PITCHING - Master the BP Fastball

Pitchers are often in search of a new pitch … something to go to when their backs are up against the wall. Well, they may already have one in their arsenal. Throwing a BP fastball has gotten many pitchers out of tight jams.

The term BP fastball is short for a “batting practice” fastball. It means the pitcher throws his fastball with a little less on it, as he might do when throwing batting practice. The pitch has less velocity than a pitcher’s best fastball, but has more on it than his change-up. The three-to-four mile per hour difference is enough to miss the barrel of the bat when the hitter is sitting dead red.

The best time to use this pitch is in a fastball count (2-0, 3-1, 1-0, etc.) The hitter is anticipating a fastball and gearing up to get the barrel out front. By taking just a little off the fastball, it disrupts the hitter’s timing and often produces a ball off the end of the bat. This is not a “swing-and-miss” pitch, but rather an “out” pitch.The BP fastball can be more effective than a change-up because it’s easier to control (same grip as a fastball) and undetectable, provided you maintain the pace of your delivery. In addition, it can retire a hitter on one pitch, rather than him taking or swing through the change-up, which means the at bat is still alive. It is also used with less frequency. A pitcher should only throw a BP fastball in a very tight spot. Throw it too often and hitters will become more alert and adjust.

A pitcher may also throw a BP fastball from time to time on the first pitch of an at bat. If he is consistently throwing fastball – strike one, hitters will become more aggressive their second time through the line-up. A BP fastball can be very effective on hitters who opt to swing first pitch.

While blazing fastballs and daunting breaking pitches are sexy, the BP fastball is efficient. If well-located, the pitcher can record a lot of simple outs while remaining economic with his pitch-count.