PitchingFan posted:... My son continually reminds me that his job on the mound is not to throw as hard as he can, it is to keep guys off base and most of all don't let them score if they get on base. He says I'm not going to give up runs to get a number on a gun. Especially if that means walking someone. He prides himself on keeping his walks down...
Funny my son tells me the exact opposite, and I agree with your son, but only if he were playing highs school ball. Last year, when my son played in 17u WWB as a 16u player. He relied on a 2-seam, slider and change. The 2-seam topped at 89. He had a 0.00 era, .111 batting average against, a whip of about .6, walked 2, in 6 1/3 innings and had 10 ks, pitched and struck out 17u Vandy, Wake Forest, etc. commits, Hell, he even struck out 2 guys who were just taken in the first round of the mlb draft. He twice pitched in relief against a couple of stacked teams.
He heard from exactly no one. Went to a Big D1 camp with several SEC to Juco recruiting coaches present in August, struck out 8 of 10 batters faced in the camp scrimmage, had one ground out, and one pop out. Sat 87-88 with 2 seam. All he heard was "we are going to keep an eye on you." and couldn't get anyone to take his phone calls on follow-up.
Meanwhile he watched his teammates that touched 90, but sat 84-85 go on school after school visit and get offers to SEC, ACC, etc. So my son said, no one is recruiting 2-seams, no one is recruiting changes. He was right. I'm only throwing 4-seams and sliders as hard as I can next year, because that is what gets you recruited. Batting average against is about the same, walks and era are way, way up, but averaging 2Ks per inning at PG. In the fall when he touched 90, started getting recruiting calls from coaches all over the country. When he sat 91-93 in a tourney and touched 96 once in a tournament this Spring, it was ridiculous. Fortunately he was already committed and school has always been the top priority.
PG events, college camps, etc. are about velo for pitchers.
BTW, if you didn't know this, they are about exit velo and lift for hitters. Unless you run a 6.3 60, then you can lay down a bunt and showcase your velo to first base. Otherwise swing out of your shoes and uppercut everything, because no matter how many other things your told, recruiters are looking for things that they can't teach = velo, velo, and velo.