5 Pitching Velocity Myths

5 Pitching Velocity Myths

*This article may contain product links which pay me a small commission if you make a purchase. Learn more.

Late winter is the time of year when everyone starts to analyze their velocity, which gives rise to many common pitching velocity myths in baseball.

So, it’s a worthwhile conversation to have about pitching velocity. Where does it come from? How do we build it? Is 100 the new 90? Does everyone throw 90 now? Read on for answers.

Common Pitching Velocity Questions

  • How hard do I throw in comparison with everyone else?
  • Do I throw hard enough to get noticed?
  • Why don’t I throw as hard as (insert name)?
  • Why am I falling short of the velocity I expected, or threw in the past?
  • What’s a good speed for a bullpen?
  • Where should I be during the season?

These are all valid questions.

Everyone expects to gain 5 miles and throw their new max speed in the bullpen. But, this isn’t reality. Let’s look at five pitching velocity myths and discuss some of the norms regarding crow hop, bullpen and mound velocity.

Brand New Video on Pitching Velocity Myths

If you want to improve your pitching velocity, start by reading every word in my detailed pitching mechanics article.

First: Learn More About Pitching Velocity in This Video

There are a lot of factors that going into throwing 90mph. Pitching velocity isn’t easy to build–it takes long term commitment.

But, read on for more of our discussion today on pitching velocity myths.

Pitching Velocity Myth #1: 90 is Now Ordinary and Commonplace

First, to be clear: for pitchers, the measure of velocity is from the mound. I don’t care how hard a pitcher can throw from a crow hop. If you can’t throw that hard from a mound, you don’t throw that hard.

There’s one notable pitching coach who claims to believe that every pitcher is capable of throwing 90mph. I appreciate his exuberance, and though I’m not sure what exactly he means (mound, crow hop, peak, average?), I vehemently disagree.

The reality is that it is VERY HARD to touch 90mph, and even rarer to average 90. Even with great coaching most will not achieve it. To say that it’s achievable by the masses is to instill a lot of false hope.

There is too much parity in genetics from one person to another. Though I don’t believe that you have to be a genetic freak to throw 90, you DO have to have solid athleticism, sufficient laxity, high-speed coordination, fast-twitch muscle fibers, to name a few.

And, one must have these attributes EARLY – otherwise one gets left behind for good upon getting cut from the local travel team. Sure – some people make drastic gains later on in their development (your author is one example), but this only one waning side of the bell curve.

Velocity Myth #2: “I Throw 90”

pitching velocity drills

“I throw 90” implies that a person consistently throws 90 miles per hour. Despite it being more common than ever, still, very few pitchers can do this.

On the average Division-I baseball team, each team usually has 4-8 players capable of touching 90mph, though perhaps only 1 or 2 who can average it. This is because “peak” speed (what we refer to as “touching”) is often 3 miles per hour harder than what is averaged (“sit” speed).

Even on the best teams in the country, the coaches can’t find enough high-velocity arms to fill out their staff. Though a pro roster will have players sitting at or around 90 from top to bottom, usually only the top half of even the best collegiate rosters are capable of seeing a 90 on the velocity chart.

how to increase pitching velocity

How many pitchers do you know who can touch 93 or 94 miles per hour? Not many, I bet. There’s a big difference between the pitcher who throws every pitch at 90 (what I deem, “throwing 90”) and the pitcher who throws one pitch at 90 and 59 pitches at 87. That’s called “throwing 87.”

Thing is, to average 90+ you have to have a peak speed of 93 or better. Otherwise, you simply can’t keep the average from dipping. For every 88 that shows up, at least one 92 has to counteract it to keep that average above 90. As a pitcher who’s job it is to get outs, it can’t be a concern how hard you’re throwing. So, invariably you throw some a little harder, and some a little softer. Basically, your “soft” fastballs have to be no softer than 89 or 90 if you have any chance of averaging 90+. That means “hard” fastballs are more like 92, 93, 94, 95.

For starting pitchers throwing hundreds of innings over the course of a spring and summer season, there’s too much fatigue. If 90 is ones peak, it’s impossible to hover at peak speed for more than a handful of pitches, and certainly not 100 pitch starts, week in and week out. Look at MLB All-Stars – these guys pitch in the low-90s during the season, yet sit 94-97 in one-inning All-Star appearances. They have that on tap. Only 61 starters in Major League Baseball averaged 90 or better in 2013, says Fangraphs.com

Really, “I throw 90,” in 99% of cases means, “I’ve touched a 90 at least one time in my life.” Touching 90 is rare, and averaging 90 is even more so. There just aren’t enough 93, 94 and 95mph peak-speed arms out there.

Myth #3: 100 Is The New 90

increase pitching velocity

A handful of pitchers can touch 100. Despite the fact that average and peak velocities still continue to climb, pitching a baseball 100mph is still incredibly rare, and only a few handfuls of pitchers can currently even touch it – and not even Aroldis Chapman averages it. It is insane to think that any any point will 100 be the new 90. I would agree that 92 is the new 90 – it’s a now a benchmark that is commonly averaged or exceeded by a majority of minor and major league pitchers.

But I Can crow-hop 100!

Uh.

Newsflash: No one cares.

I know players who crow hop 100+ but throw 89-92 from the mound. So….who cares?

We do some crow-hop throws in our facility, but I don’t consider them all that relevant for pitchers. Unfortunately, some players and coaches advertise crow hop velocities, hoping prospective clients assume that these advertised speeds are mound speeds; they’re not.

A simple crow hop that an infielder would take after fielding a grounder, or that an outfielder would take from beneath a fly ball, will add an average of 3-4 mph. If you add running to that, the added velocity continues to grow.

how to throw harder baseball

One of our interns from last summer, a reliever at a D-I school in Maryland who last year pitched at 87-91, reached 99-102 mph with what he described as “a huge, really aggressive run-up.” He’s throwing a little harder this year, but still is an 89-92 pitcher. Running with a crow hop added 10 miles per hour to his peak speed, which seems irrelevant considering he can’t pitch anywhere near this.

My point is, no matter what people are telling you, 90 is still THE major milestone. 92 is the new 90, but 90 is still a BIG deal.  The average velocity in MLB has indeed increased by about 2 miles per hour, but 100s still aren’t, and won’t, be prevalent.

Myth #4: All Radar Guns Are the Same

Stalker Radar Gun – The Pro Standard

We own two Stalker radar guns because I didn’t want to be speaking the wrong language to coaches and scouts. 100% of MLB scouts use Stalker guns, which are advanced doppler radar. The only other prominent doppler radar gun is the JUGS, an old model of which is seen in the 101 mph video.

stalker pro II baseball radar gun

These can have wild swings, as they have a different algorithm (as I understand it) for calculating speed, one that tends to round numbers up. This was explained to me by a man who repairs radar guns for a living – he said they’re both good, quality machines, but the original JUGS calculates differently.

It’s important to note that there are two more recent JUGS models since the first, somewhat inaccurate one in question here.  The second generation was subcontracted to Stalker (so it was basically a Stalker), but the most recent generation is made by Decatur Sports. So, the model and generation depends on a lot, and I haven’t tested the most recent generation.

Jugs Radar Gun – Good But A Bit Distrusted

Personally, I had an old-model JUGS before selling it, and it was consistently 2-3mph high. I held it side by side of my Stalker before selling it. I also gunned one of our high schoolers at 84-86 over numerous bullpens a few years ago. His first bullpen at tryouts that year was overseen by a JUGS gun…he sat 88-91.

His coach was VERY excited and told this kids parents, who promptly assured him that he didn’t really throw that hard; all winter we had him at 84-86. I can’t talk to a scout about one of our pitchers unless I am absolutely sure how hard he throws, which is why we went with Stalker – it’s the same gun the scout will use when he comes to verify.  I don’t want to lose face.

Ball Coach by Pocket Radar – Best For Velocity Tracking

Pocket Radar has become very popular recently, and understandably so – they’re accurate, relatively inexpensive and can be throwing into the back pocket.

For a parent or player simply wanting to track progress over time (with either throwing velocity or exit speed off the bat, it’s a great choice – traditional radar guns are bigger, clunkier and not really necessary to get daily measurements.

And, because it’s so small, setting it up to get readings is a lot easier – even sticking it to something (or using an iPhone holder) while the camera rolls can work well – no tripod required like a traditional radar gun.

Myth #5: I Throw 90 in The Bullpen

It’s normal to throw 3-5mph slower in the bullpen.

bullpen

I get frustrated by bullpen velocity just like the rest of us. I struggle, without adrenaline, to get above 88mph; I’ve always been this way. But, I remind myself of a quote by my friend Donnie Smith, who was the closer during my time in Fargo. He touched 98 one night and sat 94-96 in front of a few scouts. Donnie was a former 2nd round pick of the Cardinals and his ball just zoomed by hitters. After impressing a few scouts in Fargo, he said he was approached by a MLB team in the offseason. They said if he threw well and could hit 94 in a bullpen they organized for him in January, they’d sign him. This is what he said to me regarding that.

Yeah, they said if I could hit 94 in a bullpen they’d sign me. I told them don’t bother. 94? I could hit 91 in a bullpen, maybe. I’ve hit 98 in a game but there’s no way I can get pumped up enough to come close to that indoors, on a turf mound with no one watching.

I remind myself of this all the time when I feel discouraged. Here’s a guy who threw as hard as I currently want to throw, who admitted that he couldn’t even sniff his game velocity in the pen. It gives me and all of us hope.

Bottom line is that if you can throw up 90s in the bullpen, you’re probably throwing a lot of 95s in games. And if you’re like most 88-91 pitchers, your bullpens are somewhere in the 84-87 range. It just isn’t easy to throw 90.

how do pitchers throw in the bullpen

And, if you’re throwing just as hard in a bullpen as you do in a game, then you’ve gotten very good at summoning game intensity in practice – kudos to you, but I’m not what the benefit of that really is.

It’s just like the algorithm with averages – due to the lack of competition, adrenaline, cleats, clay mounds, fans, etc., velocity just refuses cooperate. 100% effort bullpens are more like 92% of a pitcher’s max in-game speed, which is a frustrating reality.

It’s Still Hard to Throw 90.

There’s a lot of velocity development stuff out there on the web, some of it good, some of it terrible, and much of it somewhere in the middle – probably not that safe and probably only effective for some.

But, being realistic is a good way to go in with eyes wide open to the realities of it all.

Want to Throw Harder? Download My Free Checklist for Pitchers.

Regardless of how hard you throw today, work hard on improving yourself for tomorrow. Are you doing everything you need to be doing?

Download my pitchers’ development checklist to learn what high-level pitchers do. You’ll also get a VIP video that explains all of it, and access to my weekly newsletter.

Pitching Velocity FAQ

Have a question? Leave one below and check out these common questions.

How difficult is it to throw 90 mph?

It’s still very difficult. Though more pitchers than ever reach this milestone, it’s still very difficult and an excellent achievement to throw a baseball 90 miles per hour. Social media makes it appear as if “everyone” throws 90 today, but the reality is that it’s still very rare. It’s even more rare to “sit” at 90, meaning the average velocity of every pitch is 90 or greater.

If you throw 100mph on a run, how fast would you throw off a mound?

Probably 6-12 mph slower. Typically, pitchers throw about 8-10 mph faster when running or doing a “run and gun” as compared to throwing off the mound. So if you throw 100mph from a crow hop running throw, you probably throw 90-92 off the mound.

20 thoughts on “5 Pitching Velocity Myths”

  1. I have a JUGS Pro Sport which is the Stalker clone made by Applied Dynamics (not sure how this partnership even happened) which runs very close in velocity to the Stalker Sport I, which is the hallmark of all pro scouts everywhere (large body, square barrel, etc). Actually, I think the JUGS Pro Sport is a BETTER gun and has fewer misreads (as well as decimal readings for baseball, which the Stalker Sport I doesn’t have unless you set it to carnival mode), but you know how baseball can be. The Stalker Sport 2 (brand new model) is by all rights a better radar gun, but once a gun gets entrenched in a scout’s bag, it’s never going away. That’s why the Stalker Sport I still sells for close to retail price! I got one of each for $400 apiece which is a hell of a deal when it came with charger + battery + bag + tuning fork + manual!

    The bullpen note is good too, ESPECIALLY if you are throwing off a turf mound in flats. If you have spikes on, you’re gonna get closer to your game-time velocity, but in flats, no chance. Trevor throws 88-90 off an indoor mound in flats and he’s touched 97 MPH in games (reliably 92-93 though). It also differs on the person – some guys are 8 MPH slower, some guys are 3 MPH slower.

    Great article!

    1. Yeah, the JUGS that Stalker, er Applied Dynamics, makes is a good gun. I tend to forget that Stalker is the model/brand, not the company.

      I failed to mention that I have a friend who goes the other way in pens – he’s touched 95 indoors which is also his max outdoors. I don’t understand him at all. You just can’t brace on your front leg with shoes on turf – I can feel my hamstrings work extra hard to try to keep my plant leg from sliding.

      1. That is messed up. Though I’ve had a kid or two who throw harder off a turf mound than they do from a crow-hop. Talk about your definition of a pitcher-only…

        I’d post Trevor’s max crow-hop velocity but the Internet would explode. Let’s just say it’s a LOT higher than even the most ridiculous claims, and it was gunned multiple times using a Stalker Sport 2 on decimal mode.

  2. If you can re-create the momentum you build in a crow hop to your delivery on the mound, obviously not exactly but as much as you can, you can come close to that crow hop velo on the mound I think. And Bauer…. 106 mph from the crow hop

    1. Agreed. It’s impressive to throw that hard, but I’m not really that interested in training maxes – competition, mound velocity is what’s important. Personally, I stopped training from a crow hop. I do all my throwing exclusively from the hybrid slide step because I’ll be a reliever this year. If I’m trying to produce momentum (which is the goal, as you’re absolutely correct) then I need to practice doing so in the same manner I play. Note though that part of my using it exclusively is because I have never had to rely on the stretch as much as I will, so I’m aiming to get as good at it in a short time as I can. As much as I despite Dick Mills and his dogmatic statements, there is something to be said for practicing the same way you play.

          1. Michael Thompson

            That makes sense, I’ve never seen it done that way. I’m going to try that, after all like you said, you don’t want to waste reps. How often did you do this? After bullpens?

          2. I only threw them hard twice a week in the months that I was using them – they were the workout. I’m on to the bullpen phase for the year, prepping pitches for the season. I follow the beat of my own drum, I suppose.

  3. I appreciate the “down to earth” reality of this article. It puts the egos in check. A true 90mph thrower is a rare bird. The only part I’m unsure of is whether an average person can throw 90 with proper training and conditioning. I believe a person committed to attaining that goal over a long period of time can achieve it and I also believe someone over 16 can achieve it. What is the evidence for and against? I’d love to hear it to expand my own knowledge.

    1. Well, you stated that 90mph throwers are “rare birds” then followed it up with the idea that the average 16+ year old can achieve it with proper training. Those two statements conflict.

      I’ve simply seen too many athletes in both my playing career and my training career who lack the athleticism, body control and explosiveness to throw that hard. Some attributes can be trained, but not all of them. Many, many high school players simply aren’t good athletes.

      Everyone just has a different genetic potential, and to say that every single human’s is 90mph or better is saying that every human is in the 99th percentile.

      Thanks for reading.

  4. While playing in both high school and college my coaches refused to tell us what we were hitting on the gun. Their rationale was that the art of pitching involves so much more than hitting or maintaining a particular speed. While I generally agree with this premise, I also think periodic checks allow a pitcher to gauge his development, and maintain/manage realistic expectations,. The mantra I learned was always the prioritization of “location, movement, velocity”. Something with which I certainly agree. After all, if you can’t throw strikes consistently, you’re not a pitcher, just another thrower.

    I’d like to know your thoughts on this.

    1. Hey Jared,

      I agree with you – I don’t think velocity info should be kept secret, but it isn’t relevant in a game. During games, the pitcher’s sole job is to execute pitches, and how hard any given pitch is doesn’t matter. Most pitchers, if you tell them how hard they’re throwing, will start to try and throw harder (thus executing poorly as they waste mental bandwidth on trying to throw harder). It just sends the wrong message about what’s important if players are getting velocity info in real time.

      And yes – I’m glad you’re on the right side of all this; being a pitcher is definitely an art, even if you throw fuel. We don’t need more throwers; we need more pitchers.

      Thanks for reading and reach back out anytime you have a question or comment or an idea for a post for me. Dan

  5. Just an observation. You know a guy who “repairs radar guns” for a living? Radar guns now are so damn cheap there isn’t possibly a market for “radar gun repair”. Especially given the fact that 99% of radar guns are purchased for a professional position as the average household doesn’t own and provably doesn’t need a radar gun. So I really don’t buy somebody said: “blah blah blah”, and he must know what he’s talking about because he repairs radar guns. It’s like in construction nowadays, nobody repairs their cordless drills or drivers. They’re so damn cheap, you just buy a new one.

    1. The guy worked for Stalker Radar, so “builds” radar guns.

      And no – they’re still not that cheap, only pocket radar is. Stalkers are still $600-$1800.

  6. I’d also like to point out that “rare” is a too broad term. So do you mean rare as in the general public? Athletes? High school players? Anybody who played Little League? What is the actual term here? Because no matter what, no matter how athletic somebody is, there’s even a huge difference between mechanics and somebody who played even Little League Baseball compared to the average kid who’s never played a single inning of baseball no matter how Atlantic he is. So if we’re talking rare in terms of people who play baseball, I’d say you’re actually wrong. Throwing 90 is not that rare. Now if we’re just talking the average Joe and the average public. Then yes throwing 90 is not that common. But in a situation like the general public, that’s not exactly a fair assessment to make, because as I stated before, there’s just a huge differential between somebody who knows even basic baseball mechanics and somebody who’s never played. So not only with throwing 90 be incredibly rare in the general public. Hitting a 40 mile an hour fastball would be pretty rare for the general public because anybody who’s never played before is not going to be able to do that.
    So in the end, 90 it’s not exactly as rare as you’re trying to make this article seen. In Major League Baseball pacifically, and I’ll even include minor leagues in here as well, 90 is not rare. More players average 90 then don’t.

    1. well duh it’s not rare in pro baseball. Even in D1 baseball, however, 90 is still rare – most teams have 1-3 guys who can average 90 or better. It’s still not as common as its made out to be.

  7. Are MLB pitchers throwing that much harder then they were 10 or 20 years ago or as I have read some of the increase is in the way they measure it today? It just seems a lot of pitches are throwing consistently in the upper 90’s and even triple digits. And the offensive numbers are down, are there other factors contributing to this decline?

  8. I don’t care if you can throw 95 mph. If you can’t spot the ball it doesn’t matter how hard you can throw. 60percent strikes and above. I saw this in a 15u game this past weekend. Kids were throwing hard, but didn’t throw strikes.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

FREE

PITCHING

WEBINAR

PLUS - Get My Free Pitching

Development Checklist & YouTube

Pitching Video Updates

Get More Playing Time & Make the Cut

dan blewett pitching webinar
Scroll to Top