Expert: John Madden - 3/20/2010

Question
My friend is now a junior in high school and he just turned 17 in march. He got clocked at 83 mph and right now he is 6ft 3in and 170 pounds. Is this good for his age/grade? How much faster do you think he will be able to throw?

Answer
That's great!!  Please tell him to keep up the good work!  He sounds exactly like me!  I am just over 6'3" and as a Junior in highschool I was 185.  At that time I was throwing around 83 topping out at like 85 or 86.  As I got older, the harder I worked, and the more I dedicated myself, the harder I threw.  The highest I have topped out at since then was 96 mph.  So please tell your friend that if he is dedicated and really wants to throw harder, then he will.  Have him check out http://www.yougoprobaseball.com/Pitching365.html  I think it will help.  It took me about 5 years to get up to theat speed so have him understand it won't happen over night but there will be significant jumps here and there if you are following the right program.  Good Luck to you both!