The Short Answer: To increase pitching velocity, pitchers should focus on plyometric exercises like box jumps and split squat jumps to develop explosive power. Medicine ball throws help pitchers develop rotational force, while long toss programs build arm speed and improve throwing efficiency as distance increases. Targeted strength training supports the entire movement by helping pitchers transfer energy through the kinetic chain while maintaining arm health.
Every baseball player dreams of lighting up the radar gun. Adding just a few mph can be the difference between a college scholarship and being overlooked, or between making the varsity team and sitting on the bench.
Velocity Comes From the Whole Body
What makes the baseball fly faster isn't just arm strength. The entire body contributes to throwing velocity. The legs generate power, the core transfers it, and the arm delivers it. The good news? Each part of this system can be trained and improved with the right workouts. A young athlete throwing 50 mph and a high school arm chasing 85 mph need the same foundation, and the exercises below build it without increasing injury risk.
The Science Behind Pitching Velocity
Understanding the mechanics behind high velocity pitching helps players train more effectively. Throwing a baseball at high speeds isn't just about arm strength. It is about creating and transferring energy through the entire body.
The Kinetic Chain
The pitching motion starts from the ground up. As a baseball pitcher pushes off the rubber, the force travels from the legs through the hips, core, shoulder, arm, and finally to the baseball. A physical therapist or strength coach will call this the kinetic chain. When each link of the kinetic chain works properly, velocity increases naturally.
Shoulder Separation
Shoulder separation is a key factor in generating pitch velocity. This happens when a pitcher's hips rotate toward home plate while the shoulders stay back, creating a "loaded" position. The greater this separation, the more potential energy gets stored and released during the throw. Major league baseball arms who throw at high velocity often show excellent shoulder separation, and the movement happens in the transverse plane as the torso rotates.
Lower Body Power
Lower body strength plays a major role in throwing velocity. The legs create the initial force that eventually transfers to the baseball, which makes the lower half a prime mover in the delivery. This explains why many velocity programs focus heavily on leg exercises.
Breaking Velocity Plateaus
Many youth players hit velocity plateaus because they focus too much on arm strength and not enough on the rest of the kinetic chain. Long toss and weighted ball programs can help, but they must be part of a complete training approach that includes work in the weight room.
Explosive Force Development
The relationship between strength and throwing velocity isn't just about how much you can lift in the weight room. It's about how quickly you can generate force, which sports scientists call "rate of force development." This is why explosive movement patterns are so effective for increasing velocity in baseball pitchers of all ages, and why a strength training program built for an overhead athlete looks different from a general one.
Plyometric Workouts Every Pitcher Needs
Plyometric exercises are where baseball players looking to increase velocity should start. These explosive movements train your muscles to generate force quickly, which is exactly what happens during the pitching motion.
Gravity Box Jumps
This plyometric exercise uses any raised surface like a bucket, chair, or box. Begin by standing with feet shoulder-width apart. Jump onto the box, landing softly with knees slightly bent. Step down (don't jump down) and repeat.
For pitchers, gravity box jumps matter because they engage the same leg muscles used when pushing off the rubber. Perform 3 sets of 10 jumps, resting 60 seconds between sets. High school players can progress to single-leg box jumps as strength improves.
Split Squat Jumps
This exercise directly mimics the pitching motion by strengthening the quads, glutes, and hamstrings. Start in a lunge position, drop your back knee toward the ground, then explode upward, switching legs in mid-air. A pivot lunge variation adds rotation for athletes who want more.
The key is achieving "triple extension," or extending your ankle, knee, and hip simultaneously, which happens during the drive phase of pitching. Young pitchers should perform 3 sets of 8 reps per leg, focusing on control more than height.
Broad Jumps to Skaters
This combination enhances both forward and lateral power. Begin with a broad jump forward, landing with both feet. Immediately transition into a lateral "skater" jump to one side, then the other. This exercise improves balance and stability while building explosive power in the frontal plane. It's particularly valuable for youth players to develop coordination and power simultaneously.
Start with 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps, with each rep consisting of one broad jump followed by skaters to each side. As with all plyometrics, perform these on flat ground with proper shoes to reduce injury risk.
Medicine Ball and Resistance Training
While plyometrics build lower body power, medicine ball and resistance training target the upper body and core, both critical components for high velocity pitching.
Med Ball Overhead Back Toss
This exercise develops the explosive power needed to accelerate the baseball. Stand with your back to a wall or an open field, feet shoulder-width apart, holding a medicine ball with both hands in front of your hips. Drop into a quarter squat, then extend your ankles, knees, and hips at once and release the ball up and back over your head.
Start with a lighter ball (4-6 pounds for youth players, 8-12 pounds for high school pitchers) and perform 3 sets of 8 repetitions. Focus on using your legs to drive the ball up and back, not just your arms.
Med Ball Throws (Rotation)
These throws enhance rotational power, which directly transfers to pitching velocity. Stand side-on to a brick wall or a partner, hold a medicine ball with both hands, load into your back hip, then rotate and explode forward to release the ball toward the wall. The path mirrors the one your arm takes toward the plate.
The key is to keep your front hip closed until the last moment, then rotate explosively, just like in pitching. This exercise improves ground reaction forces and rotational power output in the transverse plane. Youth players should start with 2-3 sets of 6 throws per side.
Reverse Band Throws
This resistance band exercise focuses on the shoulder's posterior muscles, which are often neglected in training but matter for arm health and velocity. Anchor the band at shoulder height and stand facing it. Grip the band with your throwing hand and pull it down and away from the anchor, ending where your arm finishes after you release a pitch. Pulling the other direction, back toward the attachment point, trains internal rotation and the accelerators instead, so the posterior muscles never get loaded.
Perform 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps per side. Working away from the anchor strengthens the external rotators and the scapular stabilizers that decelerate the arm, aiding injury prevention while improving pitching velocity. The rotator cuff manages both external rotation and internal rotation, and training only one side creates the imbalances behind many throwing injuries. A physical therapist can show you how to load the internal rotators safely.
Band Pull Aparts
Stand holding a resistance band with arms extended forward. Pull the band apart horizontally, squeezing your shoulder blades together. This strengthens the scapular stabilizers and the upper back muscles that support the shoulder blade during throwing.
For youth players, this exercise is especially important since it helps prevent the shoulder issues that often come with velocity training. Perform 2-3 sets of 15 repetitions.
Pitching Drills That Reinforce Velocity
Strength training gives pitchers the foundation to generate force, and each pitching drill teaches the body how to apply that energy efficiently. The pitching drills below can be used during bullpen sessions or flat-ground work to improve timing, movement, and mechanics.
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Rocker drill: Start with your weight back, rock forward into your leg lift, and repeat the delivery. This pitching drill reinforces timing between the lower half and the arm.
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Step-behind drill: Take a crow hop into your throw to build momentum moving toward the plate. For an elite athlete or beginner, this drill helps identify timing issues and inefficient movement patterns.
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Wall drill: Stand an arm's length from a wall and rehearse your arm path. This slower pitching drill helps pitchers maintain a more efficient path without adding unnecessary stress.
Run two or three of these before a bullpen, not after. Fatigue can turn a quality pitching drill into repeated poor mechanics.
Building a Complete Velocity Training Program
Individual exercises build specific aspects of pitching power, but structured training programs deliver the best results for increasing velocity while minimizing injury risk.
Weekly Workout Schedule
For youth players and high school pitchers, here's a basic weekly framework. Position players can follow the same structure with less throwing volume.
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Day #1: Lower body strength (squats, lunges) plus plyometrics
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Day #2: Light throwing and upper body resistance training
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Day #3: Medicine ball work and long toss
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Day #4: Rest or light activity
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Day #5: Full-body power exercises and a bullpen session
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Day #6: Gameday
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Day #7: Recovery day
In-season, reduce workout volume by 30-40% but maintain intensity. The off-season and spring training are the times to build your velocity foundation with higher volume training.
Long Toss
Long toss is one of the most effective velocity builders when done correctly. Start at 60 feet, gradually working out to 120+ feet (or farther for advanced pitchers). The key is to throw with an arc, allowing your arm to fully extend while maintaining proper mechanics.
A basic long toss progression:
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Warm up thoroughly
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Throw at 60 feet (10-15 throws)
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Move back 15 feet every 10-12 throws
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When you reach maximum distance, hold for 10 throws
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Work back in, focusing on harder, on-line throws
Perform long toss 2-3 times weekly as part of your throwing program, using a radar gun periodically to track velocity gains. A throwing program that adds distance gradually is what turns baseball strength in the weight room into higher velocity on the mound.
Measuring Progress
When using a radar gun, focus on trends rather than single readings. Track your average velocity over multiple sessions to see true progress. For youth players, gaining 2-3 mph per year is excellent progress and a real sign of improving athletic performance.
Set realistic goals based on age and development. Most 14-year-old pitchers sit between 60 and 70 mph, so an arm at 65 might aim for 70-72 within a year through a dedicated workout routine.
Balancing Training and Recovery
Watch for warning signs of overtraining: decreased velocity, persistent soreness, and altered mechanics. Proper recovery includes:
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Adequate sleep (8+ hours for teen athletes)
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Proper nutrition
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Arm care exercises
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Periodic deload weeks (reduced training intensity)
How BRUCE BOLT Can Help
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