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General | General | 5/27/2021

Wolforth Thrower Mentorship: Article 9

Jerry Ford

Ron Wolforth

Photo: Johnny Tergo/Truth Baseball

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 ninth 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
Article 3: No Pain, No Problem...Right? Not Quite So Fast.
Article 4: The Secret to Accelerated Skill Development: Hyper-Personalization
Article 5: The Case Against Weighted Balls?
Article 6: The Truth About Pitch Counts, Workloads, and Overuse
Article 7: Velocity Appraisal: How 'Hard' Is 'Hard Enough'?
Article 8: Command Appraisal: How 'Accurate' Is 'Accurate Enough'?

Just a quick review of what I led off with last time:

It might surprise a certain percentage of the population who have never been to the Texas Baseball Ranch®, but one of the more common phrases used with our athletes is this…

“While velocity will certainly give you opportunity…

It will be command that will give you more innings in competition…

And it will be creating swing and misses on a regular basis that will give you your best chance at advancement…

And most importantly, having a healthy, durable arm will afford you the only chance for a long career.”

I’m not going to quibble on this one, I’m going to cut right to the chase.

The concept of “Pitch to Contact” is naive at best and a dangerous misconception at worst.

I realize this is going to step on some toes, but I think at the end of this lesson you will at the very least have a slightly different take on the concept of pitch to contact.

The Pitch to Contact Paradigm infers that throwing strikes in competition is sacrosanct (sacred) and that the selfish or arrogant desire for strikeouts may lead to one throwing more pitches, walking more hitters, and failing to utilize the defense behind you.

From the outside looking in, this philosophy sounds very logical…benign even.

For one moment, let’s utilize a scenario that will hopefully guide us to looking at this enigma from a different (and I believe a more enlightened) perspective.

You are the GM of a major league organization. You need to bring up a minor league pitcher to join the staff on your major league team. Which pitcher do you choose?

Pitcher A is right-handed, has an ERA of 3.12, and is averaging 4.5 strikeouts per 9 innings.

Pitcher B is right-handed, has an ERA of 3.95, and is averaging 9.3 strikeouts per 9 innings.

Now, of course there are always far more things to consider than ERA and K% — WHIP (Walks And Hits Per Inning Pitched), BB% (Pitcher’s Walk Percentage), BABIP (Batting Average on Balls in Play), FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching), and wOBA (Weighted On-Base Average) — just as a few examples. I use ERA and Strikeouts per 9 innings specifically because everyone is more familiar with them, and they help us understand the choice that is almost always made by the GM in these scenarios. (And of course, the financial intangibles of the game also greatly affect decision making.)

I would contend that all things being equal (and I openly admit that rarely are all the other influencers equal between pitchers), even with Pitcher A having a moderately better ERA, the GM will overwhelmingly choose to promote Pitcher B. Why?

It’s quite simple.

If you don’t strike out people in the minor leagues, what is the chance that improves when you move to the major leagues? That answer may not be zero but I’m sure you would agree that the chances are extremely low.

What is the opposite end of the continuum from the swing and miss? That would be 100% on-time barrel match.

By definition, the strike zone shrinks in the major leagues and the hitters are better and hit it further/harder.

Therefore, if you are a “pitch to contact guy” in high school, college, or in the minor leagues…the 320-foot lazy fly ball that you used to induce for an out at your previous level…very well may become a 420-foot fly ball into the water spectacular in the big leagues. The 85 mph rollover ground ball that you lived on often turns into a 98 mph screamer that gets through.

So…What to do? What to think?

In my opinion, we need to rethink and rephrase the concept. Instead of the more passive phraseology of “pitch to contact” …We want to be as difficult to square up with 100% on-time barrel match as possible. In essence, we want to be nasty AND be inside of the strike zone when we need to be.

Our goal should be to be as difficult and complicated as possible for the hitter to predict our location and time of arrival with the sweet spot of his bat.

There are many ways we can do that…

We can complicate that by velocity.

We can complicate that by changing speeds.

We can complicate that by hitting and changing specific locations.

We can complicate that by spins and movement.

We can complicate that by deception, pitch sequencing, tunneling, and pitch design.

And this is the takeaway for you in this lesson:

When we dedicate ourselves (instead of pitching to contact) to becoming a pitcher that is extremely difficult to time up and square up as possible…we will, by definition, also get more swings and misses.

Throwing strikes remains sacrosanct but when our goal changes from preferring contact to preferring extreme difficulty for the hitter to create on time, squared-up contact while throwing pitches inside the zone when required…the dynamics flip.

So then how nasty is nasty enough?

The top SwStr% (the Percent Swing and Misses vs. Total Pitches Thrown) in the MLB last year was Shane Bieber (18.7%) and Jacob deGrom (18.3%). The league average is around 10%.

Who are the all-time best in MLB history in strikeouts per 9 innings?

Well, interestingly enough, 11 of the top-15 are still active today: Yu Darvish, Chris Sale, Max Scherzer, and Jacob deGrom are the top-four — all averaging above 10.61 strikeouts per 9. Randy Johnson came in 5th at 10.6, Pedro Martinez in 9th (10.3), and Nolan Ryan in 15th (9.54).

But for today’s high school and college pitcher, these are the standards we use at the Texas Baseball Ranch®:

If you average 1 strikeout every 3+ innings: You are currently behind your competitive peer group in terms of swing-and-miss capability. If not addressed and corrected, it almost certainly will be a primary constraint to your advancement.

If you average 1 strikeout every 2 innings: You are currently slightly behind your competitive peer group in terms of swing-and-miss capability. If not addressed and corrected, it may prove to be a constraint to your advancement.

If you average 1 strikeout every inning: You are on track.

If you average more than 1 strikeout every inning: You are ahead of your competitive peer group in terms of swing-and-miss capability. Something other than swing-and-miss capability will be a greater constraint to your advancement. How is your pain, recovery, and command?

So, the next time you hear someone sing the praises of the Pitch to Contact Paradigm, at the very least it should give you pause.

It is not that our goal should be to strike everyone out.

Throwing strikes does indeed matter.

Inflated pitch counts exacerbated by trying to induce the strikeout absolutely can become a problem.

Generating weak contact is almost always a good thing.

However, I suggest that inducing contact as a primary goal for a pitcher is naive at best. Every time a ball is put into play in fair territory, it has the potential to do us damage.

Therefore, I suggest changing your phraseology and the goal.

Until next time,

Stay curious and keep reaching for the stars.

Coach Wolforth
CEO - The Texas Baseball Ranch®

P.S. Our next topic will cover “The 5 Most Common Mistakes Pitchers Make in Their Training”.

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.

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General | Blog | 4/10/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 64

Ron Wolforth

What Do Barry Zito, Justin Verlander, Trevor Bauer, and Dallas Keuchel All Have in Common? By Ron Wolforth | Texas Baseball Ranch® | PG Arm Care Take a second and think about the question posed in the title before you read on. Four Cy Young Award winners. Four of the most decorated pitchers of their generation. What's the common thread? The first answer is obvious… they all won the most prestigious individual award in pitching. Most of you probably got there immediately. The second answer is less obvious… they all trained at the Texas Baseball Ranch® at some point in their development. Interesting, maybe, but not the point of this article. The third answer is the one I really want you to sit with, because it has direct relevance to your career right now: they all move completely differently. And they all attack hitters completely differently. Don't rush past that....

Draft | Prospect Scouting Reports | 4/24/2026

2026 MLB Draft Reports: Top 100

Vincent Cervino

PG Draft: Top-100 Reports (April Update) 1. Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA R-R, 6-2/202, Chandler, AZ Previously Drafted: Never Drafted Roch Cholowsky has consistently ranked at the top of the class throughout the cycle due to the safety and upside of the profile. Defensively, he is a plus defender at shortstop with soft hands, consistent actions, and quality range. Not only should he stick at the position long term, he should excel there at the next level. Offensively, there is a strong mix of hit and power potential from the right side of the plate. The swing is a bit unorthodox with a shorter finish, but Cholowsky consistently finds the barrel and drives the ball with authority to all fields. He has strong bat to ball skills with impact. He has walked more than stuck out during his collegiate career, giving him a high on-base ability. The run tool is the only tool that doesn’t jump...

Draft | Rankings | 4/24/2026

2026 MLB Draft Board: Top 400

Tyler Henninger

Rk. Name Level Pos. B-T School Hometown State Commitment 1 Roch Cholowsky C SS R-R UCLA Chandler AZ 2 Grady Emerson H SS L-R Fort Worth Christian Argyle TX Texas 3 Vahn Lackey C C R-R Georgia Tech Suwanee GA 4 Jackson Flora C RHP R-R UC Santa Barbara Pleasanton CA 5 Jacob Lombard H SS R-R Gulliver Schools Miami FL Miami 6 AJ Gracia C OF L-L Virginia Monroe NJ 7 Ace Reese C 3B L-R Mississippi State Canton TX 8 Eric Booth Jr. H OF L-L Oak Grove Bassfield MS Vanderbilt 9 Justin Lebron C SS R-R Alabama Miramar FL 10 Drew Burress C OF R-R Georgia Tech Perry GA 11 Gio Rojas H LHP L-R Marjory Stoneman Douglas Coral Springs FL Miami 12 Ryder Helfrick C C R-R Arkansas Discovery Bay CA 13 Chris Hacopian C SS R-R Texas A&M Potomac MD 14 Cameron Flukey C RHP R-R Coastal Carolina Egg Harbor Township NJ 15 Cole Carlon C LHP L-L Arizona State Tempe AZ 16 Jared Grindlinger H LHP/OF L-L Huntington...

Press Release | Press Release | 4/23/2026

Kash Shaikh Named Perfect Game CMO

667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PERFECT GAME NAMES KASH SHAIKH CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER AND HEAD OF INTERNATIONAL Sanford, Florida (Thursday, April 23, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that Kash Shaikh has been named the company’s new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Head of International. In this role, Shaikh will serve on Perfect Game’s executive leadership team, overseeing global marketing, brand strategy, creative, partnerships and sponsorships, while leading the company’s international P&L and expansion. Shaikh brings more than two decades of experience building brands, businesses and communities across sports, media and consumer...

Softball | Softball Tournament | 4/22/2026

PG Softball Battle for the Belt

Perfect Game Softball Battle for the Belt April 18-19, 2026 Des Moines, Iowa It was a cold and very windy weekend, but the girls still came out and put in their best efforts. If you wanted the place to see some of the state’s top talent, this was the tournament to be at. The 18u division was quite the slugfest! The Ankeny Centennial 18U -Kennedy team took down a tough Iowa Alliance Select-Benge team in the championship. Both teams had double digit homeruns on the weekend. In the 16u division the Iowa Aries CE Fire Black took control of the game from the start and never let up on the gas, taking down a solid Alliance Select- Harper team. 18U Division Kori Lincicum (2026 Ankeny, IA) of the Centennial Jaguars- Kennedy and Drake Bulldog softball commit was the weekends MVP Pitcher. Lincicum defeated a tough Alliance team in the championship game finishing with that game with 11...

High School | General | 4/23/2026

Northeast High School Notebook

Jheremy Brown

In a season that has already had many exciting matchups across various events, we as a staff would like to highlight or “Shout-Out” notable performers along with an Uncommitted Spotlight and Team Spotlight. Uncommitted Spotlight: Mason Rosenberg, 1B, 2027, Bishop Eustace Prep Uncommitted Mason Rosenberg (2027, NJ) has been an absolute force within the Bishop Eustace lineup, as the left-handed hitting slugger is hitting .481 through eleven games including six homers. The strength has vastly improved, allowing for Rosenberg to impact the baseball with authority to all fields. Couple that with improved speed and athleticism, this uncommitted 2027 can be a welcomed addition to a class looking for offense. Team Spotlight: Northern Burlington (9-0) Northern Burlington is once again off to a hot start, as the Greyhounds sit at 9-0 thus far and have continued to...

Juco | Rankings | 4/22/2026

JUCO Top 25: April 22

Blaine Peterson

Another week down and Johnson County continues their torrid run to remain at number 1. They're 46-2 on the season with multiple hitters over 25 bombs which is astonishing for the level as the Cavs have announced themselves as title favorites. Just a couple of weeks left heading down the stretch and our field remains mostly the same with the two additions of midwest powerhouse Iowa Western and the Warriors of East Central who will have a tough test Wednesday in Poplarville against fellow Mississippi adversary Pearl River in a mid-week double header. Rk. School Record 1 Johnson County (KS) 46-2 2 Gaston (NC) 47-3 3 Walters State (TN) 42-10 4 McLennan (TX) 38-8 5 Southern Nevada (NV) 33-9 6 Chipola (FL) 39-9 7 Blinn (TX) 33-12 8 Florida Southwestern (FL) 32-13 9 Florence-Darlington (SC) 42-10 10 Pearl River (MS) 39-9 11 Cloud County (KS) 40-4 12 Cochise (AZ) 39-11 13 Midland (TX)...

College | Story | 4/23/2026

Coppy's Corner: April 23 POY Deep Dive

John Coppolella

Each week I huddle with Vinnie Cervino and Craig Cozart to discuss Top-25 rankings and Players of the Week. In Coppy’s Corner, I dive deeper into these Players of the Week, providing analysis from 20+ years working in baseball front offices at the highest level. Player of the Week: Tague Davis – University of Louisville Between 2016-2022, the University of Louisville produced 14 players taken in the Top 5 Rounds of the MLB Draft, seven of whom were taken in the 1st Round. The Cardinals haven’t produced a Top 5 Rounds pick since 2022, but that will change soon with Davis. Still only 20 years old and not draft-eligible until 2027, Davis continued his assault on college baseball this weekend with a 7-for-12 performance that included 5 HR. On the 2026 season, Davis is hitting .389 AVG / .489 OBP / .911 SLG / 1.392 OPS. That’s a 400+...

College | Rankings | 4/22/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: April 22

Nick Herfordt

The final weeks of the college baseball regular season have a way of separating programs that are genuinely postseason-ready from those that have simply been good enough for long enough. Conference tournaments loom, selection committees are paying close attention, and every game on the schedule carries weight that it simply didn't in February. This week's action, combined with the latest Perfect Game Top 25, paints a picture of a college baseball landscape where the top is clearly defined — and where the middle is a genuine battle. What follows is a cross-level look at teams across the NAIA, NCAA Division II, and NCAA Division III ranks who find themselves in that uncomfortable space: not safely in, not clearly out, but firmly on the bubble. Some have built compelling résumés that should hold up under scrutiny. Others have excellent records against soft competition...

High School | Rankings | 4/21/2026

High School Top 50 Update: April 21

Tyler Russo

Another few weeks have wrapped up this high school season as we’re flying through the spring and most southern states are starting playoffs right around the corner. With the end of the regular season, we have another National Top 50 update to bring to you, along with this will be the start of the weekly editions of our National Top 50. We have a change at the top of the rankings as Venice (FL) takes over the top spot after just dominating their competition in the state of Florida this year. Orange Lutheran (CA) drops one spot to No. 2 after dropping a series but still holds firm at No. 2 in the country. Barbe (LA) has continued to dominate and holds onto the No. 3 spot while Tomball (TX) skyrockets in this update to No. 4 in the country, currently holding an incredible 30-0-1 record. The rest of the top-10 is names we’ve become accustomed to see with Aledo (TX) at No. 5, IMG...

Tournaments | Story | 4/21/2026

Southeast Super NIT #2 Scout Notes

Jason Phillips

Chase Jelks (‘30 GA)- with a long double to deep CF. Huge day from the primary SS, 5-for-6 w/ 4 doubles & 6 RBI. #SESuperNIT @TheDreamBall @PG_Georgia https://t.co/biFSzXCrUt pic.twitter.com/HCQMduedb5 — Perfect Game Youth (@PGYouthBB) April 20, 2026 Chase Jelks (’30, Atlanta, Ga.)- the left-handed hitting Jelks was all over the barrel on Sunday in a pair of games for The Dream 14U Black. He finished the day with five hits in six at-bats which included four doubles and six runs batted in. His two doubles and four runs batted in played a big part in the Gold Playoffs Round 1 victory over the talented BPA squad out of California. He backed up that performance with three more hits in a quarterfinal’s loss to the East Cobb Astros 14U Orange to finish the tournament with a .600 batting average and 1.636 on-base plus slugging percentage. A primary utility infielder,...

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