Pitch sequencing is the order and location of pitches, with each one setting up the next. The basics: get ahead with the fastball, change speeds (fastball, then changeup), change locations (in, then away), and don’t repeat the same pitch in the same spot. Expand when ahead, and throw a strike with his most reliable pitch when behind. For most young pitchers, a fastball he can move around plus a changeup is all the sequencing he needs.
Two pitchers can throw the exact same pitches, and one gets hit hard while the other cruises. A lot of the difference is sequencing: the order and location of pitches, and how each one sets up the next. It’s the part of pitching that turns a thrower into a pitcher.
Here are the basics of pitch sequencing, in plain English, and how much of it a young pitcher actually needs.
First, how much does a young pitcher need?
Less than you might think. For most youth pitchers, “sequencing” is simply throwing the fastball for strikes, moving it around the zone a little, and mixing in a changeup once he has one. That’s plenty. Sequencing gets more valuable in high school, when he has two or three pitches he can command and hitters start to adjust. A pitcher can’t sequence pitches he can’t throw for strikes, so command always comes first. Our guide on how many pitches a young pitcher needs covers that foundation.
The core ideas
Get ahead with the fastball
Strike one changes everything. The pitch he commands best, usually his fastball, is the one to start most hitters with. Our guide on first-pitch strikes explains why.
Change speeds
A changeup after a fastball, thrown with the same arm speed, is the simplest and most effective sequence in baseball. Hitters time the first one and are out in front of the second.
Change locations
In, then away. Up, then down. A hitter who just saw a fastball on his hands has a harder time reaching the next one on the outer edge.
Don’t repeat the same pitch in the same spot
Three straight fastballs in the same location is how a hitter gets comfortable. Make him adjust.
“Every pitch should make the next one better.”
That’s sequencing in one sentence.Pitching by the count
| Count | Usual approach |
|---|---|
| First pitch | Get a strike with his best-command pitch. |
| Ahead | Expand: change speeds, work the edges. |
| Behind | Throw a strike with his most reliable pitch. |
| Two strikes | A different look than the last pitch. |
| Full count | Trust the pitch he commands best. |
When he’s ahead, he has room to try to get a hitter to chase. When he’s behind, the goal is simple: throw a strike with the pitch he trusts most, even if the hitter knows it’s coming. A strike he can locate beats a perfect pitch he can’t.
Read the hitter
Hitters tell you things with their swings. A hitter who is late on the fastball probably can’t catch up to more of them. A hitter who is way out in front is sitting on speed, which makes him a good candidate for a changeup. A hitter crowding the plate may need to see one inside, which our guide on how to pitch inside covers. Young pitchers don’t need to overthink this, but noticing it is a great habit.
Who calls the pitches?
At most youth and high school levels, a coach or the catcher calls pitches, and that’s fine. The best way for a young pitcher to learn sequencing is to pay attention to what’s being called and why, and to ask about it between innings. If his team calls pitches by number off a wristband, our free wristband signs generator makes the cards.
Sequencing starts with command
All of this depends on being able to put pitches where he wants them. A sequence that calls for a fastball away does nothing if the fastball ends up over the middle. Our guides on hitting your spots and glove-side command cover building that control. And remember the changeup is the best second pitch for a young arm, as our guide on when to learn a changeup explains. Little things now, big numbers later.
Command comes from a delivery that repeats. A free evaluation breaks down his mechanics frame by frame and shows what’s keeping his pitches from going where he wants them. Start his free evaluation.
The bottom line
Pitch sequencing is the order and location of pitches, with each one setting up the next. Get ahead with the fastball, change speeds and locations, avoid repeating the same pitch in the same spot, expand when ahead, and throw a strike with his most reliable pitch when behind. For young pitchers, a fastball he can move around and a changeup are all the sequencing he needs, because command always comes first.
Common questions
What is pitch sequencing in baseball?
The order and location of pitches within an at-bat, chosen so each pitch sets up the next. Common examples are a fastball followed by a changeup, or a pitch inside followed by one on the outer edge. Good sequencing keeps hitters from getting comfortable.
What should a pitcher throw on the first pitch?
Usually the pitch he commands best, most often the fastball, thrown for a strike. Getting ahead 0-1 makes everything after it easier, while falling behind 1-0 gives the hitter the advantage.
What should a pitcher throw when behind in the count?
A strike with his most reliable pitch, even if the hitter expects it. A located pitch the hitter knows is coming is usually better than a walk or a perfect pitch he can’t command.
Do youth pitchers need to worry about pitch sequencing?
Only a little. For most youth pitchers, throwing the fastball for strikes, moving it around the zone, and mixing in a changeup once he has one is plenty. Sequencing becomes more important in high school, once he can command two or three pitches.
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