3 Baseball Pitching Tips For Outdueling Hitters

1. Save your strikeouts.

Runner on 3B, fewer than 2 outs. Runner on 2B, no outs. Or if a poor hitter up with a runner in scoring position. Those are the only times a strikeout should enter your mind. A strikeout isn't a byproduct of anything other than having your game plan and making good pitches. Ultimately, you should try not to show all your pitches in the first at-bat; save something for later in the game, to get the guy out when it matters.

2. Don't fear the runner.

A guy on 1B shouldn't dictate your pitch selection to the batter. Don't be afraid to throw an off-speed pitch, just because there's a guy on base. Ultimately, only 17% of stolen bases lead to a run that wouldn't have scored anyway, so you're better off concentrating on the hitter and getting him out.

3. Be the first to adjust.

After the first time through the batting order, you should have a pretty good idea about what to expect. But everybody makes adjustments. It's a matter of knowing enough about the hitter to pick up adjustments he may be making ... and then you making adjustments to stay one step ahead.