My son is a 2018 RHP that has blown past 6'4 and is well on his way to 6'5 or 6'6. On of the schools recruiting him said to us last night that they hope he stops growing. When I asked why they said they believe once a pitcher gets past 6'3 it becomes harder with all the moving parts to consistently repeat mechanics.
This is the first time I have heard this and wonder whether this is something specific to this school or whether it is commonly accepted throughout the sport.
Replies sorted oldest to newest
I'm guessing they've seen kids get "too" tall whereby they lose their athleticism. There was a discussion on here a few weeks back about pitcher's height. There seemed to be a sweet spot - based on MLB pitcher population - of I believe 6-2. All that said, there were really good pitchers under 6-0 and really good pitchers over 6-6. As long as the growth does not present problems with mechanics - and all things are still moving together at the right speeds - then the additional height becomes an advantage. I personally think they are simply playing the averages - but averages go out the door when you are talking about the individual.
Guys who keep growing are constantly needing to rework their mechanics as the body adjusts to its new size.
It's not the height per se, it's the coordination issues which are caused by the growth. I know literally dozens of pitchers who were 6'4"+ who had stellar college careers; I know a few kids who signed out of HS who were really tall and are still waiting for the wiring to catch up to the height.
So, when will he stop growing? What's the doc say?
I call myth. Just another page out of the unwritten baseball book.
Besides, what's he going to do to stop growing?
Goosegg - Doc say 6' 5 or 6'6 . it is true that every time he has a growth spurt his mechanics become a bit off. But he seems to adjust and when he makes the adjustment he picks up velo. He has gone from 82-83 to 85-87 in the past 4 months after the latest spurt
. . . . Randy Johnson! 
It's not a question of height - though it's expressed like that - it's more a question of what a college program can do with kids it recruits.
Many programs are not development oriented and focus on bringing in more polished pitchers; others will take a minimum scholarship project and give a year to develop before pushing the player out. This is where doing your homework can count (so long as the PC stays) in that a PCs resume (d1) can actually be tracked. Look who arrived, who stayed, when each survivor was drafted, and what the pro career trajectory looks like. If you have more info, you can make a more informed decision.
But, this is one of the things out of your control, so you deal with it as it comes up.
The #1 thing colleges look for in pitchers is the abilityy to pitch successfully. Don't worry about one screwball coach.
Baseball-Dad, keep having your 2018RHP repeating his mechanics. I have a 2017RHP 6'9. It was a bit of a struggle for a few years. But things are coming together. Best wishes for your 2018.
BTW-first post on this site. Great advise and info from everyone!
What I have noticed through this year watching son's team is that to be successful in college, you better be able to throw strikes. I know that sounds silly. All I can tell you is that the guys that are getting mound time are the ones that make hitters earn their way on base. It really surprised me how much difficulty so many of our pitchers have to consistently throw strikes. It may be because they are throwing to smaller spots trying to stay out of the middle of the plate. My on is out with an injury. It will be really interesting as he recovers and returns to play to see how he performs. He has always been a strike thrower up until this point. It's hard for me to believe all the pitchers on his team were not the same in HS. I just struggle with why we have a staff of 21 and it seems that the PC can't trust more than 8-10 of those guys.
Henry Owens is a 6'6" pitcher for the Red Sox. He's shuttled between AAA and the Sox for the past year. One outing he looks like a MLB pitcher. The next outing he looks like he belongs back in AAA. I can't remember if I read this or it was discussed on the broadcast. Owens is considered a solid middle of the rotation prospect. John Farrell (manager and former pitching coach) said due to Owens size he has trouble with consistent mechanics.
There are plenty of 5'10 to 6'2" pitchers who have trouble with consistent mechanics. But when it's a 6'6" top prospect it shines a light on the issue. If a MLB manager believes being tall is an issue you can be sure a lot of baseball people believe it.
It's just an obstacle to overcome. Pitch well and no one is going to care about height. Actually they will. If effective, height is a plus. In college I remember having to face a 6'7" pitcher throwing 93. Back in the 70s 93 was really bringing it in college. With his stride and velocity I though he was shoving the ball down my throat. Note: He pitched for a team in the CWS.
The theory on tall kids is pretty simple, if they get too tall, they hit their head on door frames as they pass through them and most likely end up on IR.
seems to me like pitchers have been getting taller lately
