As for dynamic pitching sequences which Dominate, today we will attack the longitudes of picking apart hitters. Pitching UP and DOWN is a more modern trend that is giving hurlers a great deal of success. Especially, against neutralizing the Launch Angle Craze. As the hitter can only protect one side of the plate, this also goes for up and down. When you can execute this game plan, success awaits for thee…

This unnerving combination of forcing hitters to change eye levels, is becoming even more prevalent in MLB because of the higher strike call. Pitches above the belt were not strikes 10 years ago. As the strike zone has increased in the pitchers favor, it now presses the ever vulnerable hitter to further expand out of the zone. His demise is inevitable…

 

Pitching UP and Down
Establishing UP

Jacob deGrom, Overpowering 3 Pitch K Sequence (98 mph, 98 mph and 99 mph fastballs). ⚡️ #Shove pic.twitter.com/QWD6BsZnjq

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 3, 2018

When you show a good 4 seam fastball up in the zone early in the at bat, you don’t necessarily have to return there. It is already in the hitter’s head that you can pitch to that location. After that, you can live down in the zone, like the majority of pitches thrown. Especially, all breaking and off speed pitches. Because the hitter already knows that you can throw up there, he may cheat to get to it. As a result, would possibly cause him to expand the zone. Therefore, you can elevate even more. Particularly, with 2 strikes. It is important to remember, the harder you throw, the more you can get away with when you elevate the fastball.  

Josh Hader’s 3 Strikeouts today. All Fastballs. 9 pitches. Shoving. pic.twitter.com/3hLV3pY1tq

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 2, 2018

The high fast ball sets up a breaking ball down. Most significantly, a good 12-6 curveball. As the white pitch combo looks identical to the hitter when it is time to make a decision.

Craig Kimbrel, 86mph Knuckle Curve & 97mph Fastball, Overlay. 😱 pic.twitter.com/o7o3B8NRoR

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 3, 2018

A good late breaking Slider is also set up well after a high fastball. As both are velocity pitches which look the exact same coming out of the hand. Oh, hitters can be so easy to manipulate…

 

 

Pitching UP and DOWN
Establishing Down

Most pitchers are taught to establish down and on the corners with their pitches. Nothing is wrong with that approach. To make it even more dynamic, elevating the fastball up in the zone or even out of the zone can force hitters into an impulsive decision. As everything in the at bat thus far has been DOWN, DOWN, DOWN, when the hitter sees UP, he thinks he is getting mistake pitch. Yet, after looking down for the entire at bat, he is getting antsy for a pitch he can hit.

During this change of eye levels, most hitters can’t register how far up the ball actually is. Nor have the bat speed to catch up with it. Plus+ fastballs are easier to hit when they are down. Even more so, by changing speeds down in the zone, this slows down the bat when you elevate. Thus, the high heat element overpowers hitters time and time again. They think they can launch the ball up in the zone, although, NO.

Mike Clevinger fans Mike Trout on three straight fastballs.

1.Good afternoon.

Good evening.

Good night. pic.twitter.com/7O56VkOTXB

— Pitcher List (@PitcherList) April 3, 2018

Pitching UP and DOWN
Alternating Locations

 

Max Scherzer, Immaculate Inning. 👑 pic.twitter.com/RWnFGaNzUj

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 6, 2018

Pitching Up and Down is no different than pitching In and Out. You are making the hitter look to 2 different spots and decide which half he can protect best. Expanding upon this dynamic, Up & In, Down & Away with 2 different speeds makes it more complicated for hitters. It creates even more of the strike zone the hitter has to cover. A good fastball under the hands followed up with a Slider away gets hitters out at All Levels. Just Watch…

Shohei Ohtani, 96mph Fastball and 84mph Slider. pic.twitter.com/IhqcpS5PSv

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 7, 2018

 

 

Pitching UP and DOWN
Expanding UP

When you are ahead in the count and you feel the hitter is getting jumpy, because he hasn’t had anything to hit yet, he isn’t likely to be in a protect mode at the plate. The best way to elevate against the vulnerable is to throw the fastball above the zone, splitting the plate. Between the hands and the shoulders down the middle is most ideal. This location is efficient because when you begin in or out while elevated, the hitter can pick up on the location sooner and lay off the pitch. Starting down the middle teases the hitter into thinking it is a FAT Pitch until it gets on him much quicker than he expected…and nobody like a tease. So run with it.

When the hitter lays off or fouls off the elevated fastball, you now have him set up to go back down in the zone with any number of pitches/velocities/movements.

 

Pitching UP and DOWN
Something to Keep in Mind

I can’t stop laughing … Vladimir Guerrero hits 50 Cent’s wild pitch (Via MLB Fan Cave on Youtube) pic.twitter.com/VSzbZsk9Zf

— Baseball is Fun (@flippingbats) February 13, 2018

Some hitters are low ball hitters (Mike Trout, Kris Bryant), others are high ball hitters (Evan Gattis), and then there are freakish bad ball hitters (Yogi Berra, Vladimir Guerrero). Watch them take batting practice, know where their nitro zones are and expand out from there.

On a good high ball hitter, in between attacking his weaknesses, elevate above his comfort zone to drive the ball. Show him that you may throw the ball where he likes it, just off the mark a bit.. Naturally, vice versa on a low ball hitter. As for the freak show free swingers, pay attention to their tendencies in the at bat and keep expanding. Be creative and in control without giving in to them…and Enjoy the Battle!

Keep Dominating!!!