Waste Pitches: Pet Peeve

Sometimes pitches appear to be "waste" pitches, but still serve a purpose.

Sometimes to mess with a batter's eye - such as throwing a high inside pitch off the plate to set up a low outside pitch. Or maybe throw one way off the plate to get the batter leaning only to bust him inside on the corner with the next pitch. 

Sometimes you want to mess with his perception of speed. So you throw a change up well off the plate and come back with a fastball. Maybe even throw a couple change ups off the plate, just to get the batter's speed perception off and make the FB seem faster. 

So, getting the guy to swing isn't always the goal. Sometimes you are setting something else up. 

Depends on the hitter, the pitcher, and the situation, but in general I'll take a waste pitch way out of the zone over an 0-2 pitch that catches some plate and gets hammered for a base hit any day of the week.

Depends on how much control the pitcher has. if he tends to walk hitters I would go after the hitter but if he has good control you can waste a pitch.

Also if the bases are empty you are less likely to waste a pitch since  he won't do that much damage if he does get a 2 strike hit. on the other Hand if you have first base open and a runner or two in scoring Position you are much more likely to waste a pitch and avoid giving him something to hit at all costs.

You also have to consider pitch Counts. with today's pitch Count limits it is important to avoid high Counts.

so a lot depends on what is the pitch Count Limit and how many pitches does he already have (and how good is your bullpen).

From youth through college, you can watch waste pitches turn into walks, over and over.

SultanofSwat posted:

From youth through college, you can watch waste pitches turn into walks, over and over.

Exactly! 

I have always thought the best pitchers are those that go up and down more than in and out. 

If everything is low you have eliminated 75% of the zone and batters only have to look in or out and that becomes much easier to hit if you are looking away and adjusting in. 

If you have a out pitch as a pitcher then at 0-2 I always thought you should be opposite of the out pitch.  If you are RHP with a good breaking ball you want to be on the right side of the plate up with the fastball at 0-2.  Ideally not so much that it is a easy take for the batter.  You want to be letter high and maybe an couple inches off the plate.  Close enough the batter is tempted to swing at it and out of the zone enough that solid contact is unlikely.

If he takes it - then you have set up your breaking ball down and to the left side of the plate.  Or you can double up on the fastball away and come back at 2-2 with breaking ball. 

At lower levels or with pitchers with iffy control - doubling up is not advised.

When my son was in HS the coach of one their teams rivals had his defense shift hard left or right when the count was 0-2 and the catcher would set up in the opposite batters box. 

My son was good friends with a pitcher on that team (now a reliever with the Mets). He used to make a "game" of complying with the coaches waste pitch approach while at the same time pitching for the strike-out.  It was comical watching this massive shift then to watch the pitcher throw a 90+ fastball on the outside corner. 

It was fun to watch as everyone knew what the coach wanted; yet you could see the skill and determination of a young man that is now a major leaguer.