An Examination of Pitch Velocity Adjustment Ability in University Baseball Pitchers

Abstract

  The purpose of this study was to determine whether university baseball team pitchers could adjust their pitch velocity. Seven male university baseball players（age: 19.6±1.5 years, height: 171.4±3.8 cm, weight: 73.9±6.1 kg）participated in the study. Two conditions were established: a full effort pitching condition（100% condition）and a pitching condition at 95% of full effort（95% condition）. Measurements included pitch velocity, spin rate, and deviation from the designated velocity. Additionally, game performance metrics such as walks per nine innings（BB/9）and the strikeout-to-walk ratio（K/BB）were analyzed. The results showed that the participants were able to adjust their pitch velocity to 95% of full effort. No relationship was found between pitch velocity adjustment ability, spin rate, and game performance. This study failed to identify the characteristics of players who can effectively adjust their pitch velocity.