THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,489 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,489 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
General  | General | 9/30/2022

Wolforth Thrower Mentorship: Article 24

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 24th 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'?
Article 9: Swing & Miss Appraisal: How 'Nasty' Is 'Nasty Enough'?
Article 10: 5 Common Mistakes Baseball Players Make In Their Training
Article 11: The Truth About Curveballs, Sliders, and Cutters
Article 12: What is Involved in Deep, Deliberate Practice vs. Traditional Practice
Article 13: The Truth About Long Toss?
Article 14: The Truth About Conditioning of Pitchers?
Article 15: Simple and Effective Post Throwing Strategies for Pitchers
Article 16: 12 Common (Yet Often Dangerous) Narratives For Pitchers, Part 1
Article 17: 12 Common (Yet Often Dangerous) Narratives For Pitchers, Part 2
Article 18: 12 Common (Yet Often Dangerous) Narratives For Pitchers, Part 3
Article 19: Things To Consider When Embarking On A Velocity Enhancement Program This Year
Article 20: Is Your Pitcher Headed Straight Toward An Injury?
Article 21: The Season Has Started And You're Struggling With Command: Here's How To Turn It Around Quickly
Article 22: The Challenges & Dangers of an In-Season Velocity Program
Article 23: One Very Critical Question Every Pitcher Should Ask Heading Into The Offseason
Almost every single week, it seems I’m visiting with absolutely wonderful people who love to tell me about their son the pitcher. They proudly proclaim that he never exceeds a specifically prescribed pitch count and only recently was he even allowed to throw a curveball. Their inference, of course, is that they have really taken care of his arm and he is therefore, in a matter of speaking, inoculated from an arm injury.

I almost always politely change the subject and attempt to move on to the primary reason they called or stopped by to see us. It’s not their fault, they simply do not know what they don’t know.

In this period of what I call, “The Covid Era,” it has become very clear to me that common sense, personal autonomy/responsibility, and rugged individualism are quickly being replaced by a “tyranny of expertise” in which we are told in no uncertain terms of what is safe and appropriate. Unfortunately, even when they are proven wrong by the very “science” they forward as unassailable, often the flawed conclusions remain sacrosanct.

Baseball is certainly not immune to this trend.

Workload, pitch count, and “overuse” have been forwarded for several years by the “experts” as the primary reason for throwing-related injury.

But the facts simply don’t align with the presumption.

The most common months for UCL and labrum tears in professional baseball are March and April; the least common are September and October. So, if workload and accruing pitch count numbers were the bugaboo many experts warn us about, then why are injuries the highest when the season is just beginning and at the lowest when the accumulated workloads would have been at their highest?

The answer: The causes and contributors to injury are obviously far more complex than simply managing pitch count.

In my opinion, in an effort to reduce or eliminate arm injuries, the modern competitive baseball universe has become hypnotized by the thought of a strict limitation to pitch counts as being the solution to the Tommy John and labrum surgeries. They have lost their collective ability to think clearly and to use common sense.

Oh, if only this “pitch count equals injury” were actually true, I would have the opportunity to play so much more golf.

While a very intoxicating notion, the concept of strict pitch count limitation being a fail-safe for reducing and/or eliminating arm problems in pitchers is not only severely flawed and overly simplistic, but also, in my opinion, absurd. In fact, at the end of the day, it is a detrimental and counter-productive concept. Although I’ve been discussing the concept of pitch counts and workloads with coaches and parents since 1995, it occurs to me that many of you may have never had the opportunity to be exposed to what I think is a deeper level of reasoning on this hot-button topic.

Let me begin with finding places where I agree or concur with the sentiment and process itself. Here is what I believe is useable or salvageable from the basic utilization and management of workload for pitchers.

For the record, I’m 100% in favor of recording and monitoring the pitch count for each pitcher throughout the year and throughout his career.

Pitch count is an objective measure of individual workload. That workload can become important to each individual pitcher on their journey. Therefore, I strongly endorse the recording of it on each and every individual.

That is about as far as I can go in regard to agreeing with standard practices, both in amateur and professional baseball, in terms of the philosophy of counting pitches. The rest of the story revolves around the interpretation of that measurement.

Let me give you an example of how incredibly flawed and shortsighted many of the interpretations, and subsequent applications based upon those interpretations, really can be.

Let us use a non-baseball example to help everyone understand my utter disdain for this intellectual laziness and lack of logic and wisdom.

Together, let’s interpret another set of data.

My simple question to you: Is 72 inches considered tall?

Simple question, right? What’s the correct answer?

The answer: It obviously very much depends upon the subgroup of people to whom the question is posed.

If you asked an executive in the NBA, 72 inches would be considered incredibly short. If you are from Sri Lanka or the Island of Timor, at 6-feet tall you would be considered incredibly tall. If your subset was American females, you would, at 72 inches, be considered quite tall. If your subset was American males, you would be considered slightly above average. If your subset was American males at 12 years of age, you again would be considered tall.

The data didn’t change… 72 inches was the same metric for every single group. What changed in our interpretation was the context of the question. In other words, context really, really, really matters.

As human beings, we frequently seek out specific, detailed, explicit, and profound answers to general, universal questions. That rarely goes well, and the downstream effect of such expectations is that our athletes begin to doubt the competence of their teachers, the efficacy of their efforts, and/or the effectiveness of the process.

We ALL lose when this happens.

Every single month at the Ranch, I see young people come to us defeated and beaten down. They are told they will NEVER do X, Y, or Z. Based upon the “data”, they are inferior and incapable.

I hate that perspective with everything in my being. I think it’s one of the greatest scourges in our society… to be judged by some hypothetical data points interpreted by someone who often has an agenda in how this all plays out.

Back to pitch count.

What could possibly be the “context” that we should consider regarding pitch count?

Pull up a chair, there is much we need to discuss.

Example: Pitcher A had a pitch count of 110. Pitcher B had a pitch count of 55. Which one had the heaviest workload?

Many think I’ve actually lost my mind even asking this question. Pitcher A threw exactly twice the number of pitches as Pitcher B.

Most would even respond by saying something along the lines of, “Pitcher A was getting up there and really putting his arm at risk. Pitcher B is probably very safe.”

What is your point, Coach Wolforth?

What if I added this bit of context: Pitcher A’s outing was 110 pitches over 9 innings and Pitcher B threw 55 pitches in 1 1/3 innings?

If most people are honest, they would immediately and intuitively respond, “Oh yea, that does change things.”

Sure it does! Pitch count per inning is simply much more impactful than pitch count per outing.
Don’t see how this matters? Let me help.

I will do 110 push-ups. You will do 55.

I will do 15, then rest for 20 minutes, do 15 again, and repeat the 15 push-ups and 20-minute rest until the 110 are finished.

You will do all 55 in a row.

Let’s see who struggles more.

Again, most people would say, “Yea, that also changes things,” because it definitely does.

In the real world, and if everything else is equal (which is rarely the case), if the pitcher can stay between 12-18 pitches per inning, he will have a far better chance of staying healthy than if he exceeds 30 pitches in any one inning.

Therefore: Pitches per inning is in fact more important and impactful to arm health than pitches per outing.

The second bit of context: 2 pitchers throw 110 pitches. Pitcher A throws 110 pitches in his first start of the season and in temperatures that are in the mid-40s. Pitcher B throws 110 pitches 3 months into the season in temperatures that are in the upper-70s.

Once again, a vast majority of people would say, “Yea, that also changes things.” Again, because it obviously does.

The third example of context: Pitcher A throws 110 pitches in the first start of his rookie season coming back from a UCL strain during spring training. Pitcher B throws 110 pitches in his 15th start of the season, in his 15th year of pitching in professional baseball, and with zero history of arm issues.

Are those 110 pitches equal? Almost assuredly not.

The fourth example of context: Pitcher A throws 110 pitches tonight but 5 nights ago, he threw 127 pitches in 7 innings of work. Pitcher B throws 110 pitches tonight but 5 nights ago, he threw 67 pitches in 6 innings of work.

Again, are those 110 pitches equal?

Probably not.

The fifth example of context: Both of these pitchers threw 110 pitches. In this example, for argument’s sake, let’s intentionally disregard the obvious age difference and focus solely on the position of release.



I believe most people can see the considerable additional valgus force the pitcher on the left creates on his medial elbow and anterior shoulder. In fact, I seriously doubt the young man on the left could last 110 pitches.

Ergo, the 110 pitches were definitely not the same.

Finally, the sixth example of context: (I could easily give you 6 more examples, but I hope my point is made.) Pitcher A threw 110 pitches from 45 feet in batting practice today at 50 mph. Pitcher B threw 110 pitches in a game from 60.5 feet away and averaged 88 mph.

Obviously not the same, right? Yet both threw 110 pitches.

Conclusion: Context matters. A lot.

Takeaways:

• Numbers seem absolute but in fact, they are often very relative.
• Pitch count per inning matters more than pitch count per outing.
• The pitcher’s history and current status of arm health matter a great deal.
• The pitcher’s ramp-up and throwing foundation matter a great deal.
• The pitcher’s mechanical efficiency matters a great deal.
• Even the weather he pitches in matters.

In short, pitch count, in our opinion, shouldn’t ever be viewed as a universal measure. It is best utilized as an individual measurement with all important contexts included.

When we have arbitrarily decided, for example, that everyone who is 72 inches is either tall or short, we at that very moment run the risk of missing the forest for the trees.

On topics related to pitching, I urge you to always keep common sense at the front of your decision-making process. If it doesn’t sound right or it seems to be overly broad or unusually sweeping, I would trust your instincts. I remind you that since the beginning of man, no group has been more routinely wrong about things than have the “experts.” In 2022, that remains to still be true.

-Coach Wolforth

Coach Wolforth is the founder of the Texas Baseball Ranch® and has written six books on pitching including the Amazon Best Seller, Pitching with Confidence. Since 2003, The Texas Baseball Ranch® has had over 524 pitchers break the 90mph barrier, 186 have topped 94mph or better, and 129 of his students have been drafted in the MLB’s June Amateur Draft. Coach Wolforth 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, TX 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.

Upcoming Texas Baseball Ranch® Fall/Winter Events

• 3-Day Elite Pitcher’s Boot Camps for pitchers ages 12 & up. Five camps, one per month, between October and February. More information at https://www.texasbaseballranch.com/elite-pitchers-bootcamp/

• The once-a-year “Youth” Pitchers camp for players ages 8-11. This year’s event will be October 15th & 16th. Space is limited. Details at https://www.texasbaseballranch.com/events/youth-elite-pitchers-bootcamp/

• Elite CATCHER’s Boot Camp December 9-11th for catchers ages 14 & up. Learn more at https://www.texasbaseballranch.com/catcher. “Early Bird” $500 savings ends Sept. 30th.

To Learn More About the Texas Baseball Ranch, go to:
www.TexasBaseballRanch.com
Give us your feedback
General | Blog | 6/16/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 66
Ron Wolforth
Article Image
  The Number That Just Killed MLB Expansion: 1,217   USA Today's Bob Nightengale dropped a bomb shell recently that the baseball world is still digesting. Major League Baseball wants to expand to 32 teams. Team executives are quietly opposing it and the reason has nothing to do with cities or money.   They cannot find enough healthy pitchers.   Between 2020 and 2024, professional baseball performed 1,026 Tommy John surgeries at the minor-league level alone. Another 191 at the Major League level. More than twelve hundred elbow reconstructions in five years on the best young pitchers in the world.   That is not bad luck. That is a system reporting a verdict on itself.   For fifteen years, the youth-baseball industry has chased one number: velocity significantly more than projectability and arm care.    Recruiters scout by it.    Social...
Read More
High School | General | 7/1/2026

PG High School All-Americans

Tyler Russo
Article Image
High School Top 50: Final Update With the High School season all wrapped up, today we take a look at our First, Second and Third Team All-Americans from around the country. Below you'll find three teams with stats that seem otherworldly from players who'll likely hear their names called in the coming week's MLB Draft. Within the "Notable Stats" section you'll see the individual award winners as well. First Team All-American Pos.  Name Class School State Commitment Notable Stats C Cole Prosek 2026 Magnolia Heights MS Ole Miss .595 BA, 18 HR, 79 RBI 1B Will Adams 2026 Hoover AL LSU .489, 13 HR, 52 RBI IF James Tronstein 2026 Harvard-Westlake CA Vanderbilt .531, 10 HR, 29 RBI, 21 XBH IF Grady Emerson 2026 Fort Worth Christian TX Texas .508, 8 HR, 56 RBI, 34/35 SB, National POY IF Jacob Lombard 2026 Gulliver Schools FL Miami .477, 10 HR, 52 R, 42 H, 14 SB OF Martin Shelar 2026 Marist GA...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 7/1/2026

Performance Baseball Rolls On

Kinley Kitchens
Article Image
Championship teams often reveal themselves when the game isn’t going their way. Performance Baseball 2028/Milwaukee Brewers Scout Team did exactly that. Trailing Florida Burn 2028 Scout through four innings, the Brewers refused to panic. Instead, they relied on timely hitting, consistent pitching, and an unselfish approach at the plate, rallying a five-run fifth inning before pulling away for a 9-5 victory to clinch their spot in the semifinals. The comeback was fueled by contributions throughout the lineup. Six different players drove in runs, including two RBIs each from Aiden Capobianco and Cameron Massey, while Matthew Heredia, Parker Weston, Ethan Smith, and Aj Bonnette each added an RBI of their own. On the mound, Derek Wenzel set the tone with 3.2 solid innings before Ethan Smith shut the door in relief, helping preserve the comeback victory. Although the Brewers have had a...
Read More
Tournaments | Championship | 7/1/2026

JK Select Hawaii Tackles 14u West WS

Emily Hicks
Article Image
JK Select Hawaii capped off an impressive tournament run by defeating GBG Vegas 14u Red14-4 in the championship game on Sunday at Goodyear Ballpark, claiming the 14u West World Series title. From the opening pitch, JK Select controlled the pace of the game. The offense jumped out early, scoring 6 runs in the 1st inning after timely hits from MVP Sean Shindo and Kade Manarpaac. The early lead gave the pitching staff confidence as they worked efficiently through the opposing lineup. “I've worked hard to get better at my game for the past few months; it means a lot that I did well and performed in a tournament like this” said Shindo. Starting pitcher Maddox Prones turned in a strong performance, allowing 3 runs while striking out 5 batters over 3 innings. The defense backed the effort with great plays in the middle infield, preventing GBG Vegas from building momentum....
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 7/1/2026

"Wow" Swings Catch Eyes at 16u Elite

Kinley Kitchens
Article Image
On the second day of the 2026 Perfect Game National Elite Championship, one swing turned heads across the ballpark. The next one brought everyone to a stop. With Wow Factor Nation 16U trailing midway through its matchup against Sandlot Scout Team 2028, Micheal O'Connor launched a solo home run to spark the offense. Just one batter later, Aaron Frink stepped into the box and sent another ball over the fence, delivering back-to-back home runs that quickly became one of the most talked about moments of the tournament’s opening days. Parents gathered along the nets, players from previous games stopped to watch, and college scouts turned their attention toward the action as the two towering swings energized the crowd and brought new life to the game. Although Wow Factor Nation ultimately lost 5-3 after a hard-fought performance, the back-to-back home runs served as a reminder of the...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 6/30/2026

Stacked Runs the Table at 17u WWBA

Will Dembo
Article Image
Following a jam-packed week of entertainment at the 17u WWBA Championships, the top nationally ranked program, USA Prime 17u National/Detroit Tigers Scout Team, faced off against Stacked Baseball 17u (No. 80 nationally) in the highly anticipated championship matchup as both teams looked to earn one of the most prestigious titles in all of travel baseball. Each talented squad entered the finale undefeated, but Stacked Baseball continued their dominance throughout the tournament, defeating the Detroit Tigers Scout Team 10-2 in mercy rule fashion to become national champions behind explosive bats and impressive pitching. Stacked Baseball was the overwhelming top team throughout the week as the WWBA Champions outscored opponents by an absurd 117-12 during their 11-0 run. “We got some talented kids, but we played against a little bit of Goliath over there,” Stacked Head Coach Mike...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 6/30/2026

17u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 7

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
17u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4  Day 5 | Day 6 Shea Corona (2027, Brooklyn, N.Y.) showcased some loud stuff out of the bullpen for MLB Breakthrough Series 2027. The New York native and primary shortstop topped out at 93 with the fastball, sitting comfortable in the 90-92 range. Corona paired it with a sharp and tight slider at 81-83, staying on the same plane until late. The pitch plays well already and the delivery is very athletic. The uncommitted right-hander went three scoreless and was in the zone plenty, striking out two while not allowing a walk. '27 SS Moises Gudino (FL) continues to stay red hot, working a long AB & cracking an oppo 2B on the 8th pitch. Really seeing ing well. #WWBA @Florida_PG https://t.co/OjNJ8Bmzao pic.twitter.com/WoDDp35EI1 — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) June 30, 2026 Moises Gudino (2027, Tampa, Fla.)...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 6/30/2026

Texas Twelve Firing On Full Cylinders

Kinley Kitchens
Article Image
Every team hopes to start a tournament with momentum, but few make a statement quite like Texas Twelve Maroon 2028. Matched up against defending champion Excel Blue Wave National to kick off their debut in the 2026 Perfect Game National Elite Championship, Texas Twelve Maroon delivered a complete team performance, earning a hard-fought 3-2 victory and immediately establishing themselves as one of the top teams to watch this week. The win showcased the balance that has made Texas Twelve Maroon a powerful team. Strong pitching, timely hitting, and steady defense all played a role as the team held off one of the tournament’s premier programs. Right-hander Ty Antley turned in an outstanding performance on the mound, throwing a complete game while allowing only five hits and two walks over seven innings. The High Follow prospect worked consistently between 85-89 mph and mixed in a sharp...
Read More
Tournaments | Championship | 6/30/2026

Flames Capture 18U BCS Title

Alyssa Golden
Article Image
Flames Natty used timely hitting and a dominant start from Beau Collier to defeat NLB American 7-3 and capture the 18U BCS National Championship on Monday at Lee Health Sports Complex. Despite being assembled just hours before the tournament began, the Flames quickly developed chemistry throughout the tournament. “This team was put together 12 hours before this tournament, and they went on a crazy run,” head coach Adam Vasquez said. “These kids know each other locally, but they don’t play together. For them to come together last minute like that, it’s crazy. I’m proud of them for that.” The game opened as a pitchers’ duel, with David Acevedo recording the lone hit through the first two innings. NLB American starter Hayden Graham kept the Flames in check early, allowing just one hit while striking out one over 2.0 innings. The right-hander...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 6/30/2026

Ohio Valley BCS Champ. Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
‘28 C Keegan Sawyer (OH) showcased the toolshed in this one. A top player in the OH ‘28 class. LOUD (Hit & Defense) #OVBCS @KeeganSawyer10 Clip 1: 3-R 💣 to LF Clip 2: 2B to LC Clip 3: SEED, Caught Stealing @ 2B Name for August 1 @MidlandBasebal pic.twitter.com/FvIpEU7Llz — Jordan Gates (@JGatesPG) June 27, 2026 Keegan Sawyer (2028, Cleves, Ohio) The stock continues to go up and up for Keegan Sawyer. Fresh off a state championship for Bading High School, he has picked up where he has left off this spring. It seems that he gets bigger each time I see him, but the frame really works on both sides of the ball at 6-feet, 190-pounds. It’s athletic and the actions on both sides are extremely advanced. Sawyer took home MVP honors after finishing with nine hits, six going for extra bases including two home runs, nine RBIs and eight runs scored. It’s electric at...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 6/30/2026

Texas Region Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Austin Lyons (2028, Cibolo, Texas) put on a display for Canes Southwest Prime 16U. Went 7-14 at the plate with a pair of doubles and triples, while driving in 13 runs. He won Tournament MVP for his efforts. Physical left-handed frame with feel to hit to all fields. Utilizes the middle of the field as well as the opposite field efficiently. Should be a force to be reckoned with as he grows into some more power. Evan Rosales (2027, Houston, Texas) was dominant on the mound for HP 2027 Allen. Went five shutout innings over the weekend, surrendering just one hit and two walks while striking out ten. Fastball lives 83-87 with some carry. Curveball is a heavy 12/6 downer at 69-74. North-south approach with a super steep release. Showed some really good feel for the zone and sequenced effectively to keep hitters off balance. Tristan Wright (2028, Magnolia, Texas) put on a show for Banditos 2028...
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.