We’re a few months into the college and professional baseball seasons. Not every pitcher’s velocity is where it needs to be just yet, and that’s no surprise. In today’s post, I’ll cover nine reasons why pitching velocity increases over the course of a season.

1. Increased external rotation

Over the course of a season, pitchers acquire slightly more external rotation at the shoulder (roughly five degrees, for most). Since external rotation is correlated with pitching velocity, gaining this range of motion is helpful for adding a few ticks on the radar gun as compared to early in the season. However, this added external rotation comes with a price; more range of motion (especially if it’s acquired too quickly) means that you be consistent with your arm care routines to make sure that you’ve got adequate motor control/strength in those positions. As I’ve often said, what makes you spectacular can often make you susceptible, too.

2. Optimization of mechanics

Many pitchers integrate subtle or dramatic changes to their mechanics in the off-season and early in-season periods, but these changes won’t “stick” until they have some innings under their belt. A few months in is often when those corrections start to settle in.

3. Transfer of strength to power

Some pitchers build a solid foundation of strength in the off-season, but take extra time to learn to display that force quickly (power). In short, they’re all the way toward the absolute strength end of the continuum, as described in this video:

If you want to dig in a bit deeper on this, this video on delayed transmutation is a good place to start.

4. More important game play

Some guys just don’t get excited to pitch in games that don’t mean much. While that is an issue for another article, the point here is to realize that a greater external stimulus (more fans, playoff atmosphere, important games) equates to a greater desire to throw cheddar. Soon, the MLB season will start, and high school and college post-seasons will be underway, so you’ll start to see some of the big radar gun readings more frequently.

5. Warmer weather

Many pitchers struggle to throw hard in cold weather. Some of the most dominant pitchers in the game have April fastball velocities that don’t hold a candle to what they do during the rest of the year.

Warmer weather makes it easier to warm up, and many guys – especially the more muscular, stiff pitchers – need to lengthen the pre-game warm-up early in the season. If you’re a guy who typically doesn’t see your best velocity numbers until you’ve got several innings under your belt, extend your pre-game warm-up, dress in layers, and don’t pick up a ball until you’re sweating.

6. New desire to prove oneself

For many pitchers, summer ball is a new beginning. This might be in the form of a Cape Cod League temp contract, or a situation where a player is transitioning from a smaller high school that doesn’t face good competition on to a program that plays a challenging summer schedule. Again, that external stimulus can make a huge difference, as it often includes better catchers, better coaching, more fans, better mounds, and more scouts behind the plate.

7. Mechanical tinkering

Piggybacking on the previous example, some pitchers may find their mechanics thanks to help from summer coaches. So, a change in coaching perspective can often bring out the best in guys.

8. Freedom to do one’s own thing.

I know of quite a few cllege pitchers who’ve thrived in the summer time simply because their pitching coaches haven’t been in the way. Usually, this means they can go back to long tossing rather than being restricted to 90-120 feet all season. It’s a great way to get arm speed back.

9. Different pitch selection

The college season is about winning games, whereas summer ball is more about developing. There are quite a few college coaches who have guys throw 75% sliders in their outings to accomplish the former objective, whereas those same pitchers might go out and throw a lot of changeups in summer ball in order to develop the pitch. This is also often the case when you see MLB pitchers get absolutely shelled during spring training; they’re usually working on something, or simply just trying to build up their pitch counts.

As an extension of this, summer ball is a chance for many guys to take a step back and really work on commanding their fastballs, so it’s not uncommon to see a few more mph on the radar gun as this becomes more of a focus.

On the topic of summer baseball, in case you missed it, registration is now open our Elite Collegiate Baseball Development Summer Program, a comprehensive experience we offer to pitchers from around the country to enhance velocity, develop new pitches, and stay healthy in the process. You can learn more HERE.