Velocity Increase

That is great progress. Good job! Where will you be pitching in college?

University of Louisville. They recruited me as a two way player. I will sign my NLI on the 11th. I would like to make it in the draft if I can get my velocity up 2-3 MPH for my senior year, then I might have a chance...

Are you saying you just want to be drafted or is there a certain amount of money it would take for you to sign? There is a big difference.

Hey 21, that is awesome. Congratulations, and good luck at Louisville. Another HSBBW success story!

bsaeball21, ur progression is similar to how mine went. I progressed like this:

These are peak velocities
10-60
11-65
12-70
13-74
14-80
15-84
16-84
17-89
18-94
19-97 (no increase from this point on)

so if ur poppin 92 at 17 there's a good chance u'll be a consistent mid-90's guys.

Shep- Thats encouraging... Did you throw year round? Labor day is when I shut down from pitching. I still play a few games in the fall, but never pitch. Once basketball starts in Oct. I dont even pick up a ball until Jan. My dad has had me doing it this way since I was 12. How tall are you? Did you get drafted out of high school or play in college?

21, a 5 mph increase from age 17 to age 18 is highly unusual, to say the least. For the top pitchers, including yourself, 1-2 MPH is the norm. I've read elsewhere that you typically gain 1 MPH for each year in college, but that is not a given. Some go backwards. Some gain more. But to add 8 MPH between ages 17 and 19 as charted by Shep is pretty amazing. Shep.. do you pitch in the American League, or the National League?

97 MPH is pretty cool, but hardly a realistic goal. As a RHP, if you're consistently 91-92 topping 93-94 that's plenty good.

bsaeball21, when I was in HS I basically did the samething as you and shut down throwing in the fall. I as well played basketball, but also living in the northeast and really having nowhere good to throw in the cold is also antother reason. I personally wish that I could have thrown year round though. I am 23, 6'4", played college ball for Franklin Pierce University and was drafted in the 13th round by the Nationals.
Bum, no I am not pitching in the National League or American League, would be nice If I was.

Bum is correct, after a certain age the increase generally is much smaller, or none at all, 1 mph per year is a good benchmark.
97 and drafted in 13th round, indicates the pitcher was throwing 97, not pitching.
Big difference.
Enjoy your last year in HS, it will never be repeated and stop worrying about getting drafted, if it happens it will, if not, you have a good college option, that is what is is all about.

TPM, yea you guys are right that gains are usually not so great at a certain age, but bsaeball21 is only 17. Pitchers can gain velocity all the way up to the age of 22 sometimes even older. It is well within the realm of possibility that he could add another 5mph+.

SHEP

First you state in your chart no velocity increase after 19 years of age and then you turnaround and state velcoity can increase up to 22 years of age or even older---which is it?

For me, I maxed out at 19. But for some guys that I have played with in college and pros I have seen them add velocity at the ages of 21-23. Not everyone is the same. I have also seen freshman in college not gain any velocity in their entire college career. It's unpredictable, but pitchers definitley can gain velocity in their early 20's. I'm not an example of that kind pitcher.

quote:

Originally posted by ShepFPC28:
TPM, yea you guys are right that gains are usually not so great at a certain age, but bsaeball21 is only 17. Pitchers can gain velocity all the way up to the age of 22 sometimes even older. It is well within the realm of possibility that he could add another 5mph+.

I did not state at any particular age when a pitcher stops developing his velocity, everyone is different.
There has to be lots of stuff going on for one to gain their max velocity, that includes physical maturity along with mechanic adjustments, a strong toss program, good pitching instruction, the willingness to work on a strong conditioning program (all parts of the body) and most of all, the ability to pitch effectively at high velocity. The odds are greater that without most of the above, it won't happen.

There is NO guarantee and no promises, you make it sound easy and it's not.

Question, if you reached a velo of 97 why did you not turn pro? That is a very desirable and coveted velocity. Just curious, were you a tosser or a pitcher, there is a difference.

I have to believe that the potential to add velocity depends on how far past achieving maximum height the pitcher is. If you have a late grower whose max height isn't reached until 20, his velocity increases will be greater later....right? At least potentially. If you were fully grown at 17, then you begin to get stronger and thicker, and by 21 you've been in that mode for four years. A lot closer to whatever lifetime max v is. (All of this tempered by the fact that the late maturing kid may be driven out of the sport by the early maturers.)

TPM, when you say turn pro are you referring to the Major Leagues? Because it takes a lot more than hard fastball to get there.
To answer your question I don't feel im in either category of thrower or pitcher. At one time I was a pitcher and then for whatever reason, something caused me to go through bouts of wildness similar to Rick Ankiel. I had good stuff but I was not able to get control of my mind when I was on the mound. I had a mental block you could say.
As far as the 97 mph goes, it means nothing because it is not something I can't repeat it is just a peak velocity I have been at. If u watched me pitch a game you would see my fastball runs consistently between 90-94 touching 95.

And about bsaeball21's velocity, he may be maxed out at 17 and never gain another MPH. But it varies from person to person. So there is no way to know. Like I stated before I've seen guys add velo in their early 20's. So its not out of the realm of possibility for him to gain more.

That is so true shep there is just no way to know.

Shep, you are right there is absolutely no way to know when a pitcher will max out. I thought mine was maxed out at 22, a year and a half later he was almost 3mph more. They say he still has more left in the tank, I doubt it. The more he adds the harder it is to control the ball, so he knows to stay within his comfort zone to find his spots.

However, you answered my question, 97 doesn't always bring success, and that is what bsaeball21 may not realize, now. You stated his progression seemed to be following yours, but then you state that every guy is different.

Well I was just noticing that he has been similar to me up until this point. He is a little ahead of where I was at 17. I'm not at all saying that he will continue to follow what I did. I was pointing out the similarities in our progressions. And I'm mainly talking about from the age of 10 to 17. I'll be curious to see where he is when he turns 19.

Interesting discussion. I am also surprised at the velocity gains later in age. I suspect some of this may also be in refined mechanics.

We just got back from Az and I was sitting next to a college coach and he said that velocity is interesting, but "we are looking for guys who can get outs". He said if it was all velocity they would "simply line up kids and pick the ones who threw the hardest."

Obviously the pros are looking for velocity since they figure they can teach a kid to pitch. Colleges are looking more for "pitchers". (with velocity if they can find them of course )

Shep, gotta tell ya, I love the respect and patience you show here with us skeptical and grumpy old folk, seems to be good sign for a pitcher. You don't seem to get riled up very easily.

I think Shep has shown us alot about himself in his posts. And for me its all good.

Innocent Bystander, I appreciate that. I'm a pretty laid back person for the most part. I also understand why people would be skeptical. To them, I'm just some person on here making claims and on the internet there are a lot of people who like to throw the bull. So I completely understand everyones reaction.

I agree with you IB, Shep has been patient with responses and IMO he's been a trooper.

You want to hear something strange and uncommon.

my last year of college at Louisiana Tech
senior yr of college fall tops 84 on scout day
senior yr college spring 90-91 as starter
end of senior year 91-94 consistantly as closer 81-84 curveball

I know how it happened and why but it is very unlikely.
Also I was 6'7'' 250lb

Was that before or after TJS?

tjs was second yr of pro-ball freak calcified ucl injurie. Came back from that 18-24 month window.on 24 months almost to the day hit 94 10 times against cuba and legs went numb hung it up after that. Had fun learned alot. I am a good teacher though.

quote:

Originally posted by wave:
Here in Northern California USSSA State Championship (in October 2007), 14 and under teams in the Major division threw typically 67-69 for a good pitcher and 71-73 for a few exceptional ones. By this spring time, they may add 2 miles.

Son's 2009 14U Majors team max speed - 4 pitchers threw 74-78, 3 threw 70-72, 2 others threw 66-68. Most opposing team's pitchers were throwing 68-72.

BTW, we never use any long toss. Just worked on technique.