By Jonathan Massey –
I was giving a lesson to a young man the other day. He came in, and as I do with each of my clients, we had a quick rundown of how things have been going since the last time I saw him. He told me he had recently attended a showcase where a college coach told him he needed to gain 15 more pounds.
I chuckled.
I could tell by his puzzled expression that he didn’t quite understand why I found the coach’s comment so amusing. I told him, “Next time a college coach says you need to add more weight, ask him this point blank: If nothing changed about my workout today… I had the same pop time, batting practice, velocity from behind the plate, same everything, but I weighed 15 pounds heavier… You’d offer me a scholarship?”. I could tell he was beginning to put the pieces together. I continued, “Or do you think they want what they believe the added 15 pounds will do for you—have a faster pop time, throw it harder, and hit it further?”. His expression told me that the light had clicked for him.
I’m not saying that adding strength and muscle mass isn’t important. What I am saying is that if this young man had popped 1.8, thrown it 85+ mph from behind the plate, and hit seven bombs during batting practice, do you think the coach would have still cared about how much he weighs? Or told him he needs to gain 15 pounds? Probably not. But that coach would most likely have offered him a scholarship.
The truth of the matter is, if you want to play in a high-level Division One, you are going to have to meet certain standards. On the mound, those standards are to sit at least between 89-91 mph (be able to touch 92 or 93), have at least one above-average secondary pitch, and be able to throw at least 60% strikes. If you can meet that standard, there is a high probability that a Division One college scholarship will be waiting for you.
Just remember, next time a coach says you need to gain weight, get stronger, or anything else, that isn’t a direct on-field metric. It isn’t really about the added weight or strength; it’s about what the coach believes it will do to your on-field performance.
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Important TBR Updates
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Dates include:
Oct. 12-14 (Columbus Day weekend)
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Dec. 28-30
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- NEW VIDEO on our YouTube Channel: “Post Pitching Recovery – Part 2”. Watch it at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va8HdT9b4x4 and share your opinion in the comments.
