Switch Pitching 101

Videos of Trevor Bauer explaining his pitch grips and how he throws each pitch. Trevor Bauer Pitch Grips 4-seam fastball, cutter, 2-seam fastball, slider, reverse slider, change up, curveball, split finger fastball Trevor Bauer Pitch Design - Slow Motion Video Note how the arm pronates on every pitch More videos of Trevor Bauer ... Trevor Bauer is a right-handed pitcher with the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball.  Bauer had a 3 8-8 record with a 2.36 ERA as a pitcher for UCLA (2009-2011). ...

......................................................................... Alexander Trautner  RHP, LHP, 1B Hometown: Danville, CA San Ramon Valley HS 2014 College commitment: none Ht/Wt: 6-3, 210 lbs Bats/Throws: S/B FB: 84 mph  (RHP touches 87 mph) More about Alexander Trautner ......................................................................... Aubrey McCarty 1B Hometown: Doerun, GA Colquitt County HS 2013 MLB Draft: Round 35 by Giants in 2013 College: Vanderbilt University Ht/Wt: 6-4, 205 lbs Bats/Throws: S/B FB: 90 mph 60: 7.19 More about Aubrey McCarty ......................................................................... Ryan Perez  BHP, 1B, 3B Hometown: Hampshire, IL Westminister Christian HS 2012 MLB Draft:  College: Judson University, IL  Ht/Wt: 6-0, 180 lbs Bats/Throws: S/B FB: 90 mph 60: NA More about Ryan Perez .........

High school pitchers often ask the question: How fast do I have to throw to be recruited by a college team?    Division I recruits throw in the high 80s to low 90s    College recruits who throw 92+ often get drafted Velocity Examples: RHPs on the UCLA 2012 roster threw an average of 91.5 mph , while RHPs on the Washington State roster threw only  85.5 mph  in high school. Both teams play in the PAC-12 conference, which is one of the premiere leagues for college baseball. UCLA won the College World Series in 2013 with their dominant pitching. RHP vs LHP velocity In general, RHPs throw 3 to 5 mph faster than LHPs in high school. In the MLB, RHPs average about 1 mph faster than a LHPs. Switch Pitcher A switch pitcher with good mechanics usually throws 3-5 mph faster with their dominant hand (typically right-handed). Switch pitchers tend to throw in the low to mid 80s in high school. Perfect Game USA posts information on the average vel...

In this baseball training video, Steven Ellis shows you how to throw a cut fastball. The grip is like a two-seam fastball but with the index and middle fingers shifted toward the seam. When thrown by a RHP, the cutter will have late movement away from a right-handed hitter.  How to throw a cutter - by Steven Ellis former Chicago Cubs pitching pro To throw a cutter or cut fastball, you will throw a fastball but get a slight amount of side spin that makes the ball move in or out a few inches. This gives you a pitch somewhere between  a fastball  and  a slider , and, thrown properly, that's how the pitch will move, like a very tight slider.   You do this by moving your fastball grip (usually the 4-seam fastball grip) slightly off-center. Some pitchers bring the thumb slightly up the inside of the ball and the index and middle fingers slightly toward the outside.    Switch pitcher Henry Knight throws a cutter to a lefty batter Th...

Are switch pitchers also switch hitters? Yes, several switch pitchers have the ability to switch hit.  But, many switch pitchers bat left-handed only.  A few ambidextrous pitchers continued to switch hit in high school, while others decided to focus on hitting only right- or left-handed. Many switch pitchers, like Drew Vettleson, are solid left-handed hitters. Some switch pitchers become "pitchers only" in high school – especially on summer teams. List of ambidextrous pitchers who can switch hit Marcus Garcia ,  Roseville HS 2013,  Roseville, California Garcia is a 6'2" switch pitcher who plays for Sierra College in Rocklin, CA. Daulton Hopkins ,  Desert Christian  HS 2014, Tucson, Arizona A natural lefty who can pitch with both arms - plus he's a switch hitter. Henry Knight , Franklin HS 2015, Seattle, Washington Starting shortstop and ambidextrous pitcher on varsity since his freshman year. Commands four pitches from both side...

Greg Maddux - Future Hall of Fame Pitcher Greg Maddux RHP (The Professor, Mad Dog) Rob Neyer tabbed Greg Maddux "The Smartest Pitcher Who Ever Lived" Greg Maddux won 355 games! Maddux is one of only 10 pitchers to achieve both 3,000 strikeouts and 300 wins. Plus he won the Cy Young Award in four consecutive years!  Personally, I think that Greg Maddux should be elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot.  Maddux was a good natural athlete who won 18 Gold Glove Awards. David Schoenfield writes ... If you're too young to have seen Maddux pitch, go over to YouTube and check out some highlights.  Here he is  pitching eight shutout innings in Game 2 of the 1996 World Series. He threw a low-90s fastball with great movement, making it cut or sink, but with impeccable command and precision.  In 1997, he issued just 14 unintentional walks in 232 2/3 innings; I'm sure several of those were intentionally unintentional. He varied his speed so every...

Jeff Dusek Hometown: San Clemente, CA Born: 1949 Position: LHP/RHP Height: 6-2 Weight: 178 College: BYU, 1970-1972 First-Team All-Western Athletic Conference 26-7 record Pro: Chicago White Sox's minor league team 5-3 record, Appleton Foxes, Wisconsin In the summer of 1971, Jeff Dusek was a switch pitcher in the old Basin League in Mobridge, South Dakota.  He threw harder left-handed, but was a better pitcher right-handed, according to John Hughes who played summer baseball with Dusek.  Jeff Dusek, a pitcher from 1970-72 is one of BYU’s more prolific pitchers with a 26-7 record. Now retired, Dusek received national attention as the prosecutor in his role as assistant San Diego County attorney. Dusek graduated from BYU in 1972 with a bachelor’s in history and earned his law degree from Washington and Lee University. Dusek was one of the most notable of BYU baseball players to excel in the legal profession. source: BYU athletics: Going pro in some...

Switch pitchers - Iowa Clark Egdorf ,  South O'Brien HS 2004,  Paullina, Iowa Egdorf became used to throwing both ways in Little League and switch pitched in high school.  He played left field right-handed and batted left-handed. Colleges: Iowa Lakes Community College and Loras College. Stephen Kenkel ,  IKM-Manning HS 2011,  Manilla, Iowa Kenkel used a  custom ambidextrous glove TPX $400.  Switch hitter in high school. Austin Stuber , Lenox HS 2010, Lenox, Iowa Pitcher for the Vikings at Missouri Valley College, Marshall, MO, NAIA Alex Urbanek , Roland-Story HS 2014, Story City, Iowa Throws a fastball, curveball and change-up with both hands. High school ambidextrous pitchers from the state of Iowa ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ -- Complete list of Switch Pitchers  >> ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ -- .

Clark Egdorf South O'Brien HS (Class of 2004) Paullina, Iowa College: Iowa Lakes Community College , Iowa;  Loras College , Dubuque, Iowa (2009) Postions: Switch Pitcher, OF, 1B Bats: Left Throws: Both Pitches: Fastball, curveball, change-up, plus a slider (lefty) Ambidextrous pitcher Clark Egdorf became used to throwing both ways in Little League. He had better control as a lefty but threw hard right-handed. He played left field right-handed and batted left-handed. "I did a lot of switching in Little League," said Egdorf, who learned to pitch both ways from his father, Todd. "In between innings, I would think about changing to the other hand. I just got used to it. But in high school, I changed. "I guess it's like switch hitting," he added. "You use muscle memory. I don't think about it, I just do it."  ( siouxcityjournal.com ) As a senior, Egdorf was the Wolverines' leading hitter at .383 with four home runs ...