball.
The sooner we teach our young pitchers to emphasize pitching safety and good mechanics, the brighter the future of the game will be.
