What is the most effective pitch in baseball
Pitching is sometimes considered an act of touch and finesse. It is all about strong control and making the ball move with pace and rhythm. And a major league pitcher needs more than just muscle to throw a baseball harder. So, you need a tough body and, at the same time, the mental fortitude, pitching mechanics, and the powerful elbow genes to explore the most effective pitch in baseball.
What Is The Most Effective Pitch In Baseball?
Although everybody has their opinion on what baseball pitches are the most effective, we want to share the best ones that will provide any pitcher who can excel with a big advantage over many hitters. Let’s have a look!
1. Four-seam Fastball
The four-seam fastball is the most popular pitch in baseball as it is the easiest one to control. Velocity is the main purpose of a four-seam pitcher. It has little or no motion; hence, it does not curve or break. You can throw it to challenge the hitter and see whether you can throw the ball before he can hit it.
A four-seam fastball is the primary pitch every pitcher will throw if they want to throw a strike. Sometimes, major league pitchers approach or replace the 100 mph threshold, which you can consider one of the toughest pitches to hit as well. If you want to teach a young player to pitch, a four-seam fastball is the most effective pitch to start with.
2. Curveball
The primary purpose of the curveball is to trick the batter. A capable pitcher who has excelled at the curveball can easily throw the ball straight at the batter. Usually, a curveball begins high and dives in a downward motion when it comes nearer the plate.
3. Slider
The slider is best known as a combination of a fastball and a curveball. The pitch velocity will be between 10 to 20 mph quicker than a curveball and 5 to 10 mph slower than a fastball. The pitcher can throw the slider with any count on the batter; hence, it is the best strikeout baseball pitch. To a batter, this pitch appears like a fastball coming in for strikes, causing him to dive and, ultimately, break out of the strike zone.
4. The Changeup
The key aim of the changeup is to interrupt the batter’s timing. The pitcher throws the changeup with a similar arm action as the fastball, but with a distinct grip. Therefore, when the batter sees the ball discharged from the pitcher’s hand, it looks like a fastball. As the batter cannot identify the slower speed until the final 20 to 30 feet before the ball arrives at the plate.
A little change in grip and finger pressure can add some motion to the pitch also. Therefore, the changeup can be a worthy pitch to encourage every pitcher.
Bottom Lines
Learning to throw the most effective pitch in baseball can be challenging. We would recommend you master the 4-seam fastball and the changeup. If you want to teach pitches effectively, you should purchase a pitching machine from ProBatter. With our professional pitching machines, your kid can enjoy pitching every minute.
