Catchers usually have some of the strongest arms on the field. I would hope the guy who gets paid millions of dollars and was hand picked out of hundreds of thousands of potential prospects would have a better arm than 99.999% of the population.
@MANCHESTER UNITED F.C Americans have better taste than watching guys spend 90 minutes trying to kick a ball into a net the size of a trash dumpster. Not to mention that the most important skill in soccer is being able to fake an injury without getting caught.
Looks pretty hittable from the catcher's angle because it's easy to gauge the ball's path and speed. You can easily imagine hitting it since you imagine your bat's arc/attack as being at the same level as your eyes. Stand at the plate from the batter's angle, though, and gauging the path and speed becomes A LOT tougher.
@@rickmorrow993 tried out as a catcher for shits and giggles on my HS baseball team having never swung a bat in my life. Do not envy those that played the position long term my knees killed
When I was in little league there was a 12 year old that was 6 feet tall and throwing it about 75 mph. Keep in mind this was from only 45 feet, so in essence it was like facing a 90 mph pitcher. No one on my team could hit him. One of my teammates on the second time we faced him hit it over the fence against him and our entire team acted like he had parted the seas. Even our coach and the parents, not just his parents all our team’s families. So after everything calmed down we all kept asking him how he did it and he never would answer, he’d say things like it’s a secret and so on. Then finally we ended up briefly being coworkers many years later and he just said he blindly started swinging hard as soon as the pitcher released the ball lmao.
@@davenantais9860 you're a brave man. Most people will never experience a hard ball coming at them at that velocity. When they do, they have a new perspective. Lol
@@davenantais9860 I played high school ball until I quit because I had to work. I played pitcher and second base. We would work with other pitchers on the team a lot so I figured I might be able to bs my way through it for a game. We were down anyone who was a catcher. I decided to volunteer and wow people don't understand how much you get beat up even with the gear on.
I 100% got cut in highschool because of my bat speed. So I 100% could not hit this dude even though I can tell it's a strike or ball, etc... just can't get the bat around fast enough.
Ouch yeah that definitely sucks, I only played basketball and football in HS, the only thing that got me hurt was getting hit in the head by 250+ lbs lineman. Those dudes were nasty
I wish they could have an in-person event like this, where people can go and try to hit the throws of the all-star pitchers. I would definitely try to go.
jdspreest I went to college with Gee and knew him his freshman year. His fastball wasn’t strong then but his change up was plus. Exploding sliders are filthy but can’t leave it up over the zone otherwise you won’t see the ball again.
this comment was two years ago but the last one was a hanger. any good hitter would crush that ball. he had some really good sliders that caught the low and outside corner tho
In high school, I thought I was the shit. Played 3rd, hit .350 with not much power. Got into college and hit .220. Joined a pro-league and hit .172. People don't realize how much more difficult it is as you advance. I can't imagine trying to hit a major league pitcher.
.350 in HIGH SCHOOL? damn, brother.............top players hit over .500 in high school.............over .400 in college............over .300 in the minors............... The difference is in high school you might face a pitcher every now and then that throws 90+ but they really don't have another pitch......college, pitchers now have another pitch they can throw for strikes along with their fastball.................pro ball, pitchers throw hard and can spot their fastball with movement and can consistently throw two other pitches for strikes. That is why it gets more difficult as you advance. Can't just sit on fastballs anymore. If you get a fastball and pull it foul, you ain't seeing that pitch again.
No, I wouldn't fool myself. When I reached high school and started to hear the sizzle of throws guys were making and knew that my throws had no sizzle - I knew I was at the next level of baseball and I probably wasn't going any further. Didn't make my high school team - and we weren't a powerhouse. So, when I look at this pitcher's easy motion, think I'm tracking the ball pretty good, hear the smack in the mitt - I know it's an illusion. Put me up against a live pitcher throwing 80+ and I'll probably walk away having made no contact but highly impressed.
These video titles are funny. When I was 14 I came to the US to train with a group of 14-16 yr olds and I remember us setting the pitching machine to the fastest speed and the pitches were clocked from 100-103 mph, and we were hitting with no problems. Then again, I am from the Dominican Republic ;-)
You’re not going to with that attitude. You have to try, and if you fail dust yourself off and try again. If that doesn’t work, try stalking. She will learn to love you. The point is you can’t give up until you find that fucking dog!
@@GrowYour-Own LMAOOOO😂😂 I was happy you were talking to him in a positive and uplifting way but just burst out laughing when I read that last sentence. Bravo man
few things. 1. I played out field in little leagues and never played baseball past 12 years old when we won state in Texas. 2. I would also catch him growing up when he only threw 50 and 60s. 3. 90 mph when you never see it then all of a sudden are thrown into the fire, isn't exactly easy to catch up to as an inexperienced catcher. I also caught a 98 mph fastball from a true freshman that played on that team. He's now in the high minors. I luckily didn't miss that ball and caught it perfectly.
I mean it looks hard enough as is, and this is just his bullpen session. And on top of that, it's Dillon Gee. This isn't like hitting deGrom or Kershaw lol
@@BLAZENYCBLACKOPS Well I think thats the point I'm making. The guy was in fact a major leaguer, yet even at that ultra elite level, you'll probably face way nastier guys. I like Dillon and he definitely had his moments...I still remember that complete game loss that ended with Freeman walking him off. He had multiple games like that i think
Nolan said in high school he had terrible control and the batters were afraid of him, he also said he would have been afraid to bat against himself since often he did not know where the ball was going.
Devon Smith I guarantee that if I batted off of him 4 times, I could get a hit. He's only throwing like 93-95. Not very hard to time up if your a good baseball player..
a foul tip is when you hit the ball but the catcher catches it, and you can strike out on this. foul off is when you intentionally hit a ball to hit it foul, and you cannot strike out on this
I wanted to start catching (first year in high school baseball) because my best friend pitched and I always thought it looked really fun. It is. There is no greater feeling in the world than catching a nasty curve the batter swinging and missing and striking them out. It is amazing.
I've played some pretty rough sports, played hockey just below the bigs, but the most scared I have ever been in sports was when I was catching for a friend who is a minor league pitcher. He started me at about 60mph. He asked if I was ready for more heat and I answered yes. He started throwing 90plus and all I had was a first base mitt, no cup, no mask, no protection at all. The speed was astounding. I never played baseball, but that 15 minutes and a broken thumb really woke me up. Baseball is a really great game!
“The first time I faced him, I watched him take that easy windup. And then something went past me that made me flinch. The thing just hissed with danger.” --Ty Cobb, describing the first time he faced Walter Johnson
90 mph is no problem. I've made contact in batting cages at 95. What concerns me is the movement that a professional has, even on the fastball. Gee's ball looks pretty straight, but keep in mind, he's only warming up out there. This guy was a serviceable starting pitcher in the major leagues. I'm sure he brings a lot more than you're watching out to the mound. I've also taken cuts against a former major league starting pitcher (after he'd retired) and he made me feel pretty silly. I got to see about 20 pitches. I made decent contact a couple of times, but I also damned near broke an ankle swinging at a breaking ball that just wasn't there anymore.
Back in the day at the Old Comiskey Park, the Red Sox came to town to play the White Sox. I am a Cubs fan, but my buddy and me would go to the games there because 1. The Sox were sucky and great seats were easy to get last minute and 2. to see the HOFer's from the AL come through Chicago. Clemens was in his prime then and I mosied over behind home plate one inning to see him throw. OMFG. All I saw was his arm motion and the pop of the catcher's mitt. I could barely see the ball. Unreal.
He never even got out of the 80s, most in the 70s here and still I doubt many if any non-active players could even get a piece of it. I am 15 years out of college know... and even I am not so full of myself to think I could step in right now and get a hit on an active pitcher.
People don’t realize the big difference hitting a live pitcher as opposed to cage hitting from a machine, the timing is way different and the movement too.
i know y'all think it's easy to hit from the camera but i'm telling you when you go up there you will be scared shitless because you will hear it goes zzzzzzzz right past you 😂
Baseball Highlights scared of what? The ball? Maybe the average high school player is scared. Your BA was prob less than .300 if your talking like everybody’s scared to face 90mph
I was scared when I was younger but in high school I just told myself I've got nothing to worry about because the pitcher has more control than he did in little league and he was throwing meat anyways. lmao
Personally, I learned to stop being afraid of the ball when I was about 12 years old. On account of that my father threw me batting practice and pelted me with a few. Once you learn that it doesn't hurt that bad, there's not much to be afraid of.
In 6th grade i tried i tried to hit off a minor leauge pitcher he threw a 85 mph curve ball it was soooo nad how much i missed by and when he threw the fastball i was not close either i tell my friends once i almost fouled off a minor leauge pitcher but its amazing how controlled they are with their pitches😁
Those early pitches of course are "warm ups". They are all at about the same speed, and generally have little movement. As his velocity increases (2.06) you see the ball begin to "move" more. When you think you've got timing down, he throws a ball that breaks off of the plate. So incredibly satisfying.
I played ball as a kid up until I got out of school and was a terrible hitter to begin with. There is absolutely no way I could hit a 90 plus fast ball. I couldn't hit a mid 80's or a curve. What most people don't know but you can see it here is a fast ball explodes the last 15 feet. If a pitcher has good mechanics, you don't pick the ball up until it is well out of his hand and you only see it for a fraction of a second before it explodes. This guy isn't even a big league pitcher. Imagine what a high 90's and a good splitter and slider would look like. If you could stand in with a major league pitcher and not be thinking about how you were going to get out of the way, I would be surprised. I got hit in a batting cage one time by a machine.
C moore brah that aint no shit, i got hit in the face just under the ear flap from a 90+mph fastball and it broke my jaw and 2 teeth in the process. there isnt a lot of reaction time when a guy those that hard, we are talking about .33 of a second from hand to glove.
People that say they got hit with a 90 mph past ball are usually either full of themselves or full of crap. Rarely does any pitcher reach 90 mph until their body has completely matured. That is why I said mid 80's. I played a little semi pro ball and still doubt I saw anything in the 90's. When the average major league fastball is just in the low 90's, teams are lucky to have anyone throwing much faster unless they are big. Look at the really hard throwing guys today and you will see all of them are big dudes. 6'4" and up. Noah Syndagard hits 99 and he is 6'5". Chapman is 6'5". Go back a few years. Clemons was 6'4", 240, Johnson was 6'10". These guys are big dudes and they aren't just all over the place. Lyncicum threw hard early but he was completely unorthodox. He used his whole body and not just his arm. btw, he blew his body out. Like I said, if you can hit 85, you can at least play some pro ball. Most can't even see it.
C moore Yeah, I played a bit when I was younger. Was never an amazing hitter, at some point the game really jumped up a notch as far as speed. Most people really just think they could hit that. It's harder than it looks.
Jimmy Jeter Same. I mean I played a lot of sports...was more of an athlete. Baseball, soccer, basketball, track & field, cross country, golf...and played on many all star and travel teams. Baseball was the only sport in which I just felt outmatched at some point. I was a great fielder...was usually on 2nd or at short stop. But when the pitching speed got crazy, I think I started becoming a bit more intimidated. Lol At that age, they had speed but not tons of control. The other sports though it wasn't quite like that at all. Sure, people were more and more skilled...but it never slipped out of my control.
The perspective is all wrong. The pitcher looks like he's 300 feet away . When you're actually in the box the pitcher looks like he's right on top of you.
That's hittable for sure. Top high school players would rake those if he gets it over the plate. It's Dillon Gee in a bullpen sesh, not Pedro Martinez in his prime in an ALCS game.
My son was playing in his first year of little league. Jamie Rock had been drafted by the Yankees and was our high school pitcher. Our little league and middle school class were practicing. Jamie was pitching for them in the high eighties mph. We had kids hitting off him regularly. One of my son’s teammates was Brian Dozer. Heck , Brian wasn’t even the best on the team. Other boys didn’t have the grades or money to go to college.
Most people aren't put on this earth to hit a big league pitch and unfortunately you can't be like someone your not and money can't buy talent. You have to find out what your good at and what you were put on this earth to do once you find out what it is that you do best build on it and it will take you very far. One of my talents is knowing everything there is to know about plastic chairs and it's gotten me on the front page of Reedit, Right This Minute, and on national TV and in the local newspaper a couple times.
Here's the thing, I'm 15 and my fastest pitched I faced was at the cages at 90, It was hard the first time. I mostly was hitting choppers up the middle, but I seem to hit better with a real pitcher with a damn release point.
Haven't swung a baseball bat in 15 years, but just went to some batting cages today for fun. I am athletic enough I suppose, and sure, no one could ever expect to just pick up a bat and be good. But holy hell, I could barely hit the 50 and 60 mph speeds. I stepped up to the 80 mph and it's incredible how the ball appears in front of the machine, then is by you before you have a chance to think, much less time a swing, and I don't have to worry balls vs strikes, or where in the zone it's going to be. And 80mph is a slow change-up in MLB. A lot of respect for what a hitter does. PS I got extremely lucky and made really good contact on one 80mph pitch. I fouled 2 or 3 other off to the side. The rest I whiffed on big time XD
In High School, I batted against a buddy who was a teammate back in Little League. I he could touch low 90's and had a legit Curve Ball. I bailed out of the batter's box first two pitches because I thought the Curve Ball was going to hit me. After I would say about 20 pitches, I managed to foul tip one almost to the first base side dugout. Never felt so helpless in an athletic endeavor.
I think I could hit hit any one of Dillon Gee's pitches in a BP setting, but in a game setting when any one of the pitches could come in any count, I don't think I could.
Easy way to hit a big league pitcher. 1. Wave and shout at them to get their attention 2. Close the distance while mumbling to distract them 3. While you have them distracted, hit them
One thing you clearly see particularity with a thrown fast ball is that the hitter has to already in the motion of a swing before the ball even leaves the pitchers hand. and about time the ball is in travel, the hitter must not only be in rotation with the bat, but also adjust to the location of the ball. in other words, the hitter must not only give large amounts of strength to rotating the bat in time, but also to alter its trajectory along the way. That takes crazy amounts of physical strength.
I remember this when Dillon Gee was on the Mets and he was doing the rehab, they sent them to Brooklyn because it's not that far from Citi Field or at that time the end of Shea, but probably one of the best minor league ballparks in the United States and that's no joke, right on the beach & the night games are gorgeous with the neon ring of lights. The best are Nathan's Hot Dogs..served at vendors spots..and the original 110 yr old Nathans a few blocks away.
There’s a video out there where Greg Maddux in a disguise pranks a major league player by pitching BP to him. None of his pitches were fast, but the guy couldn’t hit him.
In high school we played against a pitcher who was throwing mid 80s. Was a little scary when you are the one batting. They go a lot faster than you think
The last pitch had some great movement on it.. Almost looked like it got away from him, nd then it just sinks in for a strike.. Nice view.. They should have more videos with this view..
Babe Ruth said that toward the end of a pitch he sometimes just closed his eyes and swung where he thought the ball was going. He was very smart because studies have shown that in the last 1/5 of s second as the ball reaches the plate the action is happening so fast that your brain can't process it. So you might as well just close your eyes and swing as to where you think the ball is going to be.
the camera lens makes it look like the pitcher is a million miles away. in reality, if you're at the plate facing a guy throwing 90+, it feels like he's standing right on top of you. when the ball crosses the plate, it makes a sizzling sound. i wouldn't have a chance.
If the MLB pitcher told me he was throwing a non-breaking slow fastball right down the middle, I think I might be able to get a foul ball with many tries. MLB hitters have incredible eyes and reflexes to be able to hit MLB pitchers.
I could probably hit in bp, but to judge when to swing at strikes and to make adjustments mid swing on curves, sliders, changeups, and so on is incredibly tough. Even trying to place the ball is just wow. You get used to the speed, it's the movement, placement, and speed changes that make big league pitchers nearly impossible to hit for all but the best in the world. You need near perfect timing and excellent eyesight to see the spin and the reflexes to adjust to movement. Crowd the plate and they'll go inside, back off and they paint the corners, step early and they changeup, and if all else fails the pitcher and you get him for a few, then you gotta watch out for the head hunting to cool you off. Oh yeah, and if you do manage to make contact, some of the best athletes in the world are in the field to get you out and can cover all but a few dozen square feet of the whole field. Also, the catcher will be talking shit. Have fun.
I played American Legion ball and once we had to face a kid from Virginia who ended up getting signed by the Twins. I thought I was a hitter til that day. He was throwing real late breaking sliders and his fastball was around 95 mph. Hitting at the MLB level is a tough job
I could probably hit his fastball if I knew it was coming, but the difference is that every professional pitcher has at least three really good pitches that they can throw at any time to throw off your timing.