How To Beat The Tough Pitcher

The 2013 Division, League, and World Championship Series clearly show why the tough pitchers to hit are those that can effectively work against the count.  Being able to throw the “decision pitches” for strikes, no matter which type pitch thrown, often yields big dividends. The operative word here is “strikes.” We’ve seen time and again off-speed pitches thrown effectively for strikes in hitters’ counts, the end results being an inordinate amount of strikeouts. During these games I found myself mentally questioning why the hitters didn’t make adjustments to the pitcher’s pattern. Granted, the pitching arms and talent were awesome, but I also felt the hitters gave them some help they really didn’t need.

Let’s talk a little more about these tough pitchers—the same ones you readers have been seeing on TV in the Championship Series this year—and how hitters can combat them. After all, what good does it do a hitter to be able to see what’s going on if he’s not able to do something about it

From time to time I receive an email which I believe can be helpful to those whose youngsters are looking to get to the next level:

“Hi Mike, I am a coach in high school and as a team we are really struggling with our hitting. The speed velocity is usually around 75 mph and now we are facing some 85+ mph pitchers and the whole team is unable to catch up. We only play 1-2 times a week. Is there a drill to quicken our reaction time somewhat so that we can catch up to these better/faster pitchers? Thank you in advance.”

A big part of making good adjustments is the ability to take from your experiences and build on them. Good mental adjustments lead to good pitch anticipation. Unfortunately, many players don’t take advantage of this; they are constantly bombarded with the useless “See the ball. Hit the ball” hitting cue, circumventing a key ingredient of the hitting equation. This cue puts the hitter in the disadvantageous position of being more reactionary than cerebral. READ MORE