Height vs. Velocity (15-17 yo)

interesting

16yrs - 9 months
5'8"
187 lbs.
87-89 mph

wow brushback thats pretty impressive. 87-89 MPH at only 16 years old and 5'8. Go Him.

he knows hell never ever pitch anywhere - as do i - but its still fun while hes still in high school and all...i think its story time.

The midget humor story:
by brushbizzle.

its more funny than impressive - every camp where we get in front of someone who hasnt seen him - its always the same song:

scoutA:
(condescending big grin) "chuckle chuckle nyuk nyuk well - there arent a lot of 5'8" pitchers chuckle chuckle (which is completely accurate)- so you better be able to throw it reeeeeel hard - chuckle chuckle chuckle".

bro:
(sigh)
(motions for the ball)

scoutA:
chuckle
chuckle

scoutB,C,D:
(hold guns up)

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz-POW!

***my favorite part of the story***

scoutA:
(puzzled)
(motions confusedly to scout B,C,D)


scoutB,C,D:
(hesitant/confused)
whatd you get?
89 - whatd you get - 89 whatd you get - 89...
(motions to scout A holding up 9 fingers)

scoutA:
.....
.....
.....
...hmm......
.....
.....

zzzzzzzzzzzzPOW!

scoutsB,C,D
this cant be right...whatd you get 90...whatd you get..91....whatd you get 90
(puzzled)
(motions 9 fingers - then clinched fist to scout A)

scouta:
(puzzled/amused)
ummm - can you throw a curve?

bro:
yup

zzzzzZzzzZzzZzZZZZPOW!

scoutB,C,D
(holds up seven fingers - then nine to scout A)

scoutA:
umm...05 right?

bro:
naw - 06.

scoutA: ohhh i see - when do you turn 18?

bro:
in 2 years.

scoutA:
hmm....ahhh...well....uhhh.....good job.

bro:
thanks

end of story - thank you and goodnight.

5'10,165lbs
15 years,5 months
79-81 mph - but a lefty with accuracy!

16 yrs 8 months
6'4 / 205
84-85 Lefty

Age: 17yrs 7 mos.
Hgt: 6'3"
Wgt: 185
Speed: 88-90

15 yrs 10 months
6'0" 177 lbs
86 mph
RHP

No offense CAdad, but your data is going to be a little skewed. Not many are going to post (and I'm sure there are a bunch) about a 70-75 mph fb, even though that's nothing to be ashamed of. I have witnessed many times college pitchers throwing fb's in the 70's.

FrankF,
Agreed. There will also be differences in how people report cruising speed. I'm willing to see what develops out of it. I'm guessing that the database will be for above average pitchers in general. I'm more interested in the differences in velocity relative to age, height and weight than I am the absolute values and if there are enough inputs then the biases should wash out.

15yo
6' 160lbs
lhp
84-86 Stalker

wildthingking,
15 years and how many months?
Thanks

CaDad,

Use this if you can. My son is a shortstop and I have no gun times on him. However the last time he long tossed he threw it 281 feet with no wind aid. Perhaps you can estimate cruise speed from that. I’d estimate he’d cruise 80 – 82. He throws quite a bit harder than any of our pitchers his age and they throw pretty much in the low to mid 70’s.

This was a couple of months ago and at the time he was 15 years 11 months. He was 6 exactly foot while barefoot and a lean 140 pounds.

As far as height and weight’s relationship to pitching speeds, I have observed that the hardest throwers for 16 years old and younger appear to be the athletic kids of average height who have obtained greater physical maturity. (Although my son is an exception to this hypothesis)

Not many of the tall skinny kids throw hard at a young age but the few that do seem to be the ones who become the hardest throwers when they mature.

I’ll be interested to see if your data reflects my hunch.

I'll give you three. One is my son and two others I coached in select ball:

my son, 14 years and 7 months, 5'5" and 130 pounds = 76 (cruising = 72)

other kids:

1. 15 years and 3 months, 6' 150 = 85 (81)

2. 15 years and 2 months, 6' 170 = 86 (82)

All velocities are top speed and are not average speed.

Age-14years 7 months
Height-5'10"
Weigth-152
Fastball Speed-70 mph

CaDad,

What do you mean by cruising speed?

DB2BMom,
Cruising speed is the speed that a pitcher will throw most of his pitches at in a game situation. Most pitchers when trying to throw their hardest for a radar gun will throw 2 or 3 mph faster than their cruising speed and the highest speed they hit on the radar will usually be about 4 mph faster than their cruising speed.

Tigers100,
Is that his cruising speed?

quote:

---

Originally posted by CADad:
DB2BMom,
Cruising speed is the speed that a pitcher will throw most of his pitches at in a game situation. Most pitchers when trying to throw their hardest for a radar gun will throw 2 or 3 mph faster than their cruising speed and the highest speed they hit on the radar will usually be about 4 mph faster than their cruising speed.

---

Back in my day "cruising" speed used to be called a "working" fastball. I still use that term with my son but I am not sure he hears it anywhere else.

CADad,

Yes, he is pretty consisitent at 68-70 when throwing his fastball. His pitching coach thinks he will be around 72-75 when our season starts up again.