Pinned
This NAIA pitcher went from 88-89 MPH to 96-98 MPH
In 10 months.... 🤯
Here's how: ⬇️
00:00
Craig Stem
5,429 posts
Craig Stem
@CraigStem
13 year pro pitcher turned Performance coach @TreadHQ | Follow me to learn about pitching development or to sign the guys I coach!
Train with us 👇
Joined December 2009
- One of my guys was 22, throwing 98, and still unsigned. 🤔 Two months later, the @Cubs picked him up. Here’s exactly what changed. 🧵
00:00 - When I was a young pro in the Dodgers system, I was pitching in a backfield instructional league game and Rojas was playing third base. Whatever team we were playing was clearly working on bunting. They were putting down nearly perfect bunts down the 3B line and it didn’t matterMiguel Rojas didn’t contribute at the plate, but he made some GREAT plays defensively including this game ending pick. Give Miggy Ro his flowers 💐
- At my first spring training, I was dealing with the yips. One of my teammates I hadn’t met yet was asking if anyone needed a partner for catch. I raised my hand. He looked at me, laughed, and said “I said catch, not fetch”. That got a big laugh and I ended up throwing withThe baseball world is very small. Don’t burn any bridges. Treat people right. Honor your commitments. If you stay around the game long enough, people will remember how you handled your lowest moments more than your highest moments
- Replying to @CraigStem @Cubs and @_jkirkpatrick32Now he has: → A fastball profile that plays in the big leagues. → Breaking ball that actually moves. → Command to throw it in the zone. And now he’s got his shot. 💪 Pumped to see where he takes this.
00:00 - One of my guys was 84 mph and redshirting at a D2. 🤔 Two years later, he was topping 95 and committing to a D1 program. Here’s exactly how Seth Edgerton did it. 🧵
00:00 - The baseball world is very small. Don’t burn any bridges. Treat people right. Honor your commitments. If you stay around the game long enough, people will remember how you handled your lowest moments more than your highest moments
- Replying to @CraigStem @Cubs and @_jkirkpatrick32We had work to do. 1. Fastball profile. Saw on the Edgertronic that his middle finger was slipping off the seam. Fixed that..boom! FB up to 17" of vert. Immediate difference. 📈
00:00 - Replying to @CraigStem @Cubs and @_jkirkpatrick324 major issues cleaned up in 2 months. Now signed by the Cubs. ✍️ Everyone sees the 98 mph and thinks that’s enough, but it's not. Jackson already put in the work to throw gas, but once he knew what was actually holding him back, and had a plan to attack it, he took off. 🚀
- Anyone want a 95+ arm on their staff? @FrankSiano7 has 3 years of eligibility left and is looking for 2 year and 4 year opportunities. He topped 95.9 mph in this bullpen with room to grow. Has good feel for a curveball, developing a nasty slider, and shows plus changeups. Data
00:00 - Easiest 94 of my life. I was a little surprised, but this was no accident. The hardest pitch I threw in a game in 2022 (pre-Tread) was 94.8 mph. Here we are just over a year later flicking 94.4 at a perceived 80% effort. The “plan” for this pen was to throw max effort, but it
00:00 - Replying to @CraigStem @Cubs and @_jkirkpatrick32So I checked his stats. Walk rate? Not great, but not as bad as I thought. About 1 per inning. But… Giving up a ton of hits and not getting strikeouts. If you’re throwing 98 in Indy ball, you should be shoving. Something wasn’t adding up.
- Replying to @CraigStem and @CubsAt first, it didn’t make sense. 🧐 @_jkirkpatrick32 is a 22 year old RHP, touching 98, still a free agent? At that age and with that kind of velo, most teams are all over you.
