Becoming a College Pitcher

For a pitcher, the evaluation is simple: velocity, command, an off-speed he can throw for a strike, and movement. If those aren’t there yet, more exposure will not help him. You can send him to every camp on the list. Until the velo and the strikes are there, nothing else will help him reach his college goals.

Velocity is important and gets him looked at. Command keeps him on the mound for a long time. A breaking ball he can’t throw for a strike will allow him to get outs. If he throws 75 and needs 90, cleaning up mechanics will only help him make so much improvement. It alone will not get him there. He will need strength, increase in weight, and a lot of long toss.

Long toss matters. So does a catcher or a dad who will actually sit there and receive. When you go to play catch, play with a plan. Pulldowns have a place. Random max-effort in January without a throwing calendar is how arms get sore and then hurt. A dad’s job isn’t to just be the trainer. It’s to help him keep that plan simple and actually do it.

College staffs can live with a kid who’s 86-88 and the ability to hit any spot with 2 other pitches. They cannot live with 91 and multiple walks in every inning. Be honest about which one he is right now. Wanting to be a D1 pitcher is great.

Write the current number down and put where he wants to be in 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months next to it. Put the numbers into the Free Objective Evaluation if you want a picture of where the velo sits today. Then go to the backyard and stack the days.