Velocity vs. Accuracy

Ask Cliff Lee about velocity vs. accuracy......

Starting in high school, velocity don't mean squat unless you can hit your spots. A good hitter's eyes will light up when the see the "meat" coming down the middle of the plate.

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Ask Cliff Lee about velocity vs. accuracy......

That is my concern as well. I value accuracy over velocity any day but problem is my son either doesnt realize or doesnt place emphasis on it. He is solid enough pitcher but has spurts of being erratic and when his adreanline flows or pressure hits he really tries to put extra MPH on the ball instead of focusing on location location location. I assume part of this is maturity but I am just wondering if this is a phase most pitchers go through and eventually they realize they need to depend on their accuracy and not their speed.

Boy... as an umpire I will take accuracy all day... if he is throwing hard and missing the spots it's a ball all day... also as he get older and the competition gets better it is tougher to "blow" it by everyone...

So if you walk a few guys cause you can't get it across the plate then grove one to a guy who you can't blow it by... bingo lots of runs will score..

velocity, is over rated, if you can not spot it up.

A good hitters favorite pitch.....Fast ball...It is hard to blow things by good hitters if you don't have other pitches. Accuracy and keeping a hitter off balance is much more successful.

Part of it is likely lack of faith in his changeup or cutter. But pressure situations really amplify strengths and weakness and my kid tends to fall back on his "crutch" of trying to hum it in there. When this happens in crunch time he usually loses his fundamentals and tends to be wild...missing to his left..the catchers right(my son is right handed). He is a strong pitcher but we are striving for consistency.

Would you rather be a millionaire or have a balanced budget? Personally I rather be a millionaire and work on my budget.

In my opinion the same can be said in the velocity vs. accuracy debate. How so? Velocity is a gift from God. Accuracy is a learned response. Understand too that ALL pitchers have a certain percentage of their pitches that are classified as accurate. However, ONLY those blessed with velocity can ever throw a blazing fastball.
The debate will continue on. On one side the parents of those pitchers that lack velocity and on the other side will be those that understand physics.
Before the polvp (parents of low velocity pitchers) jump to their sons defense, EVERYONE knows pitch location is important no matter what the velocity of a pitch so that isn't basis for an argument. That's understood.

Have you ever seen a scout with a tape measure?

My son had God's gift of velocity and was a power hitter but lacked disipline at the plate. He only hit 3 HRs his senior year of HS. I knew he lacked a lot that was needed to play at the next level. He was invited to work out with the Cardinals his senior year of HS. The scouting director came to me and explained they really liked my son and wanted to draft him. I asked why .... I'll never forget his words. "What your son has no one can teach .... What he lacks we can teach."

As your son gets older, the issue of command and control derives a greater percentage of importance in being an effective pitcher. I don't know what velocity he throws, but when he is older, unless his velocity continues to increase tremendously he will reach a place, be it college or professional baseball where the opposing batters can ALL hit the fastball. By having little control he's just going to be pitching behind the hitters and with guys on base in front of them. This is a recipe for disaster. Hopefully at some time your son will decide he wants to be a PITCHER and not just a thrower. While many youngsters can be taught later about control and command, the minor leagues and college are littered with the remains of hundreds of pitchers who could not learn it at that late stage under intense pressure and short time frame. If it was that easy, everyone would make it.

Things I have never heard a Scout or college Recruiter say:

"He throws with too much velocity"
"He throws with too much accuracy"
"He throws with too much movement"
"He throws with too much command of all his pitches"
"he throws with too much repeatability in his delivery"
"He throws with too much feel for pitching"

Little more to it than just throwing hard or throwing accurately!!!

I know he isnt stupid...i was in the military and got alot of shots but I dont think they affected him So...I have to assume its just immaturity and lack of faith in his other pitches. Just hope he snaps out of it as he will see a promising pitching career go by the wayside. I guess a "shock collar" for Christmas might be bad from.

mboy,

There needs to be an emphasis in both because both increase a pitchers % likelihood to be successful and both are required.

It is true that a 14/15 year old needs to learn command of his fastball above all else because speed can come over time (much like power at the plate) but to just say things like, "ask cliff lee..." is crazy. Cliff Lee's avg. 4 seam fastball last year was a tad under 92 MPH and ranging as high as 94 MPH. He isn't exactly only a command pitcher, it just so happens his command is impeccable. He also overpowers hitters continuously (7.8 K per 9 last season). It is somewhat of an error to claim that Lee's success is cut straight from the notion of accuracy - it is largely due to his accuracy but it also has to do with all 3 of his off-spead pitches thrown off the same plane as his 92 MPH fastball (the speed must be respected) and all 3 break through a different quadrant of the strike zone at a very late point to the plate. To be clear, he throws hard with accuracy and deceptively. The 3 key components to success as a pitcher.

Also, speed allows for a greater margin of error (regarding missing in the strike zone) and is why the radar gun is the first thing put on a pitcher to check him out. The slower you throw, the more of an outlier you have to be to be successful - or the more uncanny you have to be with your control...it is very hard to be the exception a la Jamie Moyer, there is only one Moyer but there are thousands of guys in affiliated locker rooms that sit 92-94 but can't get anyone out but are getting the chance because they sit 92-94.

Had a teammate in college that was our number 2 starter with outstanding control but a mid 80's fastball made all conference but was not drafted or signed as a free agent. Had another player on the team that rarely pitched, played a little outfield but had a 96mph fastball that he had no idea of where it was going. Guess who got signed and played in the minors for 4 years? Velocity in baseball is like height in basketball. It doesnt make you successful by itself, but it buys you many more chances to succeed.

If his mechanics are ok (not meaning great just not putting his arm in danger)tell him to keep bringing it.