# Pitch Tracking and Design · Baseball Level 6: Advanced

Baseball · Level 6: Advanced · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/baseball/level-6/pitch-tracking-and-design/)

Tracking systems, spin rate, spin axis and efficiency, induced vertical break, horizontal movement, extension, pitch design labs, seam-shifted wake, stuff models, and pitching to the data.

## Test 1: Tracking systems

- PITCHf/x was the first league-wide pitch tracker. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Statcast combined radar and cameras from 2015. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Hawk-Eye cameras replaced the radar-based setup. (Source: General baseball reference)
- TrackMan's Doppler radar measured the ball's flight. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Player tracking gives sprint speed and fielding range. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Small trackers bring pitch data to bullpens and colleges. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Precise data lets pitchers test changes and see results. (Source: General baseball reference)
- About 2006, 2015 and 2020. (Source: General baseball reference)
- See, follow, compute, display. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Hawk-Eye cameras track every pitch and player. (Source: General baseball reference)

## Test 2: Spin rate

- Spin rate is given in rpm. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Elite fastball spin sits around 2,500 rpm or more. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Backspin fights gravity, so the ball falls less. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Changeups and splitters kill spin to drop. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Grip aids boosted spin; umpires began checking pitchers. (Source: General baseball reference)
- League-wide spin fell once checks began. (Source: General baseball reference)
- More spin, used well, means more break. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Curveballs often spin most, changeups least. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Checks happen between innings. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Since 2021 umpires check pitchers for grip aids. (Source: General baseball reference)

## Test 3: Spin axis and efficiency

- Only part of the spin turns into movement. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Gyro spin points along the flight and adds little movement. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Gyro sliders break late with little sweep. (Source: General baseball reference)
- The axis sets which way the ball moves. (Source: General baseball reference)
- 12:00 is pure backspin, 6:00 pure topspin, as the hitter sees it. (Source: General baseball reference)
- More of its spin becomes movement. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Efficiency and axis change how spin becomes movement. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Gyro spin adds little movement. (Source: General baseball reference)
- 12 is backspin, 6 topspin. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Spin along the flight path is gyro spin. (Source: General baseball reference)

## Test 4: Induced vertical break

- IVB shows how much spin holds the pitch up against gravity. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Elite 'riding' fastballs reach about 19 inches or more. (Source: General baseball reference)
- The ball stays above where the hitter expects it. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Topspin makes a curve drop more than gravity alone. (Source: General baseball reference)
- A sinker's tilted spin gives less lift, so it falls more. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Riding fastballs miss bats at the top of the zone. (Source: General baseball reference)
- A flat approach at the top of the zone is hard to hit. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Four-seamers hold up most; curveballs drop most. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Riding fastballs belong up. (Source: General baseball reference)
- The gap above the gravity path is IVB. (Source: General baseball reference)

## Test 5: Horizontal movement

- Sinkers and changeups run to the pitcher's arm side. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Sweepers move far across the plate to the glove side. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Statcast split sweepers from other sliders in 2023. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Pitches breaking in opposite directions are hard to cover. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Arm-side run takes it in on a same-handed hitter. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Movement is shown in inches from a spinless path. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Wide differences stretch the hitter's coverage. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Sinkers run arm side; sweepers sweep glove side. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Curves are oldest; 'sweeper' is the newest label. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Movement charts show each pitch's break in inches. (Source: General baseball reference)

## Test 6: Extension and perceived velocity

- Extension measures release distance in front of the rubber. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Big, long-striding pitchers get 7 feet or more. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Releasing closer to the plate gives the hitter less time. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Extension can make a 94 mph pitch play like 96. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Height and a long stride move the release forward. (Source: General baseball reference)
- A low release and good ride give a flat approach angle. (Source: General baseball reference)
- A different release can tip which pitch is coming. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Longer extension gives hitters less time. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Longer extension raises perceived speed. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Releasing closer to home cuts reaction time. (Source: General baseball reference)

## Test 7: Pitch design labs

- Pitchers change grips and release to reach target movement. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Driveline helped popularise pitch design and velocity training. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Thousands of frames a second show grip and finger action. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Edgertronic high-speed cameras show release in detail. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Training with heavier and lighter balls targets arm speed. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Pushing arm speed can stress elbows and shoulders. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Small changes are tested against the tracking numbers. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Target, try, check, use. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Release detail, flight data, then season results. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Labs test pitches with cameras and trackers. (Source: General baseball reference)

## Test 8: Seam-shifted wake

- The seams' position changes airflow and adds movement. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Some pitches moved more than their spin predicted. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Grips that put seams in certain spots create extra run. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Rotating the seams in the grip can add movement. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Spin cues suggest one movement, the ball does another. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Slow-motion video reveals how the seams sit. (Source: General baseball reference)
- With barely any spin, air on the seams pushes it about. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Fastballs move by spin; knuckleballs by seams and air. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Video, grip change, extra run, weak contact. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Seams can tilt the airflow and add movement. (Source: General baseball reference)

## Test 9: Stuff models

- Stuff+ grades velocity, movement and release, not results. (Source: General baseball reference)
- As with wRC+, 100 is set as average. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Pitch quality shows up quickly, long before results settle. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Command of the zone is graded apart from stuff. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Great pitches that miss the target can be hit or walked. (Source: General baseball reference)
- It joins the shape of pitches with how and where they are thrown. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Throwing the highest-graded pitches more often can help. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Higher is better; 100 is average. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Throw, track, grade, adjust. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Higher Stuff+ marks the stronger pitch. (Source: General baseball reference)

## Test 10: Pitching to the data

- Data showed riding fastballs up in the zone beat modern swings. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Pitches that look alike early are hard to tell apart. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Opposite heights and movements upset the hitter's timing. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Clubs pushed pitchers to use their best breaking ball more. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Pitch mixes moved towards sliders and sweepers. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Pitches that miss a hitter's bat path get swinging strikes. (Source: General baseball reference)
- It shows how often a pitcher gets hitters to miss. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Mixes shifted to ride and sweep. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Review, spot, use, result. (Source: General baseball reference)
- Modern mixes lean on ride and sweep. (Source: General baseball reference)

Sources: General baseball references, WBSC and league material, coaching manuals; original questions authored, nothing reproduced. Numbered rules belong to the Rules category.

Take the tests: https://insporta.app/try?utm_source=book&utm_medium=referral