I’ve been thinking about this topic for a while now, as this idea or thought is what seems to circulate in all pitchers’ minds at all hours of the day. The most common answer to the question, “what does it take to play at the next level for a pitcher?” is pretty cut and dry. You need a high level of velocity in order to advance in the game of baseball. There is absolutely no way around it. If the highest level of the game is what you seek, a certain degree of velocity is what you need. That exact number for you as an individual is dependent upon other variables that create your makeup as a pitcher. Velocity, however, will be the most commonly used measurement to evaluate your worth and future potential based on the current scouting and recruiting culture.

Wait, Dustin, you said what?

Many of you may be thinking you misread what I just wrote, understanding that my main point and mission of Lokation Nation is to advocate more than anything, pitching command.  No, I’m not misleading you, my goal is 100% to support my mission; however, let me be clear, I am not ignorant to how the culture of the game operates, I just disagree with it. I, more than anyone, understand what it takes for pitchers to get looks, glances, chances, and opportunities. I also understand more than the average Joe what makes those chances and opportunities meaningful. After all, I was offered and accepted a division I scholarship, signed nine professional contracts in my career, two of which were with affiliated organizations (SD and KC), all while pitching in the low to mid eighties; this may have made me an exception, but there was good reason for my chances as I’ll explain later on.

Throwing smoke draws attention.

I’m no stranger to the effects of pitchers demonstrating high velocity and gaining massive opportunities and attention. It’s happened across every level of my career, beginning in high school. Hard throwers get more looks, chances, opportunities, and, for professional organizations, investments, which give them more time to potentially blossom into something great. I wholly understand this, and I assuredly understand the logic of which culture thinks. Possessing the ability to throw the ball at a high mph is hard to find. It takes raw talent, and for the majority, immense and extensive hard work to achieve it. Recruiting the talent that is able to do so is what drives scouting culture, as degrees of control or even command are thought to be something that can be easily taught to pitchers.  Personally, I would like to see the success/failure rate of this method for all levels of the game, for all pitchers who have ever been recruited or scouted in this sense.

While I understand how the baseball world operates, as I mentioned before, I simply disagree with it. I disagree with it because I always have. I disagree with it because I don’t believe in it. I disagree with it because it has no bearing on a pitcher’s success – when not controlled let alone commanded***. I disagree with it because I didn’t want to injure myself in search of a number that may or may not have ever been good enough at a young age. I disagree with it because it contradicts itself. I disagree with it because I wouldn’t be told that was the only way to play baseball at a high level. I disagree with it because I cared more about being a successful pitcher and dominating via command and location than impressing those evaluating me with a radar reading. And finally, I disagree with it because I proved it wrong. You may think to yourself, how did I have a career in baseball not following the rules? Define success the way you see it in your head. For me, the answer has always been simple—choose and train to be skilled at commanding locations, compete intelligently, execute at a high rate, and win. The numbers that represented my performance were always more important than the numbers that flickered up on a piece of plastic, and for me, that thought process translated greatly.

What advice do I have for you to make it to the next level?

Know and understand your capabilities in the present day. Be sure to obtain brutally honest evaluations of yourself and your ability. These help you make choices about who and what type of pitcher you need or want to be. For many, the attractive idea is to do anything you can find to help build your velocity, most times at the cost of in-game performance, but this can be what gets you the most looks on a whim. For others, you understand you need both to be successful in games while also getting looks. But how do you achieve it? My main answer to that is elaborated on in my E-Guide. My guide goes into great depths speaking on my “velo-stacking” method on command, which combines both elements. This is how I was able to reach velocities high enough to be relevant to recruiting and scouting. Along with my method of velo stacking, long-toss played an integral role in my velocity development as well, as this did not deter me from my goals to command at a high rate. We can’t leave out movement. Movement is also an important piece of the trio, in my opinion, still coming in higher at a level of importance over velocity in terms of successful pitching.

Do you care about winning or your velocity development?

The most important aspect of playing a game is winning and succeeding. If your goals aren’t to win or succeed in competition, do yourself, coaches, and teammates a favor and don’t play on a baseball team. If your definition of success is to solely train velocity until you reach a desired number, then do that, but don’t pitch in a game or for a team. Pitching in the game of baseball is about winning, with aims at performing successfully. If you aren’t training yourself to be that type of pitcher regularly in your practice then don’t play; you become a liability to a successful team sport. It may sound harsh, but the truth is harsh. If you aren’t playing in games then your best chance for looks would be private workouts or bullpens, where success rate can’t be quantified by getting people out, only projected based on some serious evaluating skills. If you’re relying on being someone’s college or pro project, then you have a lot to learn in a short amount of time against better to above-average hitters. This is why the method of current day culture doesn’t pan out that well. Unfortunately, when narrow-minded, tunnel-vision velo pitchers do receive the help in terms of what it means to be a success, they cast the command train of thought off to the wayside mainly because the focus of training will always show that velocity is what you need to get people out, which is simply not factual. Velocity may give you a chance to advance in the game; however, it DOES NOT mean you will be a success or be able to consistently get hitters out, which is 100% necessary at the highest level, nay most every level of the game. Reflect on that.

Here are some insights on how command and velocity could pan out for a modern day pitcher across different levels.

Let’s say you throw 83-84 in HS with great command and great numbers. You have a good chance to advance as a successful collegiate pitcher. If you don’t have great command at 83-84 you’ll most likely be overlooked for collegiate play, and at that point you HAVE to throw in the mid to upper eighties to get that same chance as the commander throwing at the lower speed—and who knows how your career unfolds without command. College scenario:  You throw 87-89 with great command and great numbers. You have a good chance to advance as a successful professional pitcher. If you don’t have great command at 87-89, you’ll most likely be overlooked by professional ranks and at that point you HAVE to throw 93+ to get that same chance as the lower speed commander, if you get any chance at all, and who knows how your career unfolds without command. If the non-commanding 93+ pitcher with poor statistics (no proven success rate) doesn’t get that chance out of college (drafted), NOW as a graduated senior he HAS to throw 95+ to even get a look to sign as only a free agent.

The takeaway

The moral of the whole premise above: if you aren’t training to command over a period of time, you are digging yourself into a hole, away from the velo numbers you now need to reach. You may already be at a velocity that can allow you to advance in the game, but if you aren’t commanding it, however, then you will assuredly need to throw harder as you AGE. Missing out on that wise decision to command at a slightly lower speed could have made an immense difference in your career. What does it take to make it to the next level?  Wise decisions in how you train and a rock solid definition of pitching success.