The Mound Visit
How to know if your movement is any good
November 2, 2026 · 3 min read · Jared Gaynor
If you have been involved with pitching in some capacity, you are probably familiar with movement plots.
For those of you who are not, they are displaying induced vertical and horizontal movement of each pitch type.
A few weeks ago, Jackson Hicks wrote about the importance of looking at pitches in relationship to the rest of the arsenal.
Hitters don't see pitches in isolation.
The interaction between the rest of the pitchers arsenal, specifically their fastball influence how an off-speed pitch appears.
You can read that blog here.
What I want to talk about today is how the pitchers release characteristics influence what a hitter sees.
2 pitchers can have the same exact metrics on a fastball - velocity, spin, movement, etc. But if their release height, side, and extension are different the pitches will not play the same.
This is what is referred to as vertical approach angle (VAA) and horizontal approach angle (VAA). These measure the angles the pitch approaches the strike zone.
Instead of talking in numbers, I want to show you how we conceptualize this with release and movement plots.
Starting with release plots, there is a gold circle signaling where the average release is for the respective league and throwing arm.
In the examples you can see how different a pitchers release can be compared to others.
Release plots are one way to see how a pitcher is unique. Movement plots are another.
Like I said before, 2 pitchers can have the same movement, but that doesn't mean they play the same.
What we have in our movement plots are 2 types of dots.
The solid dots are the pitchers average movements and for off-speed pitches the hollow dots are league average for pitchers with similar fastball (or sinker) shape as the player we are viewing.
The fastball and sinker hollow dots are average shapes for pitchers with a similar release height.
These dots show us right away how much more a pitch moves relative to average and in what direction.
Maybe a fastball has more vert than average while a changeup has less depth than average.
These insights can help guide training and can also be helpful for hitters during advance reports.
If as a hitter I know how a pitch is going to move relative to what I am used to seeing, think about how that might change my approach and game plan?
To help you conceptualize this and put it to use, we are providing a free resource for you to input your metrics and see where you stack up!
You can access that below:
As always, reach out with any questions.
Talk Soon,
Jared
P.S. Did you know that we have a data platform for coaches and schools called Pearl PD? Check it out and schedule a demo if you're interested in learning more.
Whenever you are ready, there 3 main ways we can help you:
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A complete blueprint for developing nasty pitches and optimizing how you use your stuff. 3+ hours of easy to follow video lessons.