I think that it is worth noting that if a pitcher growing up is throwing about 7 or 8 mph faster than other players around him and can throw strikes, that player can often have very successful outcomes without learning a lot about pitching. Our society supports this, too, to some degree. Look at the celebration of a Little League World Series Championship when the mound is about 46 feet from home plate. If the pitcher is throwing 76 mph from 46 feet, it translates to about 100 mph related to reaction times. That player that is throwing harder would have to play up in age group to face more mature batters or play on a national level to face batters that hit that velocity to really to have to learn how to have complimentary pitches. At the same time, the high school pitcher that tops out in the low 80’s, especially a right hander, is going to have a rough time playing Division I baseball. That pitcher, if he is throwing more "average" velocities, would have to learn other pitches, how to locate, how to make the ball move, etc., to be successful.

 

By the way, another point worth mentioning is that if a team has pitchers that are throwing at velocities quite above the norm, it can be hard to find a catcher to catch them as well. The catcher would not have the experience if he has been catching pitchers that are throwing “average” velocities. A 93-95 mph fastball comes to the plate pretty quickly.

 

I will use Zach Isler of CovCath as an example: Ice hurt his arm/elbow in his sophomore year and had surgery on it. The following year Zach wasn't allowed to throw a curve and couldn't throw with much velocity but he won, as he understood how to pitch and not just throw. He had a killer change up and could live on the corners of the plate and threw for strikes. The following year (senior) when he again was allowed to throw a curve and could again bring some heat and now with that change up, he went 12-0 and pitched against some of the best teams in NKy and the state in doing so. He turned that ability to pitch into a scholarship at UC and to my understanding will be on the hump this year for the weekend games in the Big East.

 

BTW he threw to a pretty good catcher, current University of Kentucky Sophomore, Ninth Region three time POY and the 2009 Kentucky Mr. Baseball, Luke Maile, who is having a great season for UK!

There is no question there are kids out there that throw this hard, but I'm sure you'll admit they are by far the exception and not the norm. 95 mph is unreal for a high school pitcher. You won't find but a small handful of kids across the entire country that have that velocity. 90 is pretty rare at the high school level.

 

I believe what some people are saying - and I am in this category myself - is that the number of pitchers alleged to throw 80 mph is vastly overstated by BGP posters/dads/fans. Are there 80 mph pitchers out there? Sure. Absolutely. A fair number. But not nearly as many as are proclaimed to throw that hard. 80 mph is a darn good high school fastball (90 mph is outstanding; 95 mph is ridiculous hard for a 17-18 year old), but it seems to be the benchmark for if a kid throws "hard." If you throw 79 mph, you are a "puff baller". If you throw 80 mph, you are a "flame thrower". Therefore, everyone wants to be included into this 80 mph category. I had a dad one time tell me his sophomore son was throwing upper 80's and was hoping he'd hit 90 by the end of the year. When I saw him pitch, I would guess he was in the low-70's at best. (I own a professional radar gun, use it a fair amount, and have been around baseball a long time - not an expert, but I'm usually pretty close to my mph guesses). I just don't think a lot of people really know what an 80 mph fastball looks like.

 

I couldn't have said it any better.

A good team can hit a 90 mph fastball if that is all they have. The pitcher that wins the game is the one who can mix it up and most importantly locate. Chapman of the Reds was hitting 100 mph+ and getting ripped this year. High Schoolers hitting a 90 mph fastball is no different.

All things being equal, I'll take the 90+ mph pitcher who has demonstrated they can throw strikes and take my chances at the high school level.

All things being equal, I'll take the 90+ mph pitcher who has demonstrated they can throw strikes and take my chances at the high school level.

 

 

A pitcher who throws strikes consistently and consistently hits 90mph are far, far in between, even in HS, college and in the Pro's too! Note: The key word is consistently...

Give me a kid who can change speeds, throw strikes while keeping the ball low, has a nickel curve and hits the corners time after time while understanding that there is a art to pitching and I will take that "pitcher" any day over your 90 mph "thrower"! !

 

95 all day long in high school over a kid who changes speeds and throws strikes.

 

MLB - sure. High school. HEAT!

If you can throw 90 in NKY, you don't need anything else, but overall give me a pitcher that throws strikes and changes speed.

95 all day long in high school over a kid who changes speeds and throws strikes.

 

MLB - sure. High school. HEAT!

 

But does he throw for strikes because who needs to swing, if he can't get the ball over the plate!

 

I attend more than a few Baseball games a year not only locally but during the summer months all over the mid-west and those 95mph kids who throw strikes are few and far in between and they slow down pretty quickly around the 4th/5th inning!

If you can throw 90 in NKY, you don't need anything else, but overall give me a pitcher that throws strikes and changes speed.

 

A high school pitcher that throws 90 mph AND throws for strikes will be successful just about anywhere, not just NKY. Obviously, he will need to add an off speed pitch to his arsenal once he moves beyound high school, but one can exist on a 90 mph fastball alone in high school quite nicely.

I am with ya hja1224. If I did have a kid that threw 90 and could hit corners I don't care what state your in, it's going to be tough to hit at the high school level.

Spalding throws Strikes!

There is no way Chase Mullins throws 91 MPH. I Saw him pitch last year in the regional tournament and the hardest he threw was 84 MPH on two different guns.

There is no way Chase Mullins throws 91 MPH. I Saw him pitch last year in the regional tournament and the hardest he threw was 84 MPH on two different guns.

 

Thats what I was thinking. Unless in the summer he miraculously started humming then I dont know what they are thinking.

How hard can Dylan Cottingham from Beechwood throw? I saw him pitch in a few games last year and boy did he have an arm!

Spalding throws Strikes!

 

Spalding was 92-94 yesterday in intrasquad...topped at 96. His teammate Ian Tompkins hit 91. The 3 bottom of the rotation/bullpen Tigers (Loehnert, Clooney and Mercer) sat between 84-88 and topped at 89. 3 pro scouts in attendance with radar guns. By the way, Perfect game has Louisville St.X ranked #28 in the nation preseason. Marley, I believe Moeller was ranked #48.