Pitching stats per level

[daywalkerdad]

I agree. Bad habits or strange new patterns are easily picked up during game stress. Old habits creep back in, etc. Gotta sharpen the sword regularly. Reset that muscle memory. I see it every season. Too many games and the pitchers aren't resetting, and performance takes a hit in the last third of the season.

Totally, DD was 7th grade before 3 weeks in row was no longer an issue. 2 weeks with a week to reset was fine. I still cringe when I see 3 weeks in the row on the schedule even though she is past that now.

 

[PJR202]

At the younger ages there is no shortage of girls that want to pitch. Every 10u team around has at least 6 girls that say they want to pitch. There is however a shortage of serviceable pitchers. Due to either the kid the parent or both not willing to put in the work that is required to be able to get out there and at least throw 40% strikes. As you know this is practice that is required outside of practice on top of hitting practice/lessons fielding practice. You have to have a parent that is willing to almost sacrifice their entire life, not a lot of those out there.

Yeah and we dont have the headcount at 10u on our side of the county. I think we have three..lol. I want to start doing lessons for anyone but I dont think I'm quite ready to turn pro. I know the flaws but I'm still learning what the good drills and cues are. There are sooooo many useless (and sometimes counterproductive) drills being posted out there.

That's me, though. Two days a week assisting team practice, one evening taking her to a hitting lesson, and three evenings pitching on our own. Plus I study pitching video and discussions.

Every. Single. Day.

I wouldn't trade it for anything though. Being in this game with my girls has been one of my greatest joys. They may even spring for a more expensive nursing home for me one day.

 

[PJR202]

Totally, DD was 7th grade before 3 weeks in row was no longer an issue. 2 weeks with a week to reset was fine. I still cringe when I see 3 weeks in the row on the schedule even though she is past that now.

Our team played 32 games in 8 weeks last season, and only three of those we more than one game on the same date. Coach scheduled some extra for rainouts and we only ended up with one rainout. It was a grind. I was just a spectator when not working with my kid/pitcher, and I was exhausted by the end of it.

 

[PJR202]

Yeah don't see many coaches themselves looking to improve what they're doing either. And that's just how to run a practice.
Can't imagine them taking time to learn pitching unless it's their own kid.

I love it. I was a MS coach but with HS I'm more of an unofficial offseason assistant. My kid is a 2026, and after she graduates I have every intention of continuing with at least pitching lessons. It'll be my retirement side hustle.

 

[Fury_Mike]

Stats are not only a product of how good a pitcher is. They are also a product of how good the girls behind her are. Go watch some games at a higher level. If you think she can compete, go tryout for the best team in your area. If that don’t work out go try out for the second best team. Nobody is going to laugh at you.

And the product of the person doing GameChanger....

 

[Lance Steckler]

pitchers need productive lessons, reps during the weeks to practice the lessons taught and GAME reps!!!

Please do not fall in to the 'she knows 75 different pitches either'. it takes MONTHS of practice to have any movement pitch game ready, regardless of level.

Get her on a solid team, hopefully with defense and they can hit.

unless she is really fast, ignore the slapping. Get some solid hitting lessons and a swing that works for her. Solid ripped line drives is the goal. NOT MOON SHOT fly balls.

best of luck, it's a wild ride that will be over in a flash.

 

[Agbracing]

Two things I would add from my experience through this crazy journey.

Once read somewhere that a pitcher should be on a team that half the team can hit her and the other half cant. This will give a good balance between a team having run support and decent defense. If they can all hit her then she probably would not see much pitching time. And the opposite if no one can hit her then the team is not good enough.

Second I feel that pitchers fall in one of two categories and over time they continue to move back and fourth. The first is they need reps and as many as they can get. The second is fewer reps but against higher level of batters. At the young ages it’s about developing for the long haul. We always evaluated things at the end of a season and determined what was best for the next season. Could our current team fulfill those needs or did we need to look for a better situation.

 

[uncdrew]

I’m looking for feedback/insight from coaches on what pitching stats distinguish between an A level, B level, and C level pitching in 11/12U. This is my 11 y/o daughter’s first year/fall of travel and she’s starting out on a C team due to lack of experience, however she seems to be doing well stat-wise for 11U C level pitching in our area? Do coaches solely look at speed, number of pitches and placement? She’s been subbing this fall because her rostered team does not start until next week for the 2024 season. In 48 innings pitched, 93K, 50 BB 60% strike ratio, WHIP is 2.583, speed-wise she’s 45-48 (has hit 52.3 in lessons) throwing consistent strikes, she can place a pitch fairly well, she really only has two fastballs and a change-up. Her ERA is not good, but she’s been mostly subbing for a defensively weak team, lots of dropped 3rds and missed gimme outs at 1. She has pitched and subbed 14C and B. Does this put her in the C or B category for pitching at 11U? Should we be looking to play B level ball next season? I really have no frame of reference, I’m just a bucket mom that has never played any sport. I realize I look at her through mama glasses, but she works hard, wondering where we should be looking to place her for her to grow.

Without reading a thing, and coming in late:

She's a B pitcher.

The number one thing that my DD did to lower her ERA and WHIP was to go to a better team with a solid defense. As you've witnessed, so many of the weak hits your DD gave up on a C team would be outs on a B or A team. In an odd way, it took my DD moving to an A team to really reach her full potential.

 

[uncdrew]

Find the team that is the best fit regardless of classification. If she can find a B team that she will get a lot of innings pitching then go for it. Just be careful not to join a better team and then find out she is a 3rd or 4th option as a pitcher. Find a team that needs a pitcher. Innings pitched is probably the most important thing at this time in my opinion.

Yup. If you can, start pinpointing teams you might want to join based on location, friends, friends of your daughter, etc. Go to tournaments and pay attention to the coaches. Are they supportive? Are they jerks? Do girls look happy?

Get a feel from GameChanger how many pitchers they have, and how they use those pitchers. With enough thought and observation (and we here can help), you can gauge how much they need another pitcher. You do want your daughter to get mound time, not be the back-up for the back-up.

 

[uncdrew]

She had a very good game for an 11 year old in circle playing for that 14B team (she pitched only one game because they were waiting on their team pitcher to get there). It was a 7 inning bracket game, 2 strikeouts, and only 2 earned runs with her catching 2 infield popflies for outs. Her batting can definitely use work, she’s not the worse, she’s not the best. She is a lefty and bigger (not the biggest) for her age, it’s hard to determine whether we need to work on slapping, but travel coaches at tryouts said she’s a power hitter. On balls hit back to her she does quite well, she has dominated defensively on the 12U team she has mainly subbed for, but it’s a weaker C level team. She had 4 offers for C level teams and one of the teams she didn’t get offered I’ve heard through the grapevine the coach has really second-guessed not taking her. I tried to pick the team she would grow the most on, but we haven’t done any games/tournaments and right now not until April. I’m just second guessing my decisions and wondering if she’ll grow more staying C level another year or moving up to B if we are justified thinking she’ll do well there.

I'd advise to not take on slapping. Her brain needs to focus mostly on pitching, and time spent and improvements made on pitching will far outweigh any benefits from slapping. Plus most slappers regress on their hitting for a while until they learn to slap.