"Speeding His Bat Up" - What Does it Mean as a Baseball Pitcher?

[@sydnerland9624]

I would like to see slo motion videos of the ball coming into the plate. So we could have examples of the red dots on the different pitches. BTW, I always enjoy your videos.

[@VegasGuy1975]

Great analysis here Dan. I’ve been thinking about this subject a bit lately as I’ve watched some past MLB games. I really liked the “make them adjust to you first” aspect. Valuable advice that I certainly would not have thought of.

[@paulclark561]

Jim palmer always talks about this subject during Orioles games on TV. It is rather mind boggling to see major-league pitchers "speed up the bat" with something off speed and give up a home run when the the pitcher clearly is overpowering the hitter with his heater. But it's a multi layered subject. It has as much to do with location as it does with speeding up the bat. For example, speeding up the bat with a low and away change up that's fades out of the zone and drops into the dirt, that's money. Now, the trouble I see is when you speed up the bat in the zone. And even more so, middle/inside within the zone.

[@DanBlewett]

of course. the deeper aspect of it is just understanding that when you speed up their bat, you give yourself less room for error. A curveball might speed up their bat but if you bury it, you still get the strikeout. Yet, a fastball in that hypothetical situation might allow you to miss over the plate and still get the out - more room to miss because its hard for him to adjust to the speed change.

[@VegasGuy1975]

While it’s on my mind, perhaps a video on how MLB restricting the Shift may affect pitching strategy. I have a hunch that any thought I have on this specific subject is probably dead wrong.

[@josephmannix5120]

My change up is filthy it moves like crazy hard to command in zone but easy to get taller guys out with

[@paulclark561]

I'd love to see a video on the new age ideologies of the up in the zone change up as well as perhaps the cutter in general and it seeming to have become increasingly used, atleast in pro ball. The pros and cons of learning a true cutter even.

[@DanBlewett]

This is my cutter video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4Lcm6aEfNWhhpo&themeRefresh=1 I'm also not sure pitchers are intentionally throwing high changeups - that wouldnt make much sense or have any positive effect.

[@abs1071]

I have some questions coach 1.Can pitchers actually induce where ball will go(ground ball or fly ball)? 2. If they can, what would be better between ground ball pitcher and fly ball pitcher(I know certain situation requires ground ball but what would be better if there's no one on the plate) 3. Babip shows that pitcher can not controll ball that hitter already hit then what is pitcher's job to make less hits P.S . Sorry for bad English from KR

[@DanBlewett]

1. Not really, no. 2. Ground ball pitcher is better - grounders dont become home runs and DO become double plays.

[@casperthegst]

Got a quick question. If your change up is really bad but your slow curve is good would it be better choice to just throw the curve more or really spend time developing the change up?

[@paulclark561]

FYI, most kids' change up is non existent or under developed due to this very issue of speeding up the bat. If you plan to move up the ranks, your slow curve is gonna get rocked. You need to work on using the curve ball for what it's purpose is. In other words, work on both. In games, if you need to get by in using your slow curve to get hitters out ,do it. But don't use that changeup also for the same purpose. In the off-season, work on getting more velocity on that curve ball with your arm speed so it's not a slow curve, work on making it a hard sharp breaker. But don't neglect the change up either. Keep developing it. While you are playing catch to warm up, instead of throwing with a fastball grip, try playing catch with the changeup grip to warm up. Get used to it so when the time comes that you NEED a 3rd pitch, you have it, or atleast a feel for it. FYI, I never understood how to throw a change up until I became an adult. For me it was an issue of grip and positioning within the hand and lack of pronation on the circle change. I have found that my son who is 14 is able to throw a splitter/fork ball that is nothing more than a change up in theory. In other words, play around with different grips, and don't stop trying to develop that change up. And in game pitch to your strengths not the other teams weaknesses.

[@DanBlewett]

dont get beat on your worst pitch in games, but still try to find places to throw it while developing it in practice. throw the curve more so you can get hitters out until the change is just as good

[@casperthegst]

I played indie ball last year. I was striking guys out with the curve so when I say slow I mean slower than my fastball but it breaks like crazy but not actually just a lollipop curve. The change up on the other hand would get rocked by a good batter.

[@awvscbsteeeerike3]

So teaching a 10 year old and trying to keep it simple… hitter is late, go inside; hitter is early, go outside. Late in early out? On time, go curve then curve. Then in?