Okay, let’s talk about this jump. Seen it happen, tried to push through it myself back in the day, and saw it again watching younger folks chase it. You start out small, right? Like Little League small.
First Steps: The Slow Stuff
I remember just getting the ball over the plate was a win. We weren’t clocking anything fancy. Felt fast to us then, maybe 50, sometimes pushing 60 miles per hour if a kid had a good day. Mostly it was about control, just learning the motion. You practice and practice, just trying to get consistent. It’s a grind, but it’s where everyone begins. Felt like a big deal just playing the game.
Chasing Speed: The 75 mph Hurdle
Then you get older, stronger. You start hearing numbers. Someone mentions hitting 75 mph. Maybe it’s pitching speed for older teens, maybe it’s about how fast you gotta swing the bat to really make it pop. Suddenly, that became the target. It sounds simple, just add 15-20 mph.
Man, that leap is something else. It wasn’t just throwing harder; it was everything.
- Working out way more.
- Really dialing in mechanics.
- Hours and hours at the cage or on the mound.
- Lots of sore arms, lots of frustration.
Getting to that 75 mph mark, whether pitching or swinging, felt like breaking through a wall. You finally feel like you’ve got some real heat, some real power. Felt like you were getting somewhere serious.
The Reality Check: What “MLB” Really Means
And here’s the kicker. You hit that 75 mph benchmark. You feel good. You feel fast. Then you watch the pros. Even their practice pitches, the easy stuff they throw for batting practice, is cruising in around 70 mph, but folks say it feels like 90+ mph because of how it’s thrown and how close they are. Their game speed? Forget about it. That 75 mph you worked so hard for? It’s barely the starting line for the big leagues. It’s like comparing a go-kart to a Formula 1 car.
Final Thoughts
That jump, from the casual pace of Little League to hitting that 75 mph mark, is huge. It takes serious work. But the next jump, from that point to what you see in the MLB? It’s just a whole different universe. Really puts things in perspective. Makes you appreciate the work those guys put in, day in and day out. It’s not just talent; it’s an insane amount of dedication to get from fast… to that fast.
