THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION

| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,801 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS

2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,801 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS

Create Account

General | General | 4/15/2021

Wolforth Thrower Mentorship: Article 3

Jerry Ford

Ron Wolforth

Photo: (Jill Wolforth/Texas Baseball Ranch)

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 third 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

^{. . .}
Article 1: Where the Sidewalk Terminates
Article 2: The Exact Location of Your Arm Pain is Incredibly Valuable Information

It is surprisingly common for players (or even more frequently, their parents) to come up to me when they arrive through the gates of the Texas Baseball Ranch and say something along the lines of:

“Hey Coach Wolforth! It is so nice to finally meet you. We have heard from other people how much you stress arm health and durability as the essential principle in the Ranch philosophy, and we are excited to tell you that our ‘Johnny’ has always had an amazingly healthy arm. And you’ll be happy to know, we’ve got that base covered so you won’t have to concern yourself with that element. We can just get straight to the velocity enhancement/pitch design. Etc.… Etc.…”

Of course, while my 25+ years of experience has proven time and time again this is very unlikely, I immediately take them at their word and hope that the way they answer the next few questions will reinforce that their confidence in their son’s health and durability is well founded.

I respond along these lines:

“Well, that’s wonderful news! Having that level of health and durability is so very critical to being able to put in the needed volume of work to be an elite thrower and ascend in competitive levels. That is truly a blessing and, from my experience, that type of physical soundness and resiliency doesn’t happen by accident. That tells me a great deal about your work ethic and process.

It’s fantastic that your son has no arm pain or arm health issues. Let me ask you three ‘next level’ questions that turn our attention to your son's ‘recovery’ and his ability to bounce back to full functionality after either a strenuous training session or game time performance.

Answering these three basic questions as precisely as you can will go a long way in helping us understand how exceptional your son’s arm health and durability really is.”

Question #1: If your son threw 75-100 pitches in a game tonight, how much would his fastball velocity vary from fastball #1 to the last fastball of his outing?

- 0-1 mph

- 1-2 mph

- 2-3 mph

- 3-4 mph

- 5 mph or more sometimes

- I have no idea.

Question #2: How much velocity variation on his average fastball do you see from outing to outing?

- 0-1 mph

- 1-2 mph

- 2-3 mph

- 3-4 mph

- 5 mph or more sometimes

- I have no idea.

Question #3: If your son threw 24 pitches in a game or in a game intensity bullpen tonight, what would his throwing look like tomorrow? (Our Ranch Recovery test is 12 pitches, 5 minutes rest, then another 12 pitches.)

- No throwing whatsoever - I need to take the next day completely off of throwing.

- Very light tossing to a partner for a short period of time.

- Light throwing, going out to 60-75 feet.

- Fairly light throwing, going out to 90-120 feet.

- Moderate throwing, possibly going out beyond 120 feet in catch play.

- Ability to throw with intensity or volume is not specifically limited or curtailed

- The 24 pitches had little or no affect. I am ready and capable of repeating the entire 24 pitch process today without a marked decrease in performance.

- I have no idea.

What Do the Answers Tell Us?

In Short...A Great Deal!

Let’s begin with the most common answers.

Most frequent answer: I have no idea/I do not know.

We have a saying at the Texas Baseball Ranch ®, “I don’t know is a perfectly legitimate and acceptable response… in the beginning. It is a horrible answer to finish with.”

Your honest answers or discoveries to these answers will tell us how durable you are.

If, for example, you experience little to no pain, but your velocity often drops 3-5 mph during an extended outing, or you regularly experience rather significant variation (3-5 mph) from outing to outing, it is a true red flag that your arm health and durability may not be nearly as sound as you might believe. By simply just adding volume to your workload, real substantial issues are on the immediate horizon.

If, after only 24 pitches at full intensity, the throwing athlete must completely refrain from throwing the next day or can only endure light tossing for a short duration, it is a clear alarm that the athlete, for whatever reason, cannot recover from that specific dosage of stress in a 24-hour period. (And we should diligently attempt to ascertain that reason.) This is important because this current status in the efficiency of his recovery makes his development and ascension unsustainable over a longer period of time.

Unfortunately, I see this phenomenon play out every single week at the Ranch.

- A minor league pitcher who threw it 95 mph in high school or college, is now only able to throw it 88-90 mph. He calls it "dead arm".

- The high school or select pitcher who never had any arm issues whatsoever before now, "all of a sudden" in the middle of the season is experiencing acute pain to his forearm, medial elbow, or anterior shoulder.

- The college pitcher who had a "rubber arm" in high school now is constantly in the training room with posterior shoulder pain as he is asked to pitch several times a week instead of just once.

Bottom Line: Recovery is almost as good of a predictor of arm health and durability as is abject pain. Pay attention to it!

Case in Point:

If on the 88th pitch of the game, your fastball is the exact same velocity as the fastball you threw on pitch #5…that is a very good sign of a healthy, durable arm. If, on the other hand, your average fastball velocity drops 3 mph or more later in the game or inning, in our experience, it is just a matter of time and volume until you will have a problem. We believe if you recognize the problem and address the issue now, it is very possible you can avoid the more severe repercussions of the issue.

If your average fastball in a game today is the exact same velocity as the average fastball you threw in previous games this week and month…that is a very good sign of a healthy, durable arm. If, on the other hand, your average velocity varies 3 mph or more between outings, in our experience, it is just a matter of time and volume until you will have a problem. Again, we believe if you recognize the problem and address the issue now, it is very possible you can avoid the more severe repercussions of the issue.

And, if after only 24 pitches or less, you require an extra day or more time to throw without discomfort or fatigue, in our experience, it is just a matter of time and volume until you will have a problem. We believe we must address the issue now so you can avoid the more severe repercussions of the issue further down the trail.

As with almost all things in life:

1) Awareness Itself Is Curative. If we are made aware of 'X', we can prevent a further escalation in the core problem.

2) An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure. If we can identify the potential problem and head it off at the pass, we very well may avoid thousands of dollars of money spent on medical procedures, hundreds of hours lost rehabbing from injury or surgery, and multiple sleepless nights and mental anguish over our recovery and reestablishing our place back into the competitive baseball universe.

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 90mph 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 89mph which he set in 2014 at the age of 16.

If you would like a free copy of Pitching with Confidence, go to freepitchingbook.com.

PERFECTGAME.TV

Give us your feedback

General | Blog | 12/10/2025

Youth Baseball Exec. DeDonatis III Joins PG

Jim Salisbury

Youth Baseball Executive Don DeDonatis III Joins PG By Jim Salisbury It’s free-agent season in baseball and Perfect Game has landed a big one. Don DeDonatis III joined PG as a consultant in November. The DeDonatis name is synonymous with youth baseball and softball. Along with his dad, Don Jr., DeDonatis helped build USSSA into a big hitter in the game. He brings decades of experience and knowledge to PG. “We all acknowledge that Donny has moved on from USSSA,” PG CEO Rob Ponger said. “This is a new chapter for him and we hope both sides take advantage of it to help youth sports in general. “The DeDonatis name has a legacy attached to it and we’re hoping that Donny is going to help us. PG is a growing brand and he’s on board to help.” DeDonatis was CEO at USSSA from 2018 until his exit from the company two years ago. “I’m...

Tournaments | Story | 12/18/2025

14u Tourney All-American Team

Tyler Russo

Player of the Year: Asher Williams It was an incredible year for Williams that was rewarded with a trip to the 14U Select Fest, before some more impressive play in the fall. He came to the plate almost 250 times in PG tournaments throughout 2025 and reached base in well over half of them, hitting to a .500 AVG while slugging a 14U circuit best 12 bombs and driving in 113 runs. The numbers on the surface are ridiculous, but when you look at the high-level events he put them up in, it makes it even more impressive. Pitcher of the Year: Tristan Blalock Blalock earns this honor after a dominant 2025 where he struck out 85 batters in just 48.2 innings of work with a minuscule 1.58 ERA. This included several strong performances at many national level tournaments and showcases where he was able to bully some of the best hitters in the country. It’s hard not to fall in love with...

Draft | Story | 12/18/2025

PG Draft: Gut Feel Guys

Tyler Henninger

While we are nearing the turn of the calendar to the 2026 year, that means we are just inching closer to the beginning of the season for many high school players and college baseball is on the horizon. We are prepping for a reshuffle of the 2026 MLB Draft Board as well here amongst the PG Draft staff. But before we get to that, we sat down and have each picked a couple of players who are in the mix to get selected in a couple of different buckets. We have prospects who could go into the Top 30 picks or so, prospects who could be selected in the Top 5 rounds, and prospects who could go inside of the Top 10 rounds. With the draft quite far down the road and a lot of re-shuffling to be done as these players play themselves into certain spots on the draft board, our scouts picked some players who fit into these “buckets” who are gut-feel guys. These are the guys that our PG...

Tournaments | Story | 12/17/2025

15u Tourney All-American Team

Jason Phillips

Hitter of the Year: Landon Bonner The 2028 class saw many players from across the country take the next step in their development as they entered the High School ranks. There were huge performances from highly ranked players on the PG circuit as well as some under-the-radar guys who burst onto the scene. Landon Bonner came into Sophomore National as a Top 500 ranked player and after an impressive showing, left with all eyes on him as a rankings riser in the class. The left-handed hitting shortstop from The Colony, Texas, had a summer to remember with All-Tournament Team selections in three of his next four events culminating with a historic performance at the 2025 PG 15U WWBA National Championship. The Hebron High School prep went 20-for-24 in nine games for 5 Star Mafia 15U Black with four homeruns and 12 runs batted in. He also scored 17 runs and finished with a mind-boggling 2.500...

Tournaments | Story | 12/16/2025

16u Tourney All-American Team

AJ Denny

Hitter of the Year: Koa Romero is the Hitter of the Year for the 16u group, as he would come to every premier event of the summer and earn All-Tournament honors (Beast of the East, 16/17u WWBA, Jupiter) in every single one. Over 82 plate appearances, Romero would pump ten homeruns with forty two RBI and sixteen walks, good for a .378 average and 1.339 OPS. The performance on volume at the best events of the year pushed Romero over the edge here, as he’d hit a pair of homeruns in Jupiter (one of them at 112 EV) as an underclassmen and collect double digit hits in BOTH WWBA events with a combined six jacks over the two tournaments. It was a summer that combined performance and winning on the biggest stages for Romero. It’s a quiet left-handed swing that packs a punch. He would reap the benefits of his performances, earning a commitment to LSU and jumping to the #74 prospect in...

College | Recruiting | 12/15/2025

Recruiting Notebook: December 15

John McAdams

Tucker Rice (27 MS) bumping up to 91; living hi-80s from real fast arm. Good SL @ 77-79 w/ depth & sold w/ intent. Loads of traits & strikes. #WWBA @PG_Uncommitted @PG_DeepSouth pic.twitter.com/DEjFqRcsIY — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 6, 2025 Tucker Rice, RHP, Class of 2027 Commitment: Alabama Alabama has continued to stay red hot in the recruiting trail ever since August 1st rolled around on the calendar and have continued to stack major pieces in their ’27 class. They dip into Mississippi to land one of the premier arms and one that’s stood out on the circuit for quite some time. It’s a fast arm and the athleticism certainly shines working down the slope. The velocity has continued to tick up over the last calendar year and reached into the low-90s towards the end of the summer. He’s confident in his changeup and the breaking ball is...

Tournaments | Story | 12/15/2025

17u Tourney All-American Team

Vincent Cervino

There’s a lot of talent throughout this 2026 class, filled with the big-name stars, to talent that spreads across the nation. It’s been a lot of fun seeing these prospects grow and develop over the years, from the days of watching some of these guys at the 13/14u days at events on the circuit, to now where they are all graduating seniors in 2026. There’s been new faces who have popped along the way over the years, even in 2026, where some players who were relatively undiscovered, have come out and made a name for themselves with a statement performance. Between the familiar and the new, there’s a lot of names on this list that are going to be quite regularly talked about on the circuit, and for good reason. Whether it’s PG All-Americans or not, there’s a lot of names with superstar potential at the next level. We’ve got 14 PG All-Americans...

Tournaments | Story | 12/13/2025

Finest in the Field: Class of 2029

Tyler Russo

Finest in the Field: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 | Class of 2028 These guys might just be entering high school, but they've certainly already made a name for themselves on the national circuit, especially with their abilities on the defensive side of things. C: Xavier Rodriguez (Logansville, GA) Rodriguez is a polished defender with real arm strength behind the dish, while showcasing the ability to impact the baseball with authority to all fields evident by thirty of his sixty-five hits going for extra-bases including seven bombs. He handles high-level pitching extremely well, commands his staff and his offensive prowess makes him a true two-way asset. 1B: Cooper Knight (Buda, TX) Knight is a smooth operator at first base with plenty of range, fluidity and agility in his footwork around the bag. Add-in a rocket for an arm, the ability to change slots and to...

Tournaments | Story | 12/12/2025

Scout Stories: Part 5

AJ Denny

Best Game I Saw: The Dream NTL 18U vs. MBA Scout Team Murphy Jupiter always brings out the best, and we got fireworks from the jump. Turner Marshall gave The Dream an outstanding 4+ innings of work on the mound, holding a lethal MBA team at bay with Chance Dixon, Derrick Carter, and Ellis Appling providing an offensive spark out of the gate for the Georgia based boys. However, it was only a matter of time before the talent on the other side got going, as MBA erased a 3-run deficit in the 5th to take a 4-3 lead led by a Parker Loew HR. The Dream then took command again in the Top of the 6th, before MBA punched right back with a huge 5-run inning in the bottom half capped off by a clutch RBI single from Matthew Kerrigan, ending a wild sequence with tons of notable performances from two very competitive rosters. Best Tournament Performance I Saw: Surely someone has already brought this...

College | Story | 12/12/2025

College Notebook: December 12

Craig Cozart

Nebraska Cornhuskers 2025 Highlights: The Cornhuskers were a difficult team to figure in ’25 as they finished with 33 wins, played just .500 (15-15) in the Big Ten but had some big wins at various times during the season and got hot at the right time. They knocked off then #16 Vanderbilt in the second game of the year, beat #5 Oregon State 2-out-of-3 at home in late March and then got hot at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha to win the Big Ten Tournament. They beat Michigan State in a 10-inning thriller before taking care of #4 Oregon, knocking off Penn State and then shutout #13 UCLA to punch their ticket to the Chapel Hill Regional. Head coach Will Bolt has now led his alma mater to three conference titles and three NCAA Regional appearances during his six years in Lincoln. No different than when he was a player, Bolt’s teams play with passion and toughness, this was never more...

Tournaments | Story | 12/12/2025

Finest in the Field: Class of 2028

Troy Sutherland

Finest in the Field: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 You like athletes? You like defenders who can impact a game at any given point? Look not further than this class as it's loaded from coast-to-coast with elite defenders all over the diamond. C: Brogan Witcher, Bakersfield, CA Our scouting staff got several strong looks at Witcher whether that was at the Summer Kickoff, Sophomore National or the Underclass All American Games where he showcased his strong overall skillset and especially his advanced ability behind the plate. His 6-foot-3,180 pound build looks like one that will fill in quite nicely and be that big and physical catcher’s frame. His arm talent is undeniable where he gets it out quick and runs it up to 79 mph on throwdowns to 2nd (1.84 pop). Besides the standout catch/throw ability, we’ve seen him frame/receive strong arms and block it well during...

Loading more articles...

PERFECTGAME.TV

SPEND MORE. SAVE MORE.

Event Types

Special Events

Featured

Baseball Showcases

Player Rankings

DRAFT BOARD

Team Rankings

Travel Team Rankings

College Rankings

Softball Player Rankings

Top Ranked Players

PG Rawlings Preseason All American

Top Ranked Teams

Recruiting Menu

Event Results

PG EVENT CONTENT

HIGH SCHOOL CONTENT

MLB DRAFT CONTENT

COLLEGE CONTENT

RECENT ARTICLES

PG Alumni

NOTABLE MLB PLAYERS

About Perfect Game