Baseball Pitching Velocity Training

top-10-mlb-scouting-projectionsGreat 3X Velocity Camp this weekend! We had an MLB Scout attending the camp and I asked him if he could give me a list of the top 10 projectable qualities Major League Baseball scouts look for in a pitcher. He was happy to help and I decided to get this information to you in this article.
If you are looking to play this game at a professional level then you need to understand what the professional level expects of you. After you read this list below on the top 10 projectable qualities MLB scouts look for when drafting a pitcher you will learn that performance on the mound has very little to do with it. It makes perfect sense because all scouts are definitely not hoping that when they find that diamond in the ruff, that he has seen his best days. They want an open canvas, with tons of potential, that they can mold, create and tap into.
In this article, I will go over some of the major misconceptions of what Major League Baseball scouts are looking for in pitchers and then I will give you the top 10 list that was given to me by an MLB scout for a team I can not mention. You will also learn how the 3X programs where built to help develop most of these projectable qualities that scouts are looking for in a pitcher.

Pitching Qualities Scouts Ignore

Before we go into what are some of the key qualities of a highly projectable pitcher in this game lets go over some major misconceptions of what many believe scouts are looking for in a top prospect. First off scouts could care less how far you can throw a baseball, or how many innings that you have pitched this year, or how well you setup hitters with your 80mph fastball and how much movement you have on your 80mph fastball. They will also never be impressed with your curveball if your fastball is low 80's and just because you throw sidearm or from the left side doesn't mean that you do not have to throw hard. Power is the biggest commodity in this game and when trying to make yourself attractive to scouts with very little of it, is fighting a losing battle.
Many experienced scouts can take one look at you and almost determine your value in this game just by your appearance along. This doesn't mean that just because you do not look the part you will never make it. All you have to do is look at guys like Tim Linececum and Tim Collins. You can also watch the movie Money ball. It is about a General Manager who was more concerned with stats than what his scouts thought when it came to drafting talent. The lesson here is that if you can look the part and then you can back it up, you are almost guaranteed a chance in pro-ball.

Top Ten Projectable Qualities MLB Scouts Look For in Pitchers

The MLB has a formula to weeding out the talent in the game of baseball. This formula is built for finding mainly power athletes. Just like how Google's search formula is used to weed out poor performing websites, so you have a great user experience. Power obvious sells in sports! The MLB has be in business long enough to know where the money is.
If the MLB couldn't weed out the weaker power athletes then you would have a smorgasbord of talent playing this game on TV which more than likely wouldn't sell a lot of advertising or even put people in the stands. This means this game would not be heavily influenced by money. The reason the MLB is the Mecca of baseball is because it is the highest grossing baseball organization in the world. If the MLB started losing this revenue then a new organization would come long and set new standards or even make new rules.
The point I am making here is that this list of projectable qualities that MLB scouts look for in pitchers may not be what you think defines the top pitching prospect in your eyes. This is what the MLB is looking for because it fits their business model which is that insane pitching velocity, towering homeruns and acrobatic fielding plays sells millions of tickets and millions of dollars in advertising. So don't be stubborn and think you are going to get through their scouting protocol with a 12-6 curveball and an 80MPH fastball. Not that this couldn't happen but the chances of it happening is slim to none.
Top 10 List:

  1. Pitching Velocity - Currently 90mph is the cutoff, unless you can prove to them that you have a lot more developing to do which gives you the guaranteed potential you will be 90mph very soon. 90mph is starting to become more common because of better pitching velocity training programs like the 3X Pitching Velocity Program. This means the new standard could become 95mph in the very near future!
  2. Consistent Velocity - It isn't enough to show a scout 90mph once. He is going to request to see it 3-4 times on different occasions to prove that it is a consistent 90mph and not an every now and then 90mph. This means you must be consistent 90mph and not only able to touch it. The scouting process usually consists of first pitching for an area scout one or two times before moving up to the teams Crosschecker who may want to see you a few times on the mound. This means be prepared to show your stuff more than once!
  3. Athleticism - Pitching velocity is considered, in todays game, a measurement of athleticism along with running speed and jumping height. Don't think because you are a pitcher that they are not looking at you as an athlete. The MLB wants the best athletes they can find, even with pitchers. Just look at the talent of Rick Ankiel, he went from the mound to the outfield in his MLB career.
  4. Command/Control - 90mph is a great thing and 90mph consistently is even better but if you can not prove to a scout that you can command or control it then we have a major problem. This means you have to be a well oil and programed machine. Raw talent will get you so far but if you can show some maturity in this game it will get you even farther.
  5. Mechanics - Another way for scouts to determine that you have the ability to control and command your fastball or that you may have more pitching velocity in your delivery is through a mechanical analysis. If they find some red flags like early trunk rotation, a low arm slot or poor lower half mechanics then this could really work against your projectablity as a pitcher. This is why you need to use the video analysis services here at TopVelocity.net.
  6. Competitiveness - Not only does the MLB want top talent but they want winners. They want guys who will run through brick walls to win games. This means you need to show you are not satisfied with average, you are out there to be the best, period!
  7. Repeat-ablitilty - This goes along the lines of being consistent but it also stretches across the lines of mechanics, and command/control. The scouts want to know that you have a delivery that is efficient and easily repeated. This is mainly because they want to know that you will not break down after a few years of professional baseball. It is a major jump from high school and even college baseball when it comes to the amount of innings pitched in a season in pro-ball. You need to show the scouts that you have the ability to endure this level of work.
  8. Credibility - The MLB doesn't want to draft criminals, drunks or liars. They want to know that you will help them positively brand the MLB not negatively. This is why they will look into your history. They will want to know everything about your past if they are going to spend a draft pick on you and even give you a good amount of money.
  9. Coach-ablitlity - 8-10 are qualities that scouts will be looking for if you meet qualities 1-7. This quality means you do not have an attitude that is not considered uncoachable in their eyes. Therefore stubbornness can be a red flag.
  10. Sign-ability - This means, what is it going to take to sign you to a contract? Are you asking for insane amounts of money in a signing bonus, are you still in college and they will have to pay the rest of your college tuition, this quality is all about your monetary value. This doesn't mean you should give away your talent for nothing in hopes to get signed but you should be very smart in how you negotiate what you need in compensation for their rights to your time in this game.

3X Pitching Velocity Program Makes Your More Projectable to Scouts

3x-extreme-pitching-velocity-programThe 3X Pitching Velocity Program will improve most of the qualities listed in this article. It will obviously increase your pitching velocity, it also helps you not only break the 90mph mark but it will train you to be more consistently above this mark. Developing elite athleticism is the foundation of the entire 3X Pitching Velocity Program. The 3X Mechanics are proven to be the most efficient high velocity components you can implement which will support repeatability and command/control. As for the remaining qualities it comes down to the makeup of the pitcher using the 3X Pitching Velocity Program but if the pitcher can commit at this level of training, his competitiveness will be at its peak.
Hopefully this information that was given to me from an MLB scout will give you a better understanding of what is expected of you to become projectable at the professional level and hopefully this will convince you to join a program like the 3X Pitching Velocity Program that will develop you into a top pitching prospect.
Learn more about the 3X Extreme Pitching Velocity Program or get started TODAY adding 5-10+mph!
3X Pitching Velocity Program