Pitching and Pitchers Discussion Softball vs. Baseball Pitching Speeds

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http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art63765.asp

What Are Average Youth Baseball Pitching Speeds For Pitchers Age 10+?


Next time someone says the 12u girl is hitting 60+ in the 7th grade, refer them to this please.


14 year old male baseball player average cruising speed would be about 65 mph. Average freshman pitcher (14 to 15 year old) cruising speed would be about 70 mph. Average cruising speed for a good high school pitching prospect at 14 to 15 years old would be about 75 mph. That will usually get a freshman pitcher onto the JV team, assuming reasonable pitching ability to go along with the pitching velocity. Cruising at 80 mph as a freshman would be a potential star. Cruising at 85 mph as a freshman is maybe one in the entire country each year.


85 mph baseball = 59 mph softball. Reality....

Guest Author - Don McKay

"Whenever I watch a college or Team USA softball game on TV, inevitably the announcers say something to the effect that a 60mph fastball in Fast Pitch Softball is the equivalent of a 95 mph fastball in baseball. How do the announcers arrive at that comparison, and are they accurate? This article will aim to answer both questions. - Don McKay

 

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The 60 - 95 mph comparison came from an ESPN show called Sports Science. They equated the release points of both baseball and softball pitchers. If I recall the experiment they did it was rather lengthy and the reaction time was a portion of it. They looked at the path of the ball and how spins worked as well.

 

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I have played both games and can tell you that facing a 60 mph softball pitch is much, much, much easier than facing a 95, 90 or even an 85 mph baseball pitch. The thing that the point of these studies don't take into account is that you are still trying to hit a ball moving 90 mph (or 95 or 85), as opposed to 60. Ask yourself, would you have any problem hitting a 30 mph pitch from about 20 feet? Anyone with even a bit of ability would have no problem crushing it. But could anyone hit a 120 mph pitch from 80 feet? Probably not.

 

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I understand the whole don't believe it scenario. I've coached at college level and recruited kids supposedly hitting 90+. Reality 85 at best. However the article is flawed you don't release the ball nearly 2ft in front of your stride when pitching. If you do then you aren't using proper mechanics and your stride is too short. The author states 5.25 ft for stride which is longer than where the chest gets before release. Release is never more than 6 to 12in from chest, if so dirt ball. Check pitchingclips.com and you can see a ton of major league pitchers. Best to illustrate my point is the Matt Bush Clip, from the side.

 

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It's always entertaining to hear about that 12u throwing 60+ or that 10u throwing 55+. Mommy and Daddy googles makes it worth all the effort that coaches put in this game. Speed counts but the movement and the change of speed is what matters.