Pitchgrader Courses

This course defines each distinct pitch type independent of the specific pitcher or the pitcher method, in a way that can be detected when only using ball tracking data. It also avoids the current ambiguity in pitch names, subjective names of pitches, and intent or technique-based pitch names, as used today. The definitions of pitch types in this course can help greatly in analytics, amateur scouting, advance scouting, broadcasting, and player development.

Working with pitch tracking data it becomes quickly obvious that everyone has been avoiding the elephant in the room, that the pitch names assigned to a pitch in the data are often wrong or missing. That means that stats such as "Average Slider Velocity" for example, won’t be accurate because there may be curveballs, changeups, fastballs, etc. mixed in with the "Sliders". Also, for example, if the pitch is tagged a “Slider”, you’re not guaranteed that it is in fact a “Slider”. When examining the metrics for this “Slider”, you could be looking at the metrics for example, of a Changeup.

Up until now, everyone has been trying to classify pitches from the point of view of the Pitcher and speed. The method in this course classifies pitches from the point of view of the Batter and trajectory shape. Different points of view. 

This course defines each pitch type with data metrics and shows a visual of the pitch flight path from the batter’s point of view. There is no subjectiveness in the way they are defined, meaning everyone who looks at the pitch data will arrive at the same pitch type name using these formulas and definitions. The pitches are defined in terms of their trajectory shape, not their speed, and not how the pitcher intended to throw them. How the pitcher produced the trajectory shape, or intended to produce that shape, are irrelevant for classification because from a Batter’s point of view, the Batter only knows the pitch shape that was produced.

This course doesn't write about how to throw these pitches, as there will be many ways to throw the same pitch shape, and besides, that’s not the purpose of this course. In fact, linking the method or intent for how to throw a pitch type is partly what has caused the current ambiguity and subjectiveness of calling pitches today..