Junkballers

[RedeemerKing]

14A Northeast US

NY/NJ showcase events—-so fairly decent quality ball for the NE.

Seeing recently what seems like a lot more “junkballers”. By junkballer I mean almost no fastballs and limited change-ups. Weak velocity and 80% or more offspeed curveballs.

I guess it’s a way for non-elite pitchers to stay in the game—but seems like a lot more than I’ve seen prior. Is this becoming more common? Or just a run of coincidence?

 

[Rolling Hard]

Read up on effective velo. Perry Husband. He is a weird dude. But he is no dummy. I do not like his hitting instruction. But his pitching theories are very interesting. Personally, I would love to see the junkballer succeed.

 

[_MIA_]

I haven’t seen it..must be a NY/NJ thing..probably a bunch of Yankee fans..

That will work against mediocre hitting. If I only have to worry about one pitch, I don’t care what the pitch is, that is BP.

 

[radness]

14A Northeast US

NY/NJ showcase events—-so fairly decent quality ball for the NE.

Seeing recently what seems like a lot more “junkballers”. By junkballer I mean almost no fastballs and limited change-ups. Weak velocity and 80% or more offspeed curveballs.

I guess it’s a way for non-elite pitchers to stay in the game—but seems like a lot more than I’ve seen prior. Is this becoming more common? Or just a run of coincidence?

How was the hitting?

 

[GunnerShotgun]

Look there are only so many kids with an elite fastball. I wish more kids would go to the offspeed and miss with the fastball....I know my hitters hate that.

I saw a very average "A" pitcher hold the would-be national champions (Beverly Bandits) to 1 run over 5 innings throwing nothing but changeups in a qualifier. Coaches were screaming, parents were mad, and the pitcher throwing the change wouldn't stop grinning.

"The best swordsman does not fear the second best. He fears the worst since there’s no telling what that idiot is going to do."

 

[CoachJD]

I think by the end of her career last year, Cat could've been considered something of a junkballer. She was barely cracking 60 most of the time, but she would get hitters out on location and movement.

Not exactly what you proposed, probably, but I do think pitchers can be effective without elite velocity.

 

[3girls]

My girls haven’t played in 14U in a few years, but all we‘ve seen lately is girls with one strong pitch (rise, curve or drop), a very good fastball and a change up, but they all throw hard.

while the speeds seem to be faster recently, we played a team in 2019 that had a girl that threw a knuckle ball about 50 and could throw a fastball about 60 and she was very hard to hit. The only hits we got were on the fastball. Not one girl put the knuckle ball in play.

 

[RedeemerKing]

How was the hitting?

Often scuffle the first time through the lineup, but big jump second time through.

 

[_MIA_]

My girls haven’t played in 14U in a few years, but all we‘ve seen lately is girls with one strong pitch (rise, curve or drop), a very good fastball and a change up, but they all throw hard.

while the speeds seem to be faster recently, we played a team in 2019 that had a girl that threw a knuckle ball about 50 and could throw a fastball about 60 and she was very hard to hit. The only hits we got were on the fastball. Not one girl put the knuckle ball in play.

Anybody have a good video of a knuckleball in fastpitch? Does it “dance” like in baseball or is it basically a CU?

 

[Tazman]

My

Anybody have a good video of a knuckleball in fastpitch? Does it “dance” like in baseball or is it basically a CU?

My daughter throws one. It ain't perfect but pretty good. I haven't seen it dance like in baseball but the no spin and trajectory throws hitters for a loop.