Pitchers want to have good movement when they throw the baseball to home plate. For the most part, pitchers are stationary on the mound, but they need to be agile enough to move off the mound. Game situations sometimes call for the pitcher to field ground balls and back up throws and scamper to first base to make an out.
On the Run
Pitchers have to do a lot of practice throwing to keep their arms strong and loose. They also have to do a lot of running, which is critical for agility. Pitchers don't need to train like marathon runners. Rather, they need short bursts of speed to field ground balls and cover first base. Repeated stop-and-start sprinting drills are best to develop a pitcher's agility and leg strength.
Side to Side
When the ball comes off the hitter's bat, it sometimes travels toward the pitcher. The ball can head right at the mound or to either side. Pitchers need to be agile enough to move to their right or left to field ground balls, so they should practice the three-cone drill. In this exercise, three numbered cones are placed 5 to 10 yards apart. Pitchers start running toward the middle cone and sprint to either the first or third cone on the coach's call.
Fielding Practice
This is a widely used exercise for Major League pitchers during spring training, and it is effective at any level of baseball. Pitcher's fielding practice is simple way to improve agility. To begin the drill, the pitcher stands on the mound and simulates throwing to the catcher. The coach at home plate hits a ground ball to the first baseman, with the pitcher running to his left. The first baseman fields the ball and flips it to the pitcher, who steps on the bag for the simulated out.
Hit the Wall
The wall drill helps a pitcher gain proper extension when he throws the baseball to the catcher. In this drill, the pitcher lines up with the back leg closest to a wall that is 1 to 3 feet away. The pitcher's throwing arm also is closest to the wall. The pitcher throws to a catcher or another player roughly 40 feet away, with a goal of not hitting your arm on the wall. This drill teaches pitchers to avoid stretching too far back before delivering the baseball to home plate, which can lead to wildness and diminished velocity.
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