Why Exit Velocity Is Lying To You

Your son can hit 95 mph off a tee in the cage.

But college coaches still aren’t calling.

Here’s why.

Exit velocity only tells you one thing…how hard he hit that pitch, in that controlled environment, against that throw.

It doesn’t tell you if he can recognize a slider. Hit a changeup. Drive a ball the other way. Or pull the trigger on an inside fastball.

Those are the things coaches are actually watching for.

The Hit Performance Pyramid

Think of hitting as a pyramid. The wider the base the higher it can go.

The foundation is pitch recognition and timing. Without it nothing else matters. Every pitcher at the college level will have multiple pitches and real stuff. Sell out for fastballs and you’ve already cut your opportunities in half.

The middle layer is bat path and contact consistency. Barrel efficiency. Knowing where the barrel is at all times. This is what separates a hitter who looks good in the cage from one who does damage in games.

The top layer is bat speed and hand speed. Exit velocity lives here…as a byproduct of everything underneath it.

Most players are training the top of the pyramid while ignoring the foundation.

Three questions worth asking your son.

Can he hit a changeup? Can he drive the ball the other way with authority? Can he pull the trigger on an inside fastball?

If the answer to any of those is no that’s where the real work is.

Exit velocity is a tool. Not a player.

Build the foundation first. The numbers will follow.