For more more than 3 years (before the Covid season) I have been watching and coaching games at all levels and have seen the hitters catching up to the pitching at most levels. Better coaching, strength, conditioning and better equipment have enabled hitters to put a real charge into their hitting. Pitching at both the high school level and elite college level seems to be plateauing at close to the same speed as in previous years while the batting averages and power hitting are on the upswing. A good example (but not necessarily the norm) was last night's CWS game between Texas and Oklahoma. The Sooners scored 16 runs with 6 dingers to go with 10 other hits, all against elite D1 pitching. The pitching has been in the 64 to 67 mph for the majority of fastballs with occasionally some pitchers going up around 72 mph on occasion. This sort of pitching has hovered around the same speed while the hitters have figured out how to catch up to the majority of fastballs thrown in the 65-68 mph speed with the above mentioned changes in the qualities of hitting. Three or 4 years ago, there were not nearly as many home runs as in this past season or 2 at the high school level. Lakota West had 30 team home runs on May first with 2 players at 9 and 8 at that point in the season. I realize this is only 2 examples, but I believe a pattern is emerging that the long ball is starting to take hold at the high school and college levels. Even the younger underclassmen are getting into the act of hitting for the fences. Anybody else see this pattern or have other stats or comments?
Hitting vs Pitching
- Thread starter Amigo
- Start date
BASESWIMPARENT
Well-known member
interesting observation. I will keep this idea in mind when i go watch some tourneys. thanks for the insight
Auggie
Well-known member
I think the technology is what drives the current spate of dingers we are seeing at all levels. In no diamond sport world should a check swing be a HR but in fast pitch softball that is what you get>
Since the stadiums are kind of set in stone you cannot just push back the fences so the bats need to be policed so that girls with the faster more powerful swings still get the HR but a marginal swing is just a pop out to the outfield.
Since the stadiums are kind of set in stone you cannot just push back the fences so the bats need to be policed so that girls with the faster more powerful swings still get the HR but a marginal swing is just a pop out to the outfield.
HSFB Fan
Well-known member
Pitching IMO is down and the bats continue to be hot.
NFHS has many good videos going all the way back to 2010 when the pitching rules change to get more balls in play with moving the pitching distance back from 40' to 43' feet.
Immediately offence went up so they looked at changing of bats and balls after that. There have been many Bat and ball testing studies done the past 20 years and they continue to message the rules to balance the game.
Over the past 10 years $300+ dollar bats can be legal one year, illegal the next. In 2025 the new HS ball standards will be in effect dropping the ball compression a little that could reduce some distance from bat flex but wont change the exit speed of the physically strong hitter.
The past 5 years I have seen a lot of non traditional ladies (under 5.7" well under 150lbs) go yard or have warning track power that we did not see 5/7 years ago. I even had a senior that was a small lefty slapper go yard 2x last year.
With recent rule changes with the start back / step back rule (to try to get more velocity out of the pitcher) it has helped with slightly improved velocity but it seems to have lead to pitch location issues in the hitting zone as the pitcher try's to blow the pitch by the hitter with the slight increase in velocity.
12 years ago there were still a lot of ladies hitting mid to upper 60s with great spin when the move to 43 feet happened. Around 2015 I noticed a pitching drop off in velocity and spin in our league.
It may be because instructors pitchers were focusing more on spin as seen even at the college levels where a lot of ladies are throwing in the upper 50s low 60s with the "elite" mid 60s to 70 but with all having great ball spin not yet developed in the 15 to 18 year old HS player.
NFHS has many good videos going all the way back to 2010 when the pitching rules change to get more balls in play with moving the pitching distance back from 40' to 43' feet.
Immediately offence went up so they looked at changing of bats and balls after that. There have been many Bat and ball testing studies done the past 20 years and they continue to message the rules to balance the game.
Over the past 10 years $300+ dollar bats can be legal one year, illegal the next. In 2025 the new HS ball standards will be in effect dropping the ball compression a little that could reduce some distance from bat flex but wont change the exit speed of the physically strong hitter.
The past 5 years I have seen a lot of non traditional ladies (under 5.7" well under 150lbs) go yard or have warning track power that we did not see 5/7 years ago. I even had a senior that was a small lefty slapper go yard 2x last year.
With recent rule changes with the start back / step back rule (to try to get more velocity out of the pitcher) it has helped with slightly improved velocity but it seems to have lead to pitch location issues in the hitting zone as the pitcher try's to blow the pitch by the hitter with the slight increase in velocity.
12 years ago there were still a lot of ladies hitting mid to upper 60s with great spin when the move to 43 feet happened. Around 2015 I noticed a pitching drop off in velocity and spin in our league.
It may be because instructors pitchers were focusing more on spin as seen even at the college levels where a lot of ladies are throwing in the upper 50s low 60s with the "elite" mid 60s to 70 but with all having great ball spin not yet developed in the 15 to 18 year old HS player.
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