Velocity in baseball has become paramount, necessary and much sought after. Teams from travel baseball, travel softball, to high schools., colleges and of course, professional baseball. The athlete is also chasing improved . Everyone knows that velocity has become the top dog, the big attraction. The data supports the fact regardless of what some coaches may be spewing out. Velocity is very important.

The data shows us that the average fastball in the major leagues continues to climb each year. Analytics has shown us that when velocity goes up your value as a pitcher goes up. The question is why is velocity trending upward, is it better genes, non GMO foods, what? The answer lies within sports worldwide. Why do Olympic records fall each year? Athletes are running faster, jumping higher, swimming faster at every world event. In 1954, Roger Bannister did the unthinkable, he ran a mile in less than four minutes. The four minute barrier is now the standard for those running the mile, over 1.400 male athletes have broken the four minute barrier.

I have been involved in professional baseball for 34 years. The standard for the fastball has dramatically increased over the years. Regardless, why are these pitchers throwing harder than ever before. Well, the first reason is in the strength and conditioning field. For years, baseball was slow to adapt to these principles, thinking pitchers would get too bulky to perform well. The author of a major league record 7 no hitters, Nolan Ryan, wrote that he used to “sneak” from the Angels facility to the football facility to lift weights. Sounds like he was on to something (this was in the 70’s), he arguably has the best fastball ever. I can tell you that when strength coaches were introduced in to baseball clubhouses there was push back, resistance. Let’s just fast forward, today every major league team has two strength and conditioning coaches, each minor league team has a strength coach. The training plans have gone from ” don’t get any one hurt” to an aggressive plan individualized for each player based on specific needs and the position each athlete plays. I used to hear the risk/ reward phrase thrown out all the time, not any more. It is all about the reward.

The use of pitching labs, wearable devices that measure movements, extreme high speed cameras have also aided in better instruction. The slow motion footage of an athlete throwing is more accurate than any human eye, regardless of how well that eye has been trained. The wearable monitors have helped researchers and coaches better understand how the human body moves most efficiently and most powerfully. Research has taught those people in player development( coaches) that arm action can be changed successfully and coaches must address this subject for athletes who want to throw hard . The new age pitcher is learning how his body should move during a throw, what each body part is responsible for and when everything should happen. Sequencing, is a new word for baseball but it can be easily explained to any 10 year old. If we ask them what did they put on first, socks or shoes? If they did it in reverse order- well that just doesn’t work that well, right?

Velocity is being taught, this is a newer concept developing over the last decade. If you have a young athlete, check the facts and program out before you commit. There are NO short cuts. Elite throwing is a toe nail to finger nail movement. Strength, power, range of motion and direction are necessary to get the velocity gains one is looking for. It also takes time and a commitment. Do not allow short term obstacles get in the way of long term goals.