Baseball pitches come in three basic categories: fastballs, breaking balls, and off-speed / changeups. Each category, and each pitch within the category, are generally identified by their type of grip, velocity and movement profile also known as “break”. Pitchers generally throw many different types of baseball pitches, in addition to a fastball. Although, there are a few pitchers in the MLB that throw just about every type of pitch, starters generally throw 4-5 different variations, and relievers and closers throw 1-3 different ones. The primary purpose for the variations in pitching is to throw a batter’s timing off and induce an out: as in a strike out, a ground out, or a flyout.
Now, let’s review each category and the various baseball pitches:
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- Fastballs
- Breaking Balls
- Off-speed / Changeups
