Two Simple Baseball Secrets Pitchers Can Use To Avoid Walking Batters

Today, we'll focus on ways baseball pitchers can reduce walks.

"Avoid lead-off walks"

In my book, there's nothing worse a lead-off walk to start an inning.

Did you know that lead-off runners who get on base (whether by a walk or a base hit) will score over 60% of the time? It's true in any inning of a ball game.

As you know, a baseball pitcher's job on the hill is tough. Issuing free passes to start an inning makes it especially difficult because base on balls usually coincide with earned runs, pitching behind in the count, pitching from the stretch (which many pitchers don't like to do) and your team trailing in a game.

On that note...

"Avoid two-out walks"

Two out walks prolong innings, make fielders flat-footed and inflate pitch counts -- which is especially problematic for youth pitchers who more often than not come down with overuse injuries like tendinitis from making too many pitches without proper rest between outings.

With two outs and no runners in scoring position, a walk can be deadly for pitchers because it puts another guy on base who will be running on the next pitch. (Remember, baserunners are always put in motion with two outs!). And, even more than lead-off walks, two out walks illustrate a lack of pitching command.

With two outs, a baseball pitcher should be just as aggressive as he is with no outs or one out. Challenge the hitter. Go right after him.

(The only exception here is pitchers may want to "manage a line-up" by pitching aggressively -- but carefully -- around a power hitter or middle line-up guy at the plate late in a close game with a weaker hitter on deck. I talk about this in detail in my 145-page advanced baseball pitching eBook, located online at www.thecompletepitcher.com/baseball_pitching_ebook.htm)

Remember, even the best hitters will fail against a pitcher's stuff 70% of the time.

However, when pitchers issue walks, the hitter succeeds 100% of the time!

One Final Thought On Walking Batters

Look, as a baseball pitcher, you can't control when you're going to get the nod to pitch. You can't control what an umpire is going to call on a particular pitch. You can't control the weather when it's your day on the bump (and for someone like me who grew up playing ball in upstate NY, there can be some really cold days out there!)

But walks are something you CAN control. And, if you can reduce them -- especially to lead-off hitters and in two-out scenarios -- you'll be far more successful.

Yours in baseball,

Steven Ellis
The Complete Pitcher™
www.thecompletepitcher.com
www.thecompletepitcher.blogs.com