Dominate the Bump: Pitcher Time to Home and First Drill
Defining Time to Home and Time to First Base
Time to home is defined as the delta between the pitcher beginning their motion toward home plate and the ball hitting the catcher’s mitt. Time to first base is defined as the delta between the pitcher beginning their pickoff motion towards first base and the ball hitting the first baseman’s glove.
Why Time Metrics Matter in Baseball
Understanding how fast a pitcher is able to break to the plate and how fast a pitcher is able to pick off to first base are both crucial metrics for analyzing the run game.
Impact on Base Runners
When a pitcher takes longer to deliver the ball to home, base runners can steal more easily without overextending their lead, reducing the risk of being picked off. Similarly, a slow pickoff move makes it challenging to catch runners at first, allowing them to take larger leads, providing a significant advantage when attempting to steal.
Influence on Pitch Selection
Pitchers with slower times to the plate often force catchers or coaches to favor fastballs, as breaking or offspeed pitches take longer to reach home. Opposing batters, aware of this limitation, can anticipate and capitalize on fastballs, affecting game strategy.
Traditional Challenges in Measuring Time Metrics
Traditionally, coaches and scouts used stopwatches to measure these metrics, but this method is prone to human error and inconsistency. Reliance on perfect timing often leads to inaccurate results, creating a need for more precise tools.
Introducing Pison for Accurate Tracking
Pison devices, combined with the BASEBALL Pro subscription and mobile app, provide a seamless and accurate way to track time to home and time to first base.
Recording Time to Home
- Setup: The pitcher wears a Pison device and pitches from the stretch.
- Triggers: The app records the motion starting towards home plate and the ball hitting the catcher’s mitt (also wearing a device).
- Results: Time to home is displayed on the BASEBALL Pro dashboard after the rep is completed.
Recording Time to First Base
- Setup: The pitcher, wearing a Pison device, executes a pickoff to first base.
- Triggers: The motion begins toward first base, and the ball hits the first baseman’s glove (wearing a device).
- Results: Time to first is displayed on the BASEBALL Pro dashboard.
Enhancing Training and Competitive Benchmarking
The Pison-powered app enables players to:
- Track Progress: Continuously log and upload scores to a personal database for an overarching view of their performance.
- Benchmark Against Peers: Compare scores with teammates, competitors, and players at the next level to set goals.
- Verified Training: Teams can verify and upload training sessions via a trusted user, ensuring authenticity and preventing dishonest results.
