Skip to main content

Top High School Switch Pitchers 2016

Henry Knight switch pitcher
Henry Knight throws 6 pitches for strikes from both sides

Switch Pitchers - Class of 2016


Over the past decade, there have been a few players who pitched with both arms in high school baseball games. Switch pitchers are extremely rare, since it takes coordination, dedication and a lot of practice. 

Most of these ambidextrous pitchers were inspired by major league switch pitcher Pat Venditte who now plays for Toronto.

Check out the list of ambidextrous high school baseball players from the class of 2016. Two switch pitchers have already signed to play for Division 1 baseball teams.

Committed:

Carter Kieboom, Walton HS, Marietta, Georgia
Kieboom is a tall thin infielder who has the ability to pitch with both arms and bats right-handed. He throws 86 mph RHP, and 80 mph LHP. His older brothers played college baseball, and one was drafted as a catcher by the Nationals. 


2016 MLB Draft: #28 pick in the first round by the Washington Nationals

College commitment: Clemson University - Tigers


---------------------------------------------------
Joe Santoro, Carmel Catholic HS 2016, Illinois
Joe Santoro is a rare talent, as he is a smooth pitcher who can throw with either arm, similar to Ryan Perez, who pitched at Westminster Christian HS. Santoro bats left-handed and plays outfield left-handed. FB: 86-87 (source: Prep Baseball Report
College commitment: Army  

Army West Point Black Knights

The Army West Point Black Knights, commonly known as Army, is the name of the athletics teams of the United States Military Academy.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Uncommitted Players:

Nick BohannanFort Zumwalt North HS, O'Fallon, Missouri

Bohannan was featured on TV in 2011 as a 13-year-old Ambidextrous Pitcher. He plays basketball and baseball in high school. For switch pitching, he uses a custom Mizuno ambidextrous glove. Check out Nick Bohannan's profile.
---------------------------------------------------
Brock Mammoser, Newton Community HS, Newton, Illinois
A rare 4-sport athlete in high school, Mammoser participates in football, basketball, track and baseball for the Newton Eagles. He's a quarterback, point guard, pole vaulter and switch pitcher! Mammoser scored over 1,000 points playing basketball at Newton.

---------------------------------------------------
JT McDonnellSan Marino HS, California

McDonnell was featured in a TV report as a right-hander who started throwing left-handed when he was 9 years old. JT throws a good curve ball from both sides. Uses a custom 6-finger Mizuno glove for switch pitching.

---------------------------------------------------


How rare are ambidextrous pitchers?

Chances of a switch pitcher playing in college >>

..

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Pitchers Glove Rules - Size and Color

What are the rules on a pitchers glove? According to the official baseball rules, a pitchers glove can be up to 12 inches in size , of any weight , and any color except white or gray as long as it is not distracting.  The Akadema ABX-00 glove, pictured above, is 12 inches,  solid black and is not distracting according to local umpires. Little League Rules Gray glove is not allowed for pitching  White glove is not allowed for pitching Little League Rule 1.14: Each fielder, other than the first baseman and the catcher may wear a glove not more than 12 inches long nor more than 7 3/4 inches wide, measured from the base of the thumb crotch to the outer edge of the glove. The glove may be of any weight. Little League Rule  1.15 (a) : The pitcher's glove may not, exclusive of the piping, be white or light gray, nor, in the judgment of an umpire, distracting in any manner. (source: Little League Baseball Rules Regarding Bats and Gloves ...

Fastball Velocity - How fast do kids throw?

How fast does a Little League pitcher throw? The average fastball is between 50-60 mph for a  pitcher in the Majors division of Little League (11-13 yo). Pitchers in the Little League World Series throw fastballs 60-70+ mph. Only a few pitchers touched 70+ mph in 2015 and 2016. One man-child hit 81 mph on the radar. This velocity is almost unhittable from 46 feet  and extremely rare for a 13 year old. #18 RHP Carlos Gonzalez - Panama 79-81 mph fastball  105 mph MLB equivalent reaction time #18 RHP Jaekyeong Kim - South Korea 75-76 mph fastball #19 RHP Ryan Harlost - Mid-Atlantic, Endwell, NY 71-74 mph fastball Threw a complete game to win the 2016 Little League World Series Loreto Siniscalchi , a 6'1" pitcher from Canada, threw in the mid 70s and completely dominated the hitters from Japan.  He led Team Canada to its first victory over Japan in 18 years. Big right-hander Isaiah Head from Kentucky threw 70-73 mph fastballs. His recor...

Baseball Glove Options for Switch Pitchers

Custom made  Mizuno ambidextrous glove Looking for a glove for a switch pitcher? Before spending hundreds of dollars on a custom glove, please think about age of the player and how much time they will spend pitching. Here are glove options for ambidextrous pitchers, based on age: Age 3-5 Kids don't pitch at this age. They should be learning the proper way to throw. Young kids should try catching the ball with two hands. Use tennis balls or foam balls for throwing. Forget about the low quality plastic glove - it's in the landfill within a year. Gloves are awkward for young kids. If they learn two hand catch when they are young and continue with the skill, they will do well fielding balls when they are older. Learning to throw with both arms is easy at this stage. If a child can throw with either hand when they are three-years-old, it doesn't mean that they are talented or ambidextrous - it just means that they are a typical kid. Gloves:  Buy a smal...