The Art of Pitching

There is a lot more to pitching than just throwing strikes.  There is an art to pitching that can give the pitcher an advantage in his duel with the batter.  This post will talk about how to maximize your efficiency as a pitcher and techniques to get an advantage over the batter.  For the hitter, it also provides insight into the mind of the pitcher and what he is thinking and what he might do in various situations.

Know Your Opponent

One of the best ways to maximize the effectiveness of a pitching battery is to know your opponent.  This takes two forms.

First, if you have played a team before, basic statistics from the scorebook will show the tendencies of the hitter, if they are a power hitter (more extra base hits), a hitter for average (high average, mostly singles), or an ineffective hitter (low on base percentage).  Stats can also show the batters that are more disciplined because they will have a significantly higher on base percentage than batting average meaning they will not chase outside the zone.

It can also show the location where they most often hit - are they a pull hitter or more up the middle?  A pull hitter may be more susceptible to an outside pitch.  Are they a ground ball hitter or fly ball hitter?  A ground ball hitter may be more susceptible to a high pitch.

If you watch Major League Baseball you will see that the catcher normally wears an armband with the opponents' batters' critical information.  This may include the pitches they want to throw to this batter based on the analysis described above.  This gives a bit of a head start on how to pitch a particular hitter.

If you have not seen a team before and don't have stats on their hitters, then you will have to see how each handles the at-bat the first time through the order and use that information to inform upcoming at-bats, capitalizing on weaknesses in previous at-bats and avoiding the batter's strengths.

Disrupt the Batter

The goal of every pitcher is to keep a batter off balance and reduce his chances of getting on base.  The most common ways of doing this are changing the velocity, changing the location (line of sight), and legally deceiving the batter.

Change the Velocity

At the very minimum, every pitcher over about 10 years old should have two pitches, a fastball and some off-speed pitch (normally a changeup).  In my experience, a 9 or 10 year old pitcher who can throw 60% of his pitches in the strike zone can dominate by complimenting his fastball with a change-up.

Throwing the change-up, however, is only effective after establishing the fastball.  Once a batter has seen the fastball a time or two they will start to adjust their timing to match.  This is what makes the change-up so effective.  The batter will prepare to time up the fastball and when the ball is flying 10 mph slower than they expect they are way out ahead of it and normally will either miss or make poor contact.

The opposite order can also work the second or third time through the order.  If a player is standing up to the plate for the first pitch of the at-bat, starting with the changeup then coming back with a fastball can also be quite effective.  Keeping the batter guessing will reduce his ability to make solid contact because he doesn't know if he should start the swing early for the fastball or lay back and wait on the change-up.

One caveat for this principle is when the batter cannot handle the speed they are seeing.  If the batter shows that they are way behind the pitch or steps out because they are scared of the velocity, the best approach is normally just to throw another fastball for strike 3, retire the batter, and don't waste a pitch on the pitcher's arm while giving the player the opportunity to hit a slower pitch that they may be able to handle.

Change the Line of Sight

The other way to disrupt a batter without even having to change the pitch is to change the line of site of the hitter.  Throwing three pitches in a row at the same location will give a batter the opportunity to practice a couple of times to make good contact on the third pitch.

To avoid this, a catcher can change the location of the target between pitches.  For example, starting at the bottom of the zone and moving to the top of the zone, or starting with outside pitches and then moving to the inside.  This keeps the batter guessing where the ball will be and keeping him from being able to setup for a specific pitch to get the good part of the bat on the ball.

As a general rule, inside pitches are more effective than outside pitches, but this also is determined to some degree by how the batter sets up on the plate.  A batter crowding the plate will be more susceptible to an inside pitch and a batter standing well away from the plate an outside pitch.

Legal Deception

Illegal deception is an illegal pitch and can result in a ball being called against the pitcher.  Legally deceiving the batter involves having multiple pitches that look the same out of the pitcher's hand. The best example of this is when using a fastball and a breaking ball in succession.

As an example, if a pitcher throws a fastball on the outside corner for a strike, the batter will be thinking "he won't get me with that one again".  If the pitcher can then throw a 2 seamer, cutter, or slider on the same line but breaks out of the zone, the batter is likely to swing thinking he's getting another of those outside fastballs.  This can be highly effective when the breaking pitch starts on the same line as the fastball.

Then, having seen two pitches on the outside, changing the line of site with a fastball on the inside corner can be very effective.  NOTE: If the batter is a free swinger and chased two pitches on the outside, a third pitch even further outside might result in strike 3.

This technique can also be quite effective when starting with an inside pitch - even out of the strike zone to the inside - and then coming back with a breaking ball that starts inside but ends in the zone.  If the first pitch catches the inside corner of the strike zone and the second pitch is effective you now have an 0-2 count which results in a high chance of getting the batter out (more about this below).  This can be especially effective on timid batters.

Also note that this technique doesn't have to be thrown in consecutive pitches.  Setting the batter up with an inside fastball on the first pitch of the at bat, throwing something low and outside and coming back with the cutter/slider, etc. on the third pitch that is on the same line as the first pitch can also be quite effective.

Avoid repetition.  If you use the same sequence every time then it is no longer deceiving and the batters will start to learn your patterns.  They will then talk to each other and the whole team will know your patterns making the strategy much less effective.  More about this later.

Use the Whole Strike Zone to your Advantage

The chart on the right depicts the average batting average of all hitters in Major League baseball in 2022 with an 0 - 0 count. 

This chart shows the probability of a base hit based on where in the zone the pitch is thrown.  The darker the red the higher the batting average the darker the blue the lower the batting average.  White is average.

The green outline in the center is the strike zone.

As expected, balls thrown in the "center square" result in a lot of hits, that is the heart of the strike zone which I like to call the "BP zone" as this is where most pitches are thrown during batting practice and even poor hitters can usually make good contact with a ball in this zone.

In pitch counts where the number of balls is low (less than 3), a pitcher should attempt to keep the pitch out of that red zone in the middle of the strike zone as pitches in that zone will more likely result in a base hit.

Notably, pitches at the top of the strike zone have a lower batting average than pitches lower in the strike zone and inside pitches are more effective than outside pitches.

Catchers should not set up a pitch in the center square with less than 3 balls (unless they are executing an intentional unintentional walk).  As the ball count goes up the glove gets setup closer to the center square.  With 3 balls, the catcher sets up directly in the center square and asks for the pitcher's "go-to" pitch and then lets the defense do it's job.

Pitching at Various Counts

The following information is based on All MLB American League plate appearances between 2015 and 2017.

The chart shows the on-base percentage on the pitch following the labeled count.

A few interesting things to note from this diagram:

1. Any count with 2 strikes results in a base runner less than 20% of the time (except for the full count).  The sooner you can get there the better.
2. Any count with 3 balls results in a base runner more than 45% of the time and with a 3 - 0 count, 99% of the time.  Avoid 3 ball counts at all costs.
3. The difference in 0 - 1 and 1 - 0 is 23 points, but being ahead in the count keeps the pitcher in control and this advantage is priceless.
4. The difference in moving from a 1 - 1 count to a 1 - 2 count vs a 2 - 1 count is 172 points.  That's a 17% difference in OBP based on a single pitch.  This is a critical pitch in the at-bat.  It is best to throw a good pitch in the strike zone (but not in the center square) to get ahead.
5. Going from a 2 - 2 count to a 3 - 2 count increases a batter's chance of getting on base from 19% to 45%.  It is best not to waste a pitch here, with 2 strikes the batter will expand the strike zone, the ball should be outside the center square but well within the strike zone.

For a pitcher, a few things become clear.  First, establishing strike 1 is important.  Once you fall behind in the count you have to throw 2 strikes to get back ahead.  Contrast this with the 0 - 1 count where if you throw one more strike you have an 83% chance of retiring the batter.

Getting into a 3 ball count results in a 45 - 99% chance of the batter reaching base.  The pitcher should stay out of this count at all costs (unless working an intentional unintentional walk).  This means that once the count gets to 2 balls (regardless of the strikes) the pitcher must become much more conservative and throw their best pitch to establish a strike and stay out of the 3 ball count.

A walk is a guaranteed base runner, so any time the count gets to 3 - 0 the pitcher should throw his best pitch into the "center square" and trust the defense to retire the runner if he gets a hit.  This way you at least have a chance to get the runner out.  This is a general principle.  If there are 2 outs and first base is open and the clean-up hitter is at the plate, the pitcher may be willing to give up the walk to get to a batter they would prefer to pitch to.  This is a judgement call that's made by knowing your opponent (see the first section above).

If you can get to an 0 - 2 count there is negligible difference in OBP from there to a 1 - 2, or 2 - 2 count.  If the pitcher has a low overall pitch count, this is the time to try the tertiary pitches that you have been working on¹.  A potential exception to this is pitchers with a high pitch count.  They may not want to throw away pitches so they can keep extra pitches off their arm and go deeper in the game.

Every pitch is meaningful either to get a strike on the batter or work on pitches in a game situation.  Never waste a pitch by intentionally throwing a fastball well out of the strike zone hoping the batter will chase - most times they will not and you've just wasted a pitch.

The difference in 1 - 2 and 2 -1 is significant (172 points).  The 1 - 1 count is the perfect time to throw your best pitch in a place that is in the strike zone but not near the center square.  Then once you get to 2 strikes, you can throw your best pitch just a bit out of the strike zone for the K (see Pitch Selection below).

Pitch Selection

Pitching with an 0-2 Count

The below charts show stats for all MLB hitters for the 2022 season with two strikes and no balls when the pitcher throws a four seam fastball.  The inner green outline is the strike zone.  Click on the chart to expand it and make the numbers easier to read.

This data shows that in the specified conditions, a batter will swing at a ball slightly above the strike zone (1 - 2 ball widths) more than 85% of the time and they will whiff (swing and miss) 30% of the time. The batting average on these pitches is less than .120, less than any other area near the zone.  With an 0 - 2 or 1 - 2 count throwing a ball does not significantly impact the batter's chances of getting on base.  Throwing a pitch outside of the zone with a 2 - 2 count, however, is not recommended because getting to a 3 - 2 count results in a .450 OBP because you have to throw the ball at the center square to avoid the possibility of a walk and the OBP from a ball in the center square is close to .300.

For my money, the best pitch to throw with 2 strikes and less than 2 balls is a high fastball just out of the strike zone (1 - 2 ball widths).  It's easy to throw, hard to hit, and hard to lay off.

Charts courtesy of Baseball Savant

A previously stated, showing a batter a pitch in this situation that they haven't seen before is also a great way to get a K.  

"Play the game the way the game asks to be played"²

As a general rule, a launch angle of 10 degrees or less is a ground ball,, 10 - 25 degrees is a line drive, and 25 - 50 degrees is a fly ball.  A pitcher can influence where the ball goes by where he locates the ball. 

 

The chart on the left shows the likely result from a pitch in the specified location, the green box is the strike zone.

With a runner on first and 1 out, if a pitcher can induce a hard ground ball to the infield, the chances of getting a double play go way up.  Locating a pitch down and in our down and away can induce the batter to ground into a double play.

If the batter is a free swinger with a big swing, a pitcher may be able to induce a pop out or a strike out by throwing up and in or up and away.

Throwing the ball in the middle of the plate should be avoided unless there are 3 balls, and middle up but still in the zone is the biggest danger zone.  Statistics show that most home runs come off the bat at 90 - 100 MPH with a launch angle of 25 - 35 degrees.  The "Home Run box" in the chart indicates the position in the strike zone that most ideal to achieve those numbers - especially if the pitch is a fastball.

 

Falling into Patterns

It is easy to fall into the trap of always throwing a high fastball on an 0 - 2 count.  Batters will learn this pattern and setup for the high fastball or have no intention of swinging because they know what's coming.  A good coach and good hitters will start to identify patterns after just a few at-bats.  Avoiding patterns will keep the batter from knowing what's coming and taking advantage of it.

Telegraphing Pitches

Pitchers can also fall into the trap of using different mechanics on certain pitches and the batter can recognize the pitch selection based on the mechanics being used by the pitcher.

A good example of this is manipulating the ball in the glove.  Most pitchers (and other players) instinctively hold the ball in a 4-seam fastball grip.  When they put the ball into their glove while coming set and they are throwing a curve they have to spin the ball 90 degrees to get the proper grip.  If the batter sees the pitcher moving the ball round in the glove he is often telegraphing that the pitch will be a breaking ball, especially when they are in a count where that makes sense.

To avoid telegraphing pitches the pitcher can always manipulate the ball in the glove before throwing a pitch.  Alternatively, this could be another means of deception by manipulating the ball in the glove and then throwing a fastball.  This could get the batter setup to hit a curve and get a fastball unexpectedly.

It is also very common for younger pitchers to use different mechanics for fastballs, change-ups, and curve balls, making them easy to recognize by a hitter.  The mechanics for all of these pitches should be the same, only the grip changes.

Saving pitches

For starting pitchers who may see each batter in the order 2 or 3 times and has three or more pitches in their arsenal, you can also keep the batters guessing by saving one or two pitches for the later innings.

A good hitting team will talk amongst themselves about what they see from a pitcher to help their teammates know what to expect.  After the first couple of innings a team will feel like they know everything a pitcher has to offer.  A pitcher can  continue to throw batters off their game by showing them something in later innings that they haven't seen in the earlier innings.

Outfield Technique

Playing the outfield positions seems to be a relatively simple thing to do, you run under the ball and catch it, right?  As it turns out, every position in baseball has specific techniques that, if used correctly will improve your value as a player and outfield is no exception.

Techniques for playing the various outfield positions are similar but the roles and responsibilities are different.  We will first look at proper outfield technique for all players, then drill down to roles and responsibilities of the specific positions.

IMPORTANT: Many of the techniques described below assume there are runners on base who may tag up if the ball is caught in the air or the ball hits the ground before reaching the outfielder.  If it is the third out or there are no runners on bases, the outfielder need not begin momentum and crow hop as they are catching or fielding the ball, but it is a good idea for them to do this anyway on every single play so that they build muscle memory and do it the same way every time.

Positioning Properly to Catch a Fly Ball in the Outfield

I have rarely seen this technique used outside of professional or college baseball, but should be taught to players at the youngest ages when attempting to catch a fly ball in the outfield.  The outfielder should position themselves about 4-6 feet behind where they think the ball will land and adjust to the ball as it approaches. This allows the player to already have momentum moving toward the infield before he makes the catch.  Otherwise, if a player is standing flatfooted to make the catch, they must start from a standing position and then start their momentum toward the infield as is described below wasting precious time.

The other thing this prevents is the situation where a player misjudges how deep a ball will go and it flies two feet over his head.  It is much easier to run forward than it is to run backward, by positioning himself deeper than he thinks the ball will fall, he can prevent a misjudgment from getting over his head for a triple or home run when it should be an out.

As the ball gets closer, especially on a windy day, it is much easier to gauge where it will land and the closer it gets the more the player adjusts to a point just a couple of feet behind where the ball will land so that when it approaches the player they can start running toward the ball, catch it on the run, and then use that momentum to make a strong and accurate throw.

Notice the player in the picture who is already in his throwing motion before the ball arrives.

If the ball is hit a good distance away from the player but is still reachable on the fly, the player should not run just fast enough to reach the ball as it gets to glove height.  When this happens the momentum of the player is to the side and not toward the cut-off man or target base player.  This means the outfielder must stop his momentum one way and then start him momentum another way to begin the crow hop.

In cases where it is possible, the outfielder should run hard to a place a few feet behind where the ball will land and then adjust forward on the ball to begin his momentum as he is making the catch and as he is going into the crow hop.  If he has to catch the ball on a full run then this technique will not be possible.

The Crow Hop

After fielding a ball in the outfield with base runners advancing, the outfield player needs to get as much power behind the throw as possible.  There is not enough time to take too many steps after fielding the ball, and the ideal mechanics are the hop, step and throw.

For a right handed thrower, this means the first move is a short hop with the right foot extended, land, make a step with the left foot directly toward the target, pushing off hard with the right foot and making the throw as the left foot hits the ground.

This gives the optimum momentum for making a hard throw to the cut-off man or target base player if they outfield has the arm and the throw is within his range.

Hit the Cut-Off Man (or not)

One thing that I routinely see, especially at the younger ages is the outfielder trying to make a highlight reel play and throw the ball all the way home for the out when the runner is rounding third.  The result is either a bad throw and the runner scores and the hitter ends up at 2nd or 3rd, or the ball is short allowing the runners additional time to advance.

An outfielder should well understand what their range is and should throw "long toss" before the game as a part of the warm-up routine.  Every single practice and every single game when the player is warming up they should start short until the arm feels comfortable and then slowly start taking one step back after every throw until he reaches a spot where he can no longer reach his partner in the air.  This is the max distance he can throw the ball before he needs to hit the cut-off man.

The cut-off man should position himself such that the ball from the outfielder can reach him in the air and he then finds the next cut-off man or the intended target.

When in doubt, the outfielder should always hit the cut-off man and not try to "over-throw" it and throw it wild or have the ball land between the cut-off man and the eventual target.

Another thing I see regularly at all ages is the outfielder who fields the ball twenty feet from the target base and the cut-off man has positioned himself ten feet from the target base and the outfield throws it to the cut-off man.  At that distance, that's almost an underhanded toss to the base, much less the cut-off.  Adding a cut-off unnecessarily just extends the time it takes to get the ball to the target and can result in the runner being safe vs out on a routine play.  If the outfielder has the arm to reach the eventual target, they should.

Run Where the Ball is Going

The tendency of most young players when a ball is not hit directly to them is to run 90 degrees from their current position, then turn and chase the ball down.  The problem with this is, every step the defensive player takes as the ball is rolling away from him is another step the base runner has to the next base and once the outfielder reaches the ball he must turn 180 degrees before he can begin his crow hop.  All of this takes up precious time as the runner is rounding the bases.

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line and outfielders should take an angle to a few feet behind where the ball is going.  If the ball is a good distance from the defensive player, he should gauge where he things the ball will end up and take the angle to a few feet behind that position.  It is always better to run up to field the ball than to have to run back for a ball.  By running a few feet behind where the ball will end up, the outfield gives himself the advantage of starting his momentum as he is picking up the ball and avoiding having to start his momentum after the ball is fielded.

In addition, if he is running forward as he is fielding the ball, he can easily see the position of the cut-off man or target base player without having to try to pick up the target after he picks up the ball and starts his crow hop.  Overall, this technique is much cleaner and makes for an easier and faster play on the runner.

Ranging Back for a Ball

A mid-range ball

Path for a right-handed left fielder

An outfielder never back-peddles and should never have to if the ball is played correctly.  If the ball is hit over the player's head but not too far over his head, he should turn his hips away from the ball and run sideways keeping his eyes on the ball all the time.  If he has time, he should run to a position behind where the ball will land (as previously described) and make the play on the ball with forward momentum.  Otherwise, he can catch the ball on the run while watching the ball the entire time.

If the ball is hit directly over the outfielder's head, he can make the decision which direction to turn and which shoulder to look over.  It is a more natural motion to catch the ball to the forehand than the backhand (the forehand meaning he doesn't have to twist the hand to get the glove opened properly) as is illustrated in the picture and the diagram above. 

The player should avoid trying to run straight out and watch the ball flying directly over his head.  He should run far enough wide of the line of the ball that it is easy to watch on the ball while ranging back.  Once he finds the spot where he thinks the ball should land, he plays it as described above, positioning himself a few feet behind the ball and playing it in front of him if at all possible.

A Deep Ball

If the ball is hit deeply into the field further than can be caught like a mid-range ball, then the player must get to the ball as quickly as possible.

In this case, when the ball comes off the bat and the outfielder realizes it will be over his head, he should turn his back to the ball and run as fast as he can to a spot a few feet behind where he initially thought the ball should land when it came off the bat.

He should then turn and attempt to re-acquire the ball in the air and then adjust from there.  If he is unable to pick-up the ball in flight, all other infielders and outfielders should be pointing at the ball as it flies.  The outfielder should then be able to follow all of the player's fingers and pick up the ball again.

If the player is not able to reach the ball before it lands, he still will be closer to the final resting place of the ball using this technique than trying to range back as with the mid-range ball, running sideways, knowing the whole time he will not be able to reach it.

In what is dubbed the greatest catch in baseball history, Willie Mays is shown in the picture with his back to the ball chasing down a hit that was well over his head when it came off the bat.

Outfield Responsibilities

The Center Fielder

The center fielder is normally the fastest outfielder and has the best glove.  He is the captain of the outfield and gets anything he can get to - if he calls the ball he gets it.  If the ball is hit to right center and both the right fielder and the center fielder call for it at the same time, the center fielder makes the play on the ball.  The right fielder, when he hears the center fielder call for it (even if the right fielder calls for it first) peels off and backs up on the play in case the ball gets away from the center fielder.  This is to prevent collisions in the outfield and give your best outfielder the best opportunity to make the play.

As with all positions, if the center fielder is not directly involved in the play, he is backing someone up.  On a ball hit to left or right field, the center fielder is running behind where the play is being made on the ball to backup the left or right fielder in the event the ball gets by them.  I have seen an outfielder twist an ankle in a hole in the outfield and not be able to make a play on a ball that looked like a routine play.  Regardless of how the ball is hit or where the left or right fielder is playing, the center fielder "follows the ball" just in case he is needed.

On a ball hit to the infield, the center fielder backs up throws to second base and also backs up throws down to second on steal attempts.  When the ball is put into play and is hit to the infield, the center fielder should automatically be breaking toward the ball (if it is hit to the middle infield) or to second base (to backup the middle infielder in the event of an overthrow).

If the ball is coming from the left side of the infield, the center fielder runs to the right field side of second base and vice versa.  On a throw down from the catcher, he runs directly behind second base on a line from catcher through the pitcher's rubber and through second base.

It is important to not play too close to the infielder, the outfielder backing up the infield needs to be far enough away that he can react to a ball off the infielder's glove and still make a play on it, keeping it from getting deep into the outfield and letting base runners advance and possibly score.

The Left Fielder

In addition to playing the left field position, the left fielder is also backing up throws to third base up the foul line toward the outfield fence.

On close plays to 3rd base it is the responsibility of the pitcher to backup 3rd base down the baseline toward home (the catcher must stay home in case the runner gets around 3rd and heads home) and the left fielder backs up plays up the baseline toward the foul pole.

The left fielder also backs up 3rd base on throws from the catcher on pick-off attempts or stolen bases.  As soon as he sees that play develop he should brake to a position in the grass behind the 3rd baseman to make a play on any ball that gets by the 3rd baseman.  Any ball that gets into the outfield after a play at 3rd will likely score a run and the left fielder needs to be properly positioned to prevent that.

The Right Fielder

In addition to playing right field, the right fielder backs up throws to 1st base.  This includes routine infield hits where the play is at first or on pick-off attempts from the pitcher or the catcher.

With nobody on base, the play is at first and the catcher's responsibility is to backup the throw to 1st on the base line between home and 1st and it is the right fielder's responsibility to backup the throw down the base line toward the right field foul pole.

Conclusion

Like most sports, baseball is a game of inches.  Every inch you can take away from a runner the more likely you are to get an out.  Moving your body to make the most efficient use of time can mean the difference in safe or out on a close play.

Using the proper technique greatly enhances the outfielder's ability to get positioned correctly to make the best play on the ball and make the most effective throw after catching or fielding the ball.