Dominate the Bump: Pitcher Time to Home and First Drill
Defining Time to Home and Time to First Base
Time to home measures the interval between when the pitcher starts their motion toward home plate and when the ball hits the catcher’s mitt. Time to first base captures the moment the pitcher initiates a pickoff throw and when the ball reaches the first baseman’s glove.
Why Time Metrics Matter in Baseball
These time-based metrics are crucial for analyzing the run game. Specifically, how quickly a pitcher delivers to the plate or picks off to first can influence a runner’s strategy and success.
Impact on Base Runners
When pitchers take longer to deliver the ball, base runners have more time to steal without overextending their lead. As a result, the risk of getting picked off drops. Likewise, a slow pickoff move gives runners confidence to take larger leads, giving them an edge when attempting a steal.
Influence on Pitch Selection
Pitchers with slower times to the plate often push coaches and catchers to favor fastballs. This is because breaking or offspeed pitches require more time to reach home. Consequently, savvy batters may anticipate the fastball and exploit it, shifting the game’s momentum.
Traditional Challenges in Measuring Time Metrics
In the past, coaches and scouts relied on stopwatches to record these metrics. However, this method often resulted in inconsistency and human error. Because accurate timing is so critical, these flaws created a strong need for more reliable technology.
Introducing Pison for Accurate Tracking
Today, Pison devices, paired with the BASEBALL Pro subscription and mobile app, offer a precise and user-friendly solution. They accurately capture both time to home and time to first base.
Recording Time to Home
Setup: The pitcher wears a Pison device and throws from the stretch.
Triggers: The app detects the start of the motion and the ball hitting the catcher’s mitt (who also wears a device).
Results: The time appears on the BASEBALL Pro dashboard immediately after the rep.
Recording Time to First Base
Setup: The pitcher wears a Pison device and attempts a pickoff throw to first.
Triggers: The motion begins toward first base and ends when the ball reaches the first baseman’s glove (who also wears a device).
Results: The time displays on the dashboard right after the action.
Enhancing Training and Competitive Benchmarking
The Pison-powered app empowers players in several key ways:
Track Progress: Athletes can log and upload scores over time, building a complete view of their development.
Benchmark Against Peers: Players can compare metrics with teammates, competitors, and even next-level athletes to set performance goals.
Verified Training: Teams can ensure integrity by verifying and uploading sessions through trusted users, preventing dishonest reporting.
