Various Pitch Counts, And The Baseball Pitches You Might Throw In Them

What's the pitch count?

3-0, 3-1, 3-2, 2-0, 2-2 and 1-1

What to throw?

Must have strike. The hitter must hit the ball, so as a pitcher, think fastball strike below waist. Think spin and movement, not velocity. A curve/slider down in zone is a good choice. You can throw a change up sometimes, but you definitely must throw this pitch for a strike. Try to fool hitter with pitch selection, not with location.

What's the pitch count?

1-1, 0-1 and 0-0 (get ahead pitch)

What to throw?

We want a strike. Fastball down on outer third of plate, or a curve/slider is down crotch to knees.You can also throw a change up sometimes (except on 0-0 count). Remember this: 1-1 is the most pivotal count; go 2-1 and you become much more predictable. 

What's the pitch count?

1-2

What to throw?

Power pitches in good locations. Fastball outer third of plate below crotch, or a curve/slider below crotch on outer third of plate. No off-speed pitch here. Use power pitch that gets hitter out now. Throw a put away pitch; throw your best baseball pitch!

What's the pitch count?

0-2

What to throw?

Let's get him now! You have hitter where you want, so put ball in tough location -- a non-strike outside at the knees or halfway between inside corner and toes at the belt buckle. Command the inside part of plate. We want power in good location, such as a hard fastball, a hard curve or a slider. Do not let count get past 1-2. If you have the hitter 0-2 and do not get the hitter with this pitch, then you must get the hitter with the 1-2 pitch.

3 Hints For Smarter Baseball Pitching

1. With a runner at 3B and less than two outs, always go with power. Throw a fastball and hard breaking pitch as opposed to a change up. 

2. If you are in trouble, think about pitch location and pitch movement, not pitching velocity.

3. Smart pitching is when you get a baseball hitter to hit an unprecedented pitch when you are behind in the count or in trouble.

Pitching With Runners In Scoring Position

One of the things I did in pro ball when pitching with runners in scoring position (which happened a lot since I was a closer, especially when I was called in to pitch in the middle of an inning), was to analyze how batters changed their approach.

With runners in scoring position, some batters get less aggressive, some get more aggressive. So I always tried to observe what the batters' tendencies were.

This gave me an idea about whether I could expand the strike zone a bit, or whether I needed to be more fine with my baseball pitches.

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.

Baseball Pitching: It's A Numbers Game

As baseball pitchers, statistics are an important part of our work. Statistics can provide a base for which a lot of assumptions can be made. In the Chicago Cubs organization where I played, managers, catchers and pitchers used statistics of batters against opposing teams to develop our pitching strategies and set defensive positioning on the field. However, I should point out that a group of numbers are not stand-alone, gospel truth, set in stone of and by themselves. Statistics can however, with a lot of intuition and reasoning, support a series of decisions that aid and assist both the pitcher and his coach(s).

Here's a terrific article on the Let's Talk Pitching baseball forum by Coach John Baker on using, interpreting and understanding baseball pitching statistics to your advantage on the mound.

How Pitchers Can Use Batting Practice To Develop A Pitching Strategy On Game Day

Batting practice can be an invaluable pitching tool and used to evaluate opposing hitters and formulate a pitching strategy. I used to use pitching charts because it made it easier to record the information. I also recommend that the starting pitcher, as well as some of the relief pitchers should do the observing along with the aid of the pitching coach. This will help get some good discussion around how you may want to pitch to certain hitters in the lineup.

By observing where opposing hitters tend to hit the ball, what their baseball swing is like, and what pitches they have trouble with, you can start to classify them and possible methods of pitching to them.

Pitching Strategy: Why You Shouldn't Pitch Inside Late In A Close Game

Watch any MLB game on TV and you'll almost always hear the announcers talk about not pitching inside late in a game. That's because statistics show that most home run hitters pull their home runs. In other words, right-handed hitters hit more homers over the left field fence than any other area; left-handed hitters hit more homers over the right field fence than any other area. And the pitch they do that most on is an inside pitch because they can turn on it.

Source: Baseball Analysts

If you're a baseball closer coming into finish a close game ... or a starting pitcher looking to finish a complete game in which you have a narrow lead -- pitch outside, especially to your power hitters or your home run threats (like the 3rd and 4th hitters in a lineup).

The reason is simple: You don't want to get beat on one swing, on one pitch. By pitching outside late in a game, especially a close one, statistics work in your favor. Make the hitter put the ball in play. Let your teammates help you get those final three outs. But remember, they can't help defend against a home run!

Pitch Counts: 3 Ways To Maximize Strikes And Lower Pitch Counts

As a baseball pitcher, it's important to throw efficient innings; it's important to be effective with as few baseball pitches as possible. This will help lower your pitch counts, improve your durability over the course of the long baseball season, and position yourself to be successful at the end of the day.

Three things to think about are as follows:

1. Throw two out of three pitches for strikes.

2. End 75% of all at-bats within three pitches.

3. End 100% of all at-bats within five pitches.

In order to end at-bats quickly, you must maximize the number of strikes you throw early in the count. In other words, you must be aggressive and throw strikes on the first three pitches. Make the hitter put the ball in play. The way to do this is to throw a first pitch strike. That first strike is the soul of every pitcher's success.

MLB pitching statistics show that pitchers who throw first-pitch strikes generally do well. Those who don't throw first-pitch strikes generally struggle.

MLB pitching statistics also show that pitchers give up base hits on fewer than 10% of their first-pitch strikes.

The takeaway is this: Go right after the hitter on the first pitch!

12 Things A Pitcher Can Do To Win More Games

1. Have good control. Get the first pitch over for a strike.

2. Know how to field your position.

3. Analyze hitters' strengths and weaknesses, but always throw your best pitch when in trouble.

4. Have confidence. Pitching with confidence can be learned, but you must work at it like any other pitching skill.

5. Stay in pitching shape. In other words, dedicate yourself to following a year-round strength and conditioning program that emphasizes power and flexibility.

6. Form good pitching practice habits. Practice how you want to perform in games. Take practices seriously and ALWAYS look to learn something new or do something better. You need to be your own coach and push yourself.

7. When throwing pitches, you need to pick out a spot and throw to it. In other words, throw with a purpose out there! Every pitch should be thrown with a purpose.

8. Communicate with your catcher. Understand him, and help him understand you so that you can be on the same page and work more efficiently.

9. Pitch a ball game. Don't  just be a thrower. Again, like mentioned in #7, throw every pitch with a purpose.

10. Back up all bases. Know where you're going before the pitch is delivered for various defensive situations.

11. Be sure to cover first base on infield hits to the right side of the infield. In other words, cover first base on balls his to the first base side of the infield that may pull your first baseman off the bag to make the play.

12. THINK! Be a thinking pitcher.

Why Command Is A Pitcher's Most Important Asset

My baseball pitching coach in college once told me that the greatest asset a pitcher can have is command: command of himself, and command of his pitches.

Command of yourself means controlling your emotions, your attitude, your work ethic, etc. Pitching command means being able to locate any pitch within a certain section of the strike zone instead of just trying to throw the ball over the plate with no purpose.

In order to pitch at the highest levels of the game, you much command yourself and your pitches.