Tool Talk: Fastball

Andy Ferguson: Another Day, Another Double Play

Throughout my travels, I always try my best to take some time and catch up with each tool. It is always interesting to learn about players from the point of view of the tools themselves. Some have more to say than others, not only about their own particular importance and value, but also about the relationships they have with other tools.

Most recently, I sat down for a chat with Fastball. While there is not really one tool that defines position players, the Fastball tool defines most pitchers...though not always for the right reason. Fastball had a few things to say about that, among other things.

Fastball: First, let me apologize for Hitting. I know you spoke with him previously, and sometimes he can get a little hot under the collar. Oops, Hitting hates it when I use the term “collar” around him.

Andy: Oh, I’m used to it with him. Who knows what Power will have to say though…

Fastball: Don’t worry about him, he’s not so tough. If a pitcher can do a good enough job of establishing me on the inner half, my friends Curveball and Changeup can keep Power on the bench all day long. Heck, Hitting too for that matter.

Andy: I certainly couldn’t disagree with you there. However, you and I both know that young pitchers today are most often concerned with only one of your components.

Fastball: Yep, they all want velocity. Why not movement, or command? One component alone certainly does not make a fastball. Though in reality, the only one with even a chance to stand alone would be command.

Andy: Thank you. I have been trying to get the same point across about Running. A 60-yard dash alone most certainly does not constitute a Running grade. It is simply one component of the eventual grade.

Fastball: Running and I, we both often get judged too quickly – both good and bad. Just because a pitcher throws 78 miles per hour for example, doesn’t mean he has a poor fastball. He may throw me with late movement, or be able to move me around the zone – in, out, up, down, move the hitter off the plate. On the other hand, the pitcher that throws 88 doesn’t necessarily have a great fastball. Sure, the velocity is pretty good, but what if it is straight and he either can’t throw strikes or just throws it down the middle all the time? What about that will get hitters out?

Andy: Let me build on that quickly, using the 20-80 scouting scale to help. First, let’s take our 78 mph fastball. On most scales, 78 mph would grade out at 20. Let’s say that fastball has pretty good movement, we’ll give that 40. The command, in this example, is even better. We’ll make that average by Major League standards, which is 50.

So, we box it out like this:

Fastball Velocity = 20
Fastball Movement = 40
Fastball Command = 50

What was certainly a 20 fastball if you only looked at velocity, could end up at least at 30 (maybe higher for some) when all components are considered.

Just to prove the point, we’ll box out our 88 mph fastball like this:

Fastball Velocity = 45
Fastball Movement = 35
Fastball Command = 30

In this case, what could have been a 45 fastball based on velocity has likely fallen down to around a 35.

People weight components differently of course; there are no hard and fast rules. In our examples, the two pitches ended up only a half grade apart when all components were considered. Remember that if we only looked at velocity, they would have been two and a half grades apart.

Fastball: Well, thanks for stealing my thunder. And also, that wasn’t a quick explanation. But…hopefully at least a few people will read this and it will help them realize that there is more to me than most people think.

Andy: I hope so too. Thanks for your time Fastball, I know you are very busy. After all, you are by far the most important pitch for any pitcher to have.

Fastball: Aw shucks, thanks. Oh, I gotta go. I think I hear the phone ringing in the bullpen.

Andy Ferguson is currently the Senior Director of Baseball Operations with the Baseball Factory.

Ferguson joined the North Carolina State baseball team as a walk-on, and went on to solidify his role on a team that participated in four consecutive NCAA Regionals. He later coached with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and then served as an Associate Scout with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Diego Padres.

What's in a number?

Andy Ferguson: Another Day, Another Double Play

If you ask someone about a pitcher, what is usually the first part of the answer?

In my experience, it is almost always velocity. I’m not saying that is right or wrong, only that at least initially most of us let the radar gun evaluate all pitchers.

Just the other day, I asked a friend about a pitcher we’re following for the upcoming Under Armour All America Game (date and location to be announced soon by the way…). His reply, “he was 86-87 today, but our guys have seen him 88-91”.

About a month ago, I spoke with a different friend about a pitcher we had both seen on different occasions. I said, “I saw him up to 96, and he pitched around 91”. He said, “I saw him up to 94, and I know scouts that have seen him stay above 91 for a whole game”.

We all do it. Scouts, coaches, moms, dads, players, hot dog vendors…we all spout velocity first when talking about pitchers. Is it for frame of reference, or so we can start on some kind of common ground that we all understand? Or is it because starting with anything else means we don’t like a guy?

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COMMON 20-80 SCOUTING SCALE FOR FASTBALL VELOCITY
Grade: Descriptions (based on Major League standards): Velocity
80: Excellent: 98+
70: Outstanding: 96-97
60: Well Above Average: 94-95
55: Solid Average: 92-93
50: Major League Average: 90-91
45: Near Average: 88-89
40: Below Average: 86-87
30: Well Below Average: 83-85
20: Poor: 82-
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Another example: “Hey Andy, what did you think of that tall right hander you saw the other night”?

My reply, ”I liked the way his arm worked. His delivery was athletic and repeatable, so he had no trouble finding a consistent release point – rare for any young pitcher, but especially a tall and lanky one. He threw a lot of strikes with both his fastball and his secondary pitches, and moved the ball around the zone very well”.

Does my answer mean that I didn’t like the pitcher I saw? No, of course not. After all, my comments contained information on what he pitched on top of, along with indicators that he can actually pitch. Isn't that what we should be talking about?

Now, instead of starting with what I liked about that pitcher, what if I started with velocity?

“He was 80-82”.

Would you have read the rest of the report? Probably not. But why? The ability to throw strikes with off speed pitches makes 80-82 seem like 90 sometimes. Now consider the ability to locate that fastball...it is effectively even better isn't it? So why are we hung up on the numbers so much?

Now, what if it said:

“He was 88-92”.

Would you have cared about the rest of the report? Probably not. What if the rest of the report said "he was all over the place, his arm worked awful, his delivery never looked the same twice in a row, he threw changeups behind hitters and bounced every curveball".

Still liking that number now? I'm not, and you shouldn't. And it didn't take a radar gun to figure that out, all you had to do was watch him pitch.

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TODAY’S DOUBLE PLAY
My top baseball pet peeves

1. Catcher mound visits following a pitching change, or when a runner reaches second base.
This one kills me every time I see it. Has he never caught this pitcher before? What other reason could there be that he doesn’t know what pitches he throws? What do guys do in bullpens these days? What would I know, I only caught what seemed like several million of ‘em…Last time I checked, 1 for fastball, 2 for curveball, wiggle for a change. Am I wrong? As for a runner reaching second base…there isn’t time to talk about signs before the game? That way maybe the middle infielders can be aware also?

2. Errors on pickoff attempts.
How many times have you seen it? A guy like me is on first base (who could only steal a bag by pulling it out of the ground and running off the field, like Lloyd McClendon in picture at left), and the pitcher throws over like seven times. Eventually, one is going to get away from the first baseman. Why??? Everyone knows I’m not going to run, so why bother? Nope, you’re right…just give me the base by throwing it off the tarp down the right field line. Oh look, the catcher is coming out to the mound to give the pitcher the new signs…
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So, what’s in a number? In my opinion, a lot more than there should be. Now, don’t go and tell your friends that Andy Ferguson says velocity isn’t important. Of course it is, and for obvious reasons. What I am trying to say is that anyone can sit behind and radar gun and then tell you what pitchers they like.

Remind you of our friend the stopwatch from last week? The mechanical scout, available at stores nationwide…

Andy Ferguson is currently the Senior Director of Baseball Operations with the Baseball Factory.

Ferguson joined the North Carolina State baseball team as a walk-on, and went on to solidify his role on a team that participated in four consecutive NCAA Regionals. He later coached with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and then served as an Associate Scout with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Diego Padres.