Young pitchers need to have this philosophy down pat
It’s called the school of “pound down.”
Blue Jays pitching coach Bruce Walton coined that term years ago, back when he was a bullpen coach, but the philosophy behind it applies today as he guides major-league pitchers and helps ready developing arms for the big leagues.
The Jays have eight minor-league affiliates this year, and that “pound down” axiom will be repeated at each level. Pitching coaches at each level, and roving pitching guru Dane Johnson, all stress that philosophy, which is to command your pitches down in the strike zone.
There are, of course, numerous other details involved in pushing young pitchers up the ladder. But the Jays like their pitchers to learn what that philosophy really means, and to be able to repeat their delivery so they can feature the ball down in the strike zone.
Here’s a look at what developing pitchers have to absorb from the time they enter pro ball to the time they may be ready for a shot at the big leagues:
“From the ground up, we make sure that whatever delivery they have, they get behind the baseball and then make the pitch over the front side of their delivery, so that enables them to get to the point where they can repeat that delivery,” Walton said. “You hope that clicks in and around double-a level. You need it to be well in progress after those levels. “The second step is taking that delivery into a game. There are so many stages you have for young kids until they can repeat that delivery, but then they go into a game and forget everything they’ve learned. “And that’s natural sometimes, especially when you are under the heat and pressure of a game situation. “You can see they’re ready (for the big leagues) when they have the command and control of everything, of all their pitches. The fastball they can pitch down and in, and out. “And does he have one pitch that is above average? And does he have a third pitch, something he can throw 12 to 14 times a game? If you’re a starter you need three pitches at least, and a reliever two. “The other part of the game is how does he handle adversity? Does he run from it or pitch around it? If there’s a double up the gap, how does he battle it? Battle when things don’t go his way, and they won’t.
“I think that mental part is very big at all levels, but a pitcher usually has experience with adversity by the time he enters triple-a. At that level, a lot of it is about managing their pitches and then the game.
“They learn what it’s really like to face major-league ready talent, and what it means to slow the game down when they get into trouble. That skill — slowing the game down — is probably one of the biggest assets you can have heading into the big leagues.”