RoadRunner posted:Dominik85 posted:What is the purpose of fall ball in college for pitchers?
For hitters I can understand getting some extra ABs but isn't fall ball for pitchers just an extra injury risk?
I believe their purpose is the same as that of position players: part of coaches evaluations to earn a spot
Fall ball, IMO, is an opportunity for coaches to see whether the instruction they gave individual players has paid off, or what needs to be worked on during spring practice.
I think for pitchers, it's kept to a minimum, remember that the coach considers the bullpen a really big part of whether the player had a productive fall. And yes a lot has to do with whether they pitched during the summer. And as mentioned above, fall workouts, which is a HUGE part of fall practice.
Adding scrimmages to fall ball was a really great move by the NCAA. It's not about win or lose, but how players faced their competition, especially for newcomers, freshman and JUCO as well as redshirted players.