For serious pitchers, hitting the 90mph threshold is important.
Why?
Because reaching the top level of baseball, pitching in MLB, almost always requires a pitcher to hit at least 90mph. Once a pitcher has reached that milestone, he’s well within reach of the 93-95mph fastball speed that is the average range of MLB pitchers.
Not All MLB Pitchers Throw Above 90mph
While throwing 90mph is somewhat of a bottom threshold for speed in order to get to the highest levels of baseball, there are a handful of pitchers whose fastballs maxed out at 90mph, some even less than that. For example:
Kyle Hendricks (Chicago Cubs): Hendricks’ fastball typically sits in the upper 80s, averaging about 88 mph. Hendricks is known for his exceptional command and ability to change speeds.
Dallas Keuchel (Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks): Keuchel’s fastball maxes out at 89mph. He’s well known having exceptional command, and for getting hitters to hit ground balls. He won the Cy Young award in 2015.
Mark Buehrle (Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays): Buehrle retired in 2015. His fastball averaged 85.6. Buehrle used a quick pace, pinpoint accuracy, and a solid mixture of pitches to be effective over his 16 seasons in the majors.
R.A. Dickey (New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, Atlanta Braves): Dickey is primarily a knuckleball pitcher. Dickey holds a prominent place in the record books as one of only three pitchers (Nolan Ryan an Sandy Koufax being the other two, not bad company!) to throw complete game one-hitters two starts in a row. You can see the highlights of his second one-hit game below.
The Goal of Hitting 90mph on the Radar
This article is clearly not intended or kids under 16 years old. Pitchers under that age, except for the rare guy who just grew up waaaaaay early, are just not physically configured to be able to throw 90mph pitches. I have a son who just turned 16, and his fastball is in the high 70s. He’s a later bloomer, and I’m confident he’ll hit 90mph in the next two years. However, it doesn’t make sense to push the goal before your body is ready. To some extent, you really need have to give it time and develop as your body allows for it. Otherwise, you’re much more likely to get injured and not be able to throw at all or have a much lower ceiling on your fastball.
The steps to throwing 90mph outline below assume that your physical development is capable of supporting your goal to throw 90mph+.
4 Steps to Throwing 90MPH
The four steps here for throwing 90mph are provided by Coach Carter at BRX Performance in the video I’ve embedded down below.
1) Assessment: Understand Your Body and Where You’re At Currently
The first step towards throwing 90 mph is a thorough assessment of your body. This isn’t just about measuring your current pitching speed; it’s about understanding your physical strengths, weaknesses, and areas that need improvement. A comprehensive assessment should include:
Flexibility and Mobility: Check how well your joints move, particularly in your hips, shoulders, and thoracic spine (T-spine). Limited mobility can restrict your ability to generate power and affect your pitching mechanics.
Strength Levels: Identify any imbalances or weaknesses in key muscle groups, especially in the lower body and core, which are crucial for generating velocity.
Mechanics: Analyze your current throwing mechanics. Are there inefficiencies or movements that could be streamlined to produce more speed? Video analysis is particularly helpful here.
This assessment lays the foundation for the next steps, ensuring that the training you do is specifically targeted to your needs.
2) Individualized Strength Program: Building the Right Kind of Power
Once you’ve identified your strengths and weaknesses, it’s time to build an individualized strength program. This program should focus on:
Single-Leg Strength: Pitching is a unilateral activity, meaning you’re often relying on one leg at a time. Exercises like single-leg squats or lunges help build the stability and strength necessary for powerful leg drive.
Lateral Hip Stability: Strong and stable hips are essential for maintaining balance and generating rotational power during the pitching motion. Lateral band walks and side planks can help build this stability.
External Shoulder Rotation: The shoulder undergoes tremendous stress during a pitch, particularly in external rotation. Strengthening the muscles involved in this movement can help prevent injury and improve velocity. Exercises like band pull-aparts and external rotations are crucial.
T-Spine Mobility: The thoracic spine plays a key role in the rotational aspect of pitching. If it’s too stiff, it can limit your range of motion and power. Mobility exercises like thoracic spine extensions and rotations should be a regular part of your routine.
Core Stability and Strength: The core is the powerhouse of your body and plays a pivotal role in transferring energy from your lower body to your upper body during the pitching motion. A strong, stable core allows you to maintain balance, generate rotational power, and reduce the risk of injury. Incorporate exercises such as:
Planks and Variations: Side planks, plank rotations, and plank reaches help strengthen the entire core, particularly the obliques, which are crucial for rotational strength.
Medicine Ball Rotational Throws: These exercises mimic the rotational aspect of pitching and build explosive power in the core. By incorporating different angles and stances, you can target various muscles involved in the pitching motion.
Posterior Chain Development: The posterior chain, which includes the muscles in your back, glutes, and hamstrings, is critical for driving power through your lower body and up through your arm. Strengthening these muscles helps improve your pitching velocity and reduces the risk of injury by ensuring balanced muscle development. Key exercises include:
Deadlifts: This compound exercise targets the entire posterior chain, promoting strength and power in the muscles most involved in the pitching motion.
Glute Bridges and Hip Thrusts: These exercises specifically target the glutes, which are vital for stabilizing the pelvis and generating leg drive during the pitch.
By incorporating these two additional elements—core stability and posterior chain development—your strength program will be even more comprehensive, addressing all the key areas involved in generating and sustaining a high-velocity pitch.
This strength program is not one-size-fits-all; it should be tailored to your specific needs based on the initial assessment.
3) Customized Throwing Program: Aligning Drills with Your Strength Plan
With a strong foundation in place, the next step is to develop a customized throwing program. This program should be built around the findings from your assessment and designed to complement your strength training. Key components include:
Drills for Movement Patterns: The throwing drills you choose should reinforce the movement patterns identified in your assessment as needing improvement. This might include drills that focus on arm path, stride length, or hip rotation.
Alignment with Strength Program: Your throwing program should work in harmony with your strength training. For example, if you’re focusing on improving hip stability in the weight room, your throwing drills should also emphasize this aspect.
Workload Management: One of the most critical aspects of a throwing program is managing physical workload. Avoid sudden spikes in throwing volume, which can lead to injury, and ensure there are no significant drop-offs that might cause you to lose progress. Consistency is key.
This program should evolve as you progress, continuously adapting to your improved strength and mechanics.
4) Get Your Body Weight Right: Not Overweight, Not Underweight
The final step to throwing 90 mph is ensuring that your body weight is optimized for performance. Being overweight can slow you down and place additional strain on your joints, while being underweight can leave you without the necessary muscle mass and strength. Consider the following:
Body Composition Monitoring: Regularly monitor your body composition to ensure you’re maintaining the right balance of muscle to fat. Tools like body fat percentage measurements or even simple body weight tracking can help you stay on target.
Lean Muscle Mass: Focus on building lean muscle, particularly in your legs, core, and shoulders. This doesn’t mean bulking up excessively but rather developing functional muscle that contributes to your pitching velocity.
Nutrition: Proper nutrition is essential for maintaining an optimal body weight. Ensure you’re getting enough protein to support muscle growth and recovery, and balance your diet with healthy fats and carbohydrates for sustained energy.
These four steps, done over time, should get a pitcher up to the 90mph threshold up from speeds ranging down to about the mid-70s.
