THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,623 MLB PLAYERS | 16,400 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,623 MLB PLAYERS | 16,400 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
General  | General | 4/7/2021

Wolforth Thrower Mentorship: Article 2

Jerry Ford
Ron Wolforth
Photo: Perfect Game
Ron Wolforth probably knows more about the throwing arm and arm care than anyone we know. Many of you may have heard about the famous Texas Baseball Ranch that Ron has been running for many years. We have built a great relationship with Ron and his wife Jill over the years.

It all started a few years back when Ron sent his son Garrett to a Perfect Game event. His son was a catcher/infielder and set some all-time PG records for pop times (1.75) and velocity (89 mph) at the time. He also threw mid-90s across the infield. He is now playing professionally. Being an average-sized kid, this really drew our interest. Once we realized who his father was, it became clear.



Since then we have followed the Texas Baseball Ranch closely. Ron is a very humble man, which is a reason so many speak highly of him. We have never run across a single person that shows any disrespect for him or the Ranch. So we decided to ask him to help our millions of followers.

Over the years he has helped thousands of pitchers, including many that became Major League All-Stars. Yes, he teaches velocity gains, better control and command, and everything a pitchers needs to be successful. However, unlike many others, he is an absolute stickler when it comes to doing it safely. His interest doesn't just involve velocity gains and other improvements, all of which are very important. He wants his students to understand arm care and how to throw and stay healthy. He does this without a cookie cutter program. He understands that all players are different individuals.

Perfect Game's interest in prospects, arm care and keeping young kids healthy is the major reason we have decided to work with Ron Wolforth.

Below is the second of an ongoing column he will be doing on our Perfect Game website. This information will be gold for any player interested in improving their throwing ability and staying healthy. Make sure you read every column he contributes and feel free to comment on them.

If you want to attend one of his camps and improve your throwing ability, here is the link to the website:
https://www.texasbaseballranch.com/

Jerry Ford
President
Perfect Game

. . .

Below is Article #2 of Ron Wolforth's Elite Thrower Mentorship series on the Perfect Game website. To read the first installment of the series, click here.

The Exact Location of Your Arm Pain is Incredibly Valuable Information

 There are four primary locations of arm pain in baseball pitchers (and position players): Medial Elbow, Anterior Shoulder, Lateral Elbow, and Posterior Shoulder.

Medial Elbow


Anterior Shoulder

Lateral/Posterior Elbow


Posterior Shoulder



Each specific location tells us something extremely important about our pain and gives us important clues on how to reduce/eliminate it.

Generally speaking, we have found discomfort emanating from the medial elbow and/or anterior shoulder to most frequently point towards movement pattern disconnections/mechanical inefficiencies during the acceleration phase...and so that’s where we investigate first.

Additionally, when we have found discomfort coming from the lateral elbow and/or posterior shoulder, it most frequently indicates movement pattern disconnections/mechanical inefficiencies during the deceleration phase. If this is the primary location of the discomfort, then we bear down on the patterns of the athlete’s deceleration first.

We have found these are very solid starting points to begin our investigation. I say “starting points” because as Randy Sullivan frequently points out, “Human beings are far too complex and unique to assign ‘always’ and ‘never’ to.” The body often exhibits “displaced” pain...meaning the individual feels the pain in this area but the actual trauma is somewhere else.

But Coach Wolforth, Every Pitcher Has Arm Pain! Doesn’t Pitching Just Involve Enduring Arm Pain? Doesn’t It Just Go with The Territory?

 Mark Twain once famously said, “It’s not what we don’t know that gets us in trouble but rather it’s what we know for sure that just ain’t so.”

Twain is absolutely correct. This common defeatist paradigm (every pitcher has arm pain) has stopped a bunch of young athletes from achieving their dreams and from approaching their God-given potential. It doesn’t have to be this way.

This conventional wisdom exemplar is just plain wrong. Accepting it has kept hundreds of thousands of young men from throwing harder. Accepting it has kept hundreds of thousands of young men from having high-caliber command. Accepting it has kept hundreds of thousands of young men from sharper, more deceptive secondary offerings. Accepting it has kept hundreds of thousands of young men from playing at their next level.

Many mistakenly believe arm discomfort is a fait accompli...the luck of the draw; most will have it, some will be injured, and a lucky few will make it through the performance gauntlet, either because of good genes or just good fortune.

This is, on one end, incredibly fatalistic and cynical, and on the other end, completely nonsensical and even comical.

Soft tissue doesn’t have freewill. Soft tissue simply responds and adapts to the stresses it is placed under.

Mismanage that stress, in the form of ramp-up, workload and/or recovery...pain and possible injury may very well be the result.

Add to that stress by placing body segments in biomechanically less sound positions...pain and possible injury will often be the result.

If, instead, we "Start with the Pain", and begin our training process by overlaying those four locations and intensities of that pain with 6 basic assessments...

1) Your Physical Structure and Alignment
2) Your Mechanical Efficiency
3) Your Wake-Up/Warm-Up/Preparation to Throw
4) Your Training Processes (Including Strength Program, Conditioning, Mobility/Flexibility, Throwing Program)
5) Your Internal Systemics (Sleep, Hydration, Nutrition)
6) Your Workload and Periodization (Where you are at in your calendar year: Offseason, Preseason, In Season, Postseason)

...we will have a far better chance at developing and maintaining a healthy, durable, connected, and electric arm.

Why is the Mayo Clinic so well respected in terms of identifying medical issues that are often misdiagnosed or uncovered by regular medicine?

 The general consensus is that the Mayo Clinic has an entire “next level” of assessments, testing, appraisal, investigation, inspection, and analysis.

In short, the Mayo Clinic has a more thorough evaluation process than other health providers.

They ask different questions.

They ask better questions.

They test for things that other medical facilities don’t even recognize as important.

If you and your young throwing athlete desire to have a healthy, durable, connected, and electric throwing arm, you typically will not find it in general consensus and conventional wisdom.

That is where mediocrity lies.

At the Texas Baseball Ranch®, we follow the following process:



Our Recommendation:

-Pay close attention to the location and intensity of your pain. This provides valuable clues as to where the issue is occurring.

-DO NOT EVER ignore pain. Pain is information. Your body is trying to tell you something, pay attention to it! It may not mean you are headed to the orthopedic surgeon's table, but there are multiple reasons not to ignore it.

-Soft tissue has no free will or voice. EVERYONE, in our opinion, with the proper assessment and the appropriate training can create a high-caliber throwing tool.

-Do not ever accept that pain is just the luck of the draw...or something to be endured. Having a healthy, durable, connected, and electric throwing arm is your birthright, no matter what the "herd" will tell you.

I look forward to continuing our discussion.

-Ron Wolforth
CEO - The Texas Baseball Ranch®

Coach Wolforth has written six books on pitching including the Amazon Best Seller, Pitching with Confidence. Since 2003, 122 of the players Wolforth has trained have been drafted and 458 have broken the 90 mph barrier. He has consulted with 13 MLB teams, dozens of NCAA programs and has been referred to as “America’s Go-to-Guy on Pitching” and “The Pitching Coaches Pitching Coach”. Coach Wolforth lives in Montgomery, Texas with his wife, Jill.  They are intimately familiar with youth select, travel baseball and PG events as their son Garrett (now a catcher in the Cincinnati Reds organization) went through the process.  Garrett still holds the PG Underclass All-American Games record for catcher velocity at 89 mph which he set in 2014 at the age of 16.

If you would like a free copy of Pitching With Confidence go to www.freepitchingbook.com.
Give us your feedback
General | General | 9/7/2026

First Look: Class of 2031 Rankings
Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 9/9/2026

PG Wood Bat Fall Kickoff Scout Notes

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
Evan Thompson (‘29, AZ) showcasing the all-fields power with this ground rule double the other way. Immense power upside. Really fun offensive profile #FallKickoff https://t.co/l551KirUOf pic.twitter.com/QW0AIeg59g — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) September 7, 2026 Evan Thompson (2029, Gilbert, Ariz.) put on an offensive clinic throughout the weekend, going 8-for-13 with three extra-base hits. He capped off his MVP performance with a walkoff home run to take home the championship. Thompson is one of the premier players in the 2029 class. A fluid left-handed stroke consistently finds barrels. There is all fields power present that will only continue to develop further. It would not be a surprise if Thimpson ends up the top ranked player in the class when it is all said and done.  Chase Fillman (2028, Goodyear, Ariz.) put together a loud summer circuit and...
Read More
Draft | Story | 9/8/2026

What Profiles Are Valued Most at Top of Draft

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
The landscape of the MLB Draft continues to evolve each and every year. What teams value at the top of the draft can change based on the strength of a particular class, shifts in player development philosophy, and, perhaps most importantly, the way organizations evaluate risk and upside. Some trends are subtle, while others become impossible to ignore when viewed across multiple years. For this study, I set out to answer one question: What player profiles do teams value at the top of the draft? To answer it, I analyzed the Top-100 picks from each of the last six drafts (2021-2026). That gives us 600 total selections to examine and provides a large enough sample to identify both the profiles that have remained consistently popular and those that have gained or lost significant ground. The data was broken down by position, handedness and level to create individual player profiles. While...
Read More
Draft | Story | 9/7/2026

Chubb Jones Jr. Enrolls Early

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
Harry Chubb Jones Jr. is getting an early start on the next chapter of his baseball career. The Perfect Game All-American announced Sunday that he will enroll early at the University of Alabama, giving the Crimson Tide an early addition from one of the more intriguing two-way prospects in the 2027 class. See y’all at The Joe! πŸ‘πŸΎπŸ‘πŸΎπŸ‘πŸΎ pic.twitter.com/Kn0T0mJxq7 — 6._.chubbjones (@chubb_hitter) September 6, 2026 Jones, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound SS/RHP from Georgia, was ranked No. 39 in the 2027 class and came in at No. 83 on the initial Top-100 2027 Draft Board. Chubb Jones Jr (‘27 GA) smokes this one the other way for an RBI single & we’re all level in the 6th. Adv bat speed, impacts w/ authority to all fields #PGAAC@PG_Georgia pic.twitter.com/FZ46IvYVp1 — Dick’s Sporting Goods All-American Classic (@PGAllAmerican) August 16, 2026 The McEachern...
Read More
Draft | Story | 9/7/2026

2027 MLB Draft: PG Content Hub

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
No more having to search for articles pertaining to the 2027 MLB Draft as we will keep it all centrally located here, in the PG Content Hub, leading up to the first pick next July. Tyler Henninger, Joey Cohen, Michael Albee and Ryan Miller, along with the rest of the Perfect Game staff, will continue to provide you with the latest info as it pertains to this 2027 crop.  Article Date Initial Follow List July 12 Way Too Early Mock July 13 Realistic Expectations of 1:1 August 11 Preview: Collegiate RHP August 21  Draft Board: Top 100 August 28 Way Too Early 1:1 Predictions September 4 Chubb Jones Jr. Enrolls Early September 7 Preview: Collegiate LHP September 7 What Profiles are Valued Most at Top of Draft September 9
Read More
Draft | Rankings | 9/7/2026

2027 Draft Preview: Collegiate LHP

Ryan Miller
Article Image
2027 MLB Draft Profile Preview: Collegiate Right-Handed Pitchers The collegiate left-handed pitching class is always a popular demographic, and this year’s is no different. The group contains a mix of power pitch mixes and polished pitch-ability, with healthy representation from power four schools and a handful of mid-majors. Below we look at this year’s top college left-handers. An extended look at LHP Tomas Valincius (@HailStateBB)... 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K https://t.co/lCHgGnsdbi pic.twitter.com/Vm3nQkAukc — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) May 28, 2026 Tomas Valincius, Mississippi State Valincius followed head coach Brian O’Connor from Virginia to Mississippi State and immediately established himself as their ace last spring. The Illinois native posted a 3.50 ERA over 17 starts in 2026, striking out 33.5% of hitters and walking just five percent....
Read More
General | General | 9/6/2026

Update: Class of 2030 Rankings

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Read More
Draft | Prospect Scouting Reports | 9/4/2026

2027 Draft: Way Too Early 1:1 Predictions

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
2027 Top 100 Draft Board  Current Favorite: SS Dylan Seward, Norco HS (Calif.) In our first iteration of the 2027 Draft Board, Norco shortstop Dylan Seward ranks No. 1 overall. The switch-hitter is an ultra-twitchy player with a lot to like on both sides of the ball. He is a supreme athlete that should stick up the middle. Explosiveness is shown in all aspects of his game and gives the profiles big time upside.  In the event that Seward does not go 1:1, each member of our draft team selected a player that they think could wind up in that spot. We are still nearly a full year away from draft day, but here are our “Way Too Early” predictions for the 1st overall pick next July.  Henni’s Pick: C/UTL Gavin Kelly, West Virginia    Gavin Kelly (@WVUBaseball) sends this over the wall in CF for a solo πŸ’£ (100 EV/ 416 ft). Adv. hitter with accurate...
Read More
General | General | 9/3/2026

Class of 2029 Rankings Update

Article Image
Read More
Softball | Softball Tournament | 9/3/2026

Iowa City Scouting Showcase 14U &16U Divisions

Dave Durbala
Article Image
IOWA CITY, IA - Perfect Game Softball Iowa City Scouting Showcase, August 29 - 30, 2026. Fifty-Four teams, competing across three divisions in the 14u - 18u age classifications opened up our Fall schedule playing in a five game showcase style format. For the several college coaches in attendance, they were able to get quality looks at numerous uncommitted 27’ and 28’ graduation year class athletes, as well as having the opportunity to watch some of the quality younger athletes as they put their talent on display. Below are write-ups of some of our top performers over the weekend in the 14 & 16u age divisions. 14U DIVISION Josie Moen (2031 Urbandale, IA) is an athletic OF for TN Mojo 2030 Evans. Working from the left side, Moen was nearly unstoppable while showing defenses her slapping abilities. With great barrel awareness and footwork, Moen utilized the bunt, soft slap...
Read More
Loading more articles...
About Perfect Game :: Contact us :: Terms of Use :: Privacy Policy :: Testimonials :: Job Opportunities
Copyright 1994-2026 by Perfect Game. All rights reserved. No portion of this information may be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect Game.