The Mound Visit
MMV #032: 3 Secrets From the Best Pitching Staff in College Baseball
August 7, 2023 · 2 min read · Jared Gaynor
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Read time: 2 minutes
Wake Forest went on an incredible run to the World Series this season.
Their pitching staff led the charge and dominated numerous categories along the way.
They finished at or near the top in:
✅ FIP (1st)
✅ ERA (1st)
✅ Walks (5th)
✅ Strikeouts (1st)
✅ First Pitch Strikes (2nd)
Today we want to share their secrets that you can apply to your own team.
In order to dominate like WF did, your pitchers need to have good stuff.
BUT, that isn’t enough to lead the country in pitching.
Here are 3 simple things they did well that your team should focus on:
1. First Pitch Strikes
They trailed only Wofford who finished with an FPS of 65.5%.
FPS is one of the most important stats for pitcher success.
First pitch strikes lead to less walks, more strikeouts, and weaker contact.
2. Attack the Zone
Wake Forest not only threw fastballs for strikes at a high rate, but also their off-speed.
In fact, they threw OS at the same strike rate as fastballs at 67%!
They led the country with the average being 58%.
As you can see, they weren't nibbling.
They attacked over the plate, challenging hitters.
This led to them being in 2 strike counts more than any other team.
3. Pitch Usage
They utilized their off-speed 55% of the time with an exWOBA of .206.
Because of this usage the fastball played up when they did throw it for an exWOBA of .276.
RECAP
Why Wake Forest led the country in pitching:
• First pitch strikes
• Attack the zone
• Pitch usage
Along with having great stuff, they took advantage of every detail.
That's all for this week.
See you next Monday!
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