…..you also time the pitcher from “break-to-plate”. Break-to-plate is timed when pitcher makes a move that commits him to throw to home and then the watch is stopped when the ball hits catchers glove. This shows how fast the pitcher gets the ball to the plate.

I was in the stands with some college coaches at a showcase watching the games on the 2nd day of the showcase. Runner on first got descent jump, catcher made good throw, not great, but good clean throw. The ball was in the SS glove waiting for the runner to slide into the tag. The runner got absolutely smoked at 2nd. It was the last out of that inning.

As the team headed to the dugout all the players were giving the catcher high-5’s for the incredible throw. One of the college scouts in front of me turned to the scout next to him and said “They’re congratulating the wrong guy”. What the players on the field didn’t know was that the pop time on the throw was 2.21. Pitch was fastball, away and to the backhand side. Catcher handled it well, good exchange, accurate throw to 2nd. The other thing the players on the field didn’t know was that the time on the pitcher from break-to-plate was 1.11.

The total time on the pitch was 3.32 from break to 2nd. In most high school situations, and in most college situations, a combined 3.32 will get most runners.

Morale of the story??

We put so much pressure on catchers at high school level about the need for sub 2.0 throws, I wonder how many coaches actually know what all their pitchers break-to-plate times are. I wonder how much work is being done with the pitchers to shorten that time.

Let’s all keep pop times in perspective, Catcher only gets to use the time the pitcher leaves on his plate.