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Data analysis is awesome, and overwhelming, and insane all at once! We recently added Rapsodo Pitching to our tool box and are absolutely loving the way our pitchers are responding to it and rising to the challenge!
BUT it has also come with a lot of conversations about what data really means about our pitching and how effective we are. We are noticing this the most when we work on change ups! Often, Rapsodo considers change ups to have poor spin efficiency and doesn't count them as strikes. Our pitchers immediately go to the place of "ugh, that was a bad one." In reality, their change up was hidden well in their motion, and was a perfect speed floating over the plate finishing low - it's EFFECTIVE in real life even if Rapsodo says it isn't perfect. Data is great, but must be combined with the "human" side of pitching to help pitchers become next level. If we only relied on data and what's on paper we wouldn't bother playing the game at all, we'd just give the win to the team with better stats before we even stepped on the field!
BUT it has also come with a lot of conversations about what data really means about our pitching and how effective we are. We are noticing this the most when we work on change ups! Often, Rapsodo considers change ups to have poor spin efficiency and doesn't count them as strikes. Our pitchers immediately go to the place of "ugh, that was a bad one." In reality, their change up was hidden well in their motion, and was a perfect speed floating over the plate finishing low - it's EFFECTIVE in real life even if Rapsodo says it isn't perfect. Data is great, but must be combined with the "human" side of pitching to help pitchers become next level. If we only relied on data and what's on paper we wouldn't bother playing the game at all, we'd just give the win to the team with better stats before we even stepped on the field!
Here's another great example on how data can skew the way we view things. This is an absolutely FANTASTIC curve ball from 2025 RHP Bailey Livermore (Yes, you read that right..she's only in 8th grade!) at 55mph, with 97% spin efficiency and 11.5 inches of break it's one of the best curve balls we've seen since setting up Rapsodo! BUT this is her best curve ball, not her consistent curve ball. Right now, her curve consistently sits at 53-54 mph and breaks 4-5 inches. Can she get to where this is her consistent curve? Absolutely. Is she there yet? Nope, but we'll continue to work at it! Data is great and gives athletes new heights to strive for, but we have to remember that we aren't who we are on our best day OR our worst day. The consistent pitcher we are sits in the middle of those two days! We often share and showcase our best, rather than who we are day in and day out! This is important to remember when we see stats and new speed/spin records thrown around on social media!
When we communicate with college coaches we share our pitchers' best data and their consistent data. We do the same thing when high school coaches and travel ball coaches reach out to see how their pitcher is doing in lessons. It's important for all coaches to see who you are day in and day out, while also seeing the potential you have if you continue working hard!
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