top 12u pitchers ???

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gvm

Sep 3, 2010
311
18
does anyone know what the top 12u pitchers throw? the top level pitchers that go on to compete at the national level? what speed, and what pitches do they throw? realistically....
 
Feb 27, 2011
19
0
SC
does anyone know what the top 12u pitchers throw? the top level pitchers that go on to compete at the national level? what speed, and what pitches do they throw? realistically....

A girl in our area has been clocked in the low 60's, a lefty . Other elite travel ball pitchers mid to high 50's, but there are effective good pitchers throwing well around 50 top, but they have good off speed pitches.
 

gvm

Sep 3, 2010
311
18
if i went to the 12u national championship tournament? what would i see?
but low 60's? wow !!!that's pretty damn good ...and off speed as in change ups? or off speed?
 

gvm

Sep 3, 2010
311
18
Not really.

I went to 14u ASA National and it was more about 50-55mph top for that age group. I would say 12u would have a fastball, drop, change up and maybe a screwball. Probably more like 50mph for top ones. Just so you know, the girls can still hit those speeds. Pitchers seem to be dominant at 10u than don't pick that dominance back up until 16u.

wow it's hard to imagine 12 year old girls throwing the ball that hard and still giving up hits? i mean, i believe you but i certainly could'nt hit it ! at the elite 12u level, is there ever any girls that can throw a riseball?
 
Sep 29, 2008
1,401
63
Northeast Ohio
The speed thing in terms of measured mph can really cause concern to dads and moms and it shouldn't. The readings on guns vary too much and lots of what you hear is anecdotal. Common sense tells you that is you watch a game on ESPN and the pitchers at the top SEC and PAC 10 schools in the country are throwing 64-66 and the next level of full grown women in college are 60-63 then there are not 12 year olds throwing 60. Some practical ideas. Compare your DD to the best in your state with your own eyeballs. How is she stacking up? Compare your DD to the next age level. Does she look close? If not...she is probably not above average for speed. Get an affordble gun and get measurements of some 12's, 14's and even 16's. Then you'll have a measuring bar. I will tell you this. The finest 18U pitcher I have seen in the state of Ohio played with my daughter a few years ago. She has recently transferred to University of Georgia as a Junior. She pitched and lost in ASA National Finals in Vegas 3 years ago. You know what her speed measured in 7th grade??? 47mph.
 
Apr 25, 2010
772
0
lhowser, you and I are fortunate because we get to see the best pitchers in Ohio every week. Lasers Purple has a girl who was throwing consistent 57 at Midwest as an 11 year old this past summer. There are many teams in NE Ohio and NW PA that have 12u's cruising at low-mid 50's with some decent movement.

I would say that the "elite" 12u pitchers could very well be pushing 60. That being said, there is no guarantee that a girl who is a stud now will be a stud 2 years from now, or ever again. And the girl throwing upper 40's at this age might very well dominate 2 years from now and beyond.

And yes, 12u can truly throw a riseball. I've seen it with my own eyes. And it wasn't just a "high" pitch.
 
Jul 21, 2008
415
0
There maybe a couple of 60mph 12u girls in the USA but there are not many. Where I'm from NC the top "A" bracket pitcher throw low 50's and can hit there spots and have a good change up. I have seen a few with some movement pitches but not many. At this age they are just learning movement pitches. But if you ask them or there parents they will tell you they throw 5 or 6 different pitches..... but there is no real movement.
 
Dec 10, 2008
82
0
50-55mph. That's what we seen at ASA Northern Nationals last year and ASA Nationals in Alabama. You may get a couple better but for the most part that is what you are going to get.
 
Nov 26, 2010
4,784
113
Michigan
Its hard to eyeball pitch speed. Even if you know for sure what one pitcher is throwing, it might not help you in determining how that compares to another girl. My DD pitched against a girl this past summer, both were 13. She has competed against this girl for 3 years, they are about 40 pounds different in size and I always maintained that this other girl threw harder, but not much harder. Her size makes her appear more imposing so I think its a mental thing. Well this other girls grandfather was at the game with a jugs gun and he showed me the readings for both pitchers. It was the only time my DD has been gunned, as far as I know. They were both low/mid 50s, the other girl was 1-2 MPH higher. My dds fastball has a more noticable drop to it, which makes it look slower but it is actually dropping from spin not lack of velocity. So to watch one girl over another, its hard to know if its spin making the ball move down, is it speed, or is it your brain saying "this girl is so big she throws it hard"
 
Nov 26, 2010
4,784
113
Michigan
And I can usually tell in person what 60mph looks like movement or not. Have sat behind home plate for enough games when those like Ricketts and others are pitching

Someone with your experience, having pitched yourself and being a PC, I would expect you to have a better feel for the speed then a parent, like myself, whose experience has been mainly watching their own kid develop. I have noticed one thing, a 60 MPH pitcher thows a ball that has a sound that 55 certainly does not have. There is an electricity like hum as those seams cut through the air.
 

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