A Chase Pitch Isn't a Waste Pitch: Why Developing Pitchers Need to Learn the Difference
Why would you ever teach a pitcher to intentionally throw a ball?
It’s a fair question.
We spend so much time teaching pitchers to throw strikes, attack the zone, command the ball, and avoid giving hitters free bases. So why would we ever intentionally throw a pitch outside the strike zone?
Because there is a difference between throwing a ball and throwing a chase pitch.
And understanding that difference is a huge part of learning how to actually pitch.
A Waste Pitch vs. a Chase Pitch
Let's start here.
A waste pitch is a pitch thrown without a purpose.
Maybe the pitcher misses. Maybe she's trying to "get cute." Maybe she's afraid to throw the pitch over the plate. Maybe she simply doesn't have a plan.
A chase pitch is different.
A chase pitch is an intentional pitch designed to create a decision for the hitter.
The goal isn't simply to throw a ball.
The goal is to make the hitter want to swing at a pitch that isn't a good pitch to hit.
That's pitching.
And that concept doesn't belong to one particular age group.
A 10U pitcher can begin learning the idea.
A high school pitcher can develop the ability to execute it.
A college or advanced pitcher can refine how she sequences it, tunnels it, reads the hitter, and uses it within different counts and situations.
The concept continues to develop as the pitcher develops.
Your Pitcher Doesn't Need Six Pitches Just Because Someone Else Has Six: especially at the age of 12...
This is where I think we sometimes get ahead of ourselves as coaches and parents.
I hear the mentality all the time:
"My 11-year-old needs more pitches."
"She only has 2-3 three pitches."
"That pitcher has six pitches."
But here's what I want parents and pitchers to understand:
Having six pitches listed on a pitch chart doesn't necessarily mean a pitcher knows how to pitch with six pitches and no one is recruiting your 10u or 12u player.
A pitcher can have six different grips and still struggle to command one.
She can know how to throw six different pitches but have no understanding of when to use them.
She can throw six different pitches and still be predictable.
So instead of asking:
"How many pitches does she have?"
I want us to start asking:
"What can she do with the pitches she already has?"
A 10U or 12U pitcher doesn't necessarily need six pitches.
She needs to learn how to make the pitches she already has matter.
If she has a fastball and changeup that she can command, move, repeat, and understand, there is a tremendous amount of pitching she can learn from those two pitches.
She can learn:
Location
Movement
Timing
Sequencing
Changing speeds
Changing eye levels
Reading hitters
Getting ahead
Competing with two strikes
Recognizing when a hitter is uncomfortable
Understanding what a hitter is expecting
That's a lot of pitching.
And eventually, something interesting happens.
She may start getting bored with only having a fastball and changeup.
And I actually like that.
Not because boredom means she's mastered them.
It doesn't.
But boredom can sometimes be a signal that she's ready for another layer of understanding.
That's when introducing the concept of the chase pitch can become incredibly valuable.
Bored Doesn't Mean Mastered
This distinction matters.
When I say a pitcher can become bored with her fastball and changeup, I'm not saying:
"She's mastered those pitches, so let's move on."
Not at all.
A pitcher can be bored with something and still have plenty to learn.
The point is that once she understands her foundational pitches well enough to begin thinking beyond simply "throw a strike," we can start teaching her how to manipulate a hitter.
That's a different level of pitching awareness.
We go from:
"Can I throw this pitch?"
to:
"What do I want the hitter to see?"
Then:
"What do I want the hitter to think is coming?"
And eventually:
"What do I want the hitter to do?"
That is where the chase pitch starts becoming more than just another pitch.
The Chase Pitch Is About the Hitter
A chase pitch isn't simply:
"Throw it low."
Or:
"Throw it outside."
It's about understanding why you're throwing it there.
Maybe you've established the fastball in the zone.
Maybe you've shown the changeup.
Maybe you've created a particular expectation.
Now you can give the hitter a pitch that looks tempting—but isn't actually a good pitch to hit.
That's intentional.
The pitcher is no longer simply reacting to the strike zone.
She's beginning to control the at-bat.
And that's a skill that continues to matter as she gets older.
The Older and More Advanced the Pitcher Becomes, the More This Matters
This is why I don't want the chase-pitch conversation to be limited to young pitchers.
The concept grows with the pitcher.
A developing pitcher may simply learn:
"Sometimes my best pitch is intentionally outside the zone."
A more experienced pitcher begins to understand:
"I've established this pitch, so now I can use that expectation against the hitter."
An advanced pitcher may be thinking about:
Count
Hitter tendencies
Previous at-bat
Pitch sequencing
Tunneling
Eye level
Location
Movement
What the hitter has already seen
What the hitter is likely expecting
The pitch itself hasn't necessarily changed.
The understanding behind the pitch has.
That's development.
Don't Confuse "Outside the Zone" With "No Purpose"
This is probably one of the biggest mindset shifts I want pitchers to understand.
We don't want pitchers throwing random balls.
We don't want them falling behind because they're afraid to challenge hitters.
We don't want them throwing pitches in the dirt simply because someone told them, "You need a chase pitch."
There needs to be a reason.
A chase pitch should have intent.
If the pitcher misses her target by three feet and says, "Well, I was trying to get her to chase," that's not necessarily a good chase pitch.
That's a missed pitch with a good story attached to it.
There's a difference.
Learn the concept first. Develop the tools. Earn the ability to execute it.
Pitching Isn't Just About Throwing Strikes: it's about keeping batters off balance.
This is one of the biggest transitions a pitcher makes as she develops.
Early on, we spend a lot of time teaching her to throw strikes.
And she absolutely needs that foundation.
But eventually, pitching becomes more complicated.
It's not just:
Strike. Strike. Strike.
It's:
What does the hitter think I'm throwing?
What have I shown her?
What is she looking for?
Can I get her to swing at my pitch instead of her pitch?
Can I make a pitch look hittable when it isn't?
That is where the chase pitch becomes valuable.
You're teaching the pitcher that the strike zone is not the only place where she can create an advantage.
The Goal Is Not More Pitches. It's More Understanding.
This is probably the biggest takeaway I want pitchers and parents to hear.
I'm not interested in adding pitches just so we can say a pitcher has more pitches.
I'm interested in developing a pitcher who understands what she's doing.
Maybe that means starting with a fastball.
Then developing a changeup.
Then learning how to command and sequence them.
Then learning how to make hitters uncomfortable.
Then introducing the concept of a chase pitch.
And eventually adding other pitches when the athlete is ready and when those pitches serve a purpose.
The progression won't look exactly the same for every pitcher.
And that's okay.
Because development isn't a race to six pitches.
It's a progression toward understanding.
Eventually, We Want Her to Pitch—Not Just Throw
That's really what this comes down to.
I don't want a pitcher who simply knows how to throw a fastball, changeup, drop, rise, curve, and screwball.
I want a pitcher who understands why she's throwing each one.
I want her to recognize what is happening in an at-bat.
I want her to understand what the hitter is doing.
I want her to be able to make adjustments.
I want her to understand that sometimes the best pitch isn't the one that gets called a strike.
And I want her to eventually be able to make those decisions for herself.
Because the ultimate goal isn't to make a pitcher dependent on her coach to tell her what to throw forever.
The goal is to teach her how to think.
A chase pitch isn't a waste pitch.
It's not an excuse to throw a ball.
It's an intentional tool that, when developed appropriately, can help a pitcher move from simply throwing pitches to actually pitching.
And that is something every pitcher can continue learning—regardless of age or level.
Own it. One pitch at a time.
— Coach Kally V
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