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General  | Blog | 4/10/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 64

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. Because if you're a pitcher between 14 and 18 years old, that truth… really absorbing it… might be one of the most important things that happens to your development this year.

Four Champions. Zero Copies.

Watch film of Barry Zito and Justin Verlander back-to-back. Then pull up Trevor Bauer and Dallas Keuchel. These are four elite professionals operating at the absolute pinnacle of the sport, and their movement patterns look nothing alike.

Different arm paths. Different sequencing. Different timing. Different body types attacking the same 60 feet, 6 inches in completely their own way.

Now ask yourself this honest question: What would have happened if someone had insisted, when each of them was your age, that they all throw exactly like Justin Verlander?

For Verlander, great. For the other three? Almost certainly a disaster. The movement pattern simply wouldn't have fit who they were as athletes—their structure, mobility, natural timing, and individual anatomy.

Yet right now, today, the overwhelming majority of pitching instruction being delivered to young pitchers works exactly that way: same choreography, same cues, same "do it like this" …  delivered to every pitcher who walks through the door, regardless of body type, athleticism, or individual makeup.

One-size-fits-all.

Zito, Verlander, Bauer, and Keuchel didn't become Cy Young winners by being shaped into someone else's mold. They became champions by becoming the very best versions of themselves.

Why This Matters Right Now… At Your Age

Here's what makes this urgent for you specifically: you are in the window of development where movement habits are being locked in. The patterns you build between 14 and 18 are the ones you'll carry into your late teens and early twenties. That makes this period both your greatest opportunity and your greatest risk.

Instruction that doesn't fit your individual body creates two predictable outcomes. Either you stagnate—same velocity month after month, unable to break through—or your body eventually protests through arm pain, breakdown, and injury. Neither outcome is inevitable, but both become far more likely when you're being trained as a template rather than as a person.

The four pitchers above understood something critical: they were unique athletes who needed a process organized around them, not a process designed for someone else that they were being forced to fit into.

Three Questions Worth Asking About Your Own Development

You may not be able to change your instruction overnight, but you can start asking better questions. Here are three worth sitting with:

Does my instruction start with me? Before prescribing anything, a coach developing you seriously should spend real time assessing you… your structure, your mobility, your current movement pattern, and why it looks the way it does. Instruction that skips assessment and jumps straight to "do it like this" is working on a phantom, not on you.

Am I learning to understand, or just to copy? There's a significant difference between a coach who helps you understand why your body moves the way it does versus one who just points to a video and says,“mirror it.” Understanding creates adaptability and long-term growth. Copying creates fragility. When you understand the principle behind a movement, you can self-correct and keep developing even when no coach is in the room.

Is arm health being treated as a whole picture? Arm care is not just icing your elbow after a bullpen. It is a complete picture of how you move, recover, balance, train, and sleep. If the approach to your arm health begins and ends with pitch counts, there are important conversations still to be had.

What Zito, Verlander, Bauer, and Keuchel Can Teach You Beyond the Trophy

The most important lesson these four pitchers model isn't about winning an award. It's about the mindset that made the award possible.

Each of them, at some point in their development, had the self-awareness and the courage to say: I am not going to accept cookie-cutter. I am going to find out what actually works for me. Each of them committed to understanding themselves as athletes…their strengths, limiters,and unique movement signatures… and pursued development built around who they actually were.

That kind of intellectual engagement with your own development is rare at any age. At 14 to 18, it is almost unheard of, and it is one of the most powerful competitive edges available to you right now, completely free of charge, requiring nothing but curiosity and honest self-assessment.

The pitchers who develop fastest and stay healthiest are rarely the most naturally gifted ones in the gym at 15. They are the ones who asked better questions and refused to accept "just do it like everyone else does."

You have that choice in front of you right now.

Stay curious. Stay honest with yourself. And never let anyone turn you into a cookie.

– Ron Wolforth, Founder & CEO, Texas Baseball Ranch®

Stay Curious and Keep Fighting the Good Fight

General | General | 2/23/2026

PG Salutes Chet Brewer, a Youth Baseball Pillar

Jim Salisbury
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PG Salutes Chet Brewer, a Youth Baseball Pillar A few weeks ago, Perfect Game and its Believe in Baseball foundation held a fundraising event in Los Angeles. The “In the Spirit of the Game” dinner and auction brought in thousands of dollars, all of which will go toward providing deserving youngsters an opportunity to play and grow in the game. Chet Brewer was not at the event – the former Negro Leagues star died at age 83 in 1990 – but his spirit was. Big time. “That night was all about Chet,” PG commissioner Dennis Gilbert said. “He was all about giving kids chances to play the game, especially kids from underprivileged backgrounds. “When you’re 15, 16, 17 years old – those years are the basis of your life. Chet helped put a lot of kids on the right path through the game of baseball.” Brewer’s impactful life has...
Tournaments | Championship | 6/15/2026

WC Ghost Claims Arizona All-State Title

Emily Hicks
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In a championship game that featured strong pitching and sharp defense from both sides, West Coast Ghost AZ 16U pulled away late to defeat Overfly 2028, 5-3, and claim the Arizona All-State Games title. “We had discipline at the plate, on the mound, out in the field; everyone just did their thing. It was good,” said Cash Carmichael The two teams traded runs throughout the 1st and 2nd innings, making it 3-2. Followed by a single run scored at the top of the 4th by Overfly 2028, it remained tied 3-3 for most of the game. Both defenses made key plays to limit scoring opportunities, turning potential rallies into outs and keeping the pressure high in every inning. With the game deadlocked heading into the bottom of the sixth, West Coast Ghost AZ finally broke through. Bottom of the 6th, J. Haizen Reidhead recorded a single, Oren Tucker walked, and Josiah Shim was hit by pitch....
Tournaments | Story | 6/15/2026

Coastal Region Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Wyatt Smitherman (2028, Durham NC) had a solid day at the plate for USA Prime Triangle 16u Stars in their matchup against the Charlotte Colts. The 5-foot-11, 160-pound shortstop has a tall athletic frame. The left handed batter displayed a mature approach at the plate. Attacks fastballs and drives them with authority. He has quick hands and gets the barrel through the zone. Uses his lower half to his advantage creating enough torque to generate his power he shown. Smitherman finished the day going 1-for-3 with a home run and 4 RBI. Zachary Days (2028, Charlotte NC) had a impressive day at the plate for the Charlotte Colts against USA Prime Coastal. The 6-foot-3, 170 pound center fielder has a tall athletic frame. Days bats from the left side with a short but powerful swing. Very disciplined during his AB’s and applies pressure on the defense. He shifts his weight to his lower half...
Tournaments | Championship | 6/15/2026

Weather Can't Delay Top Tier Victory

Alyssa Golden
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A seven-run first inning gave Top Tier Roos American Red 2027 all the momentum they needed Sunday morning, but the road to a Florida World Series championship was far from straightforward.  After jumping out to an early lead against WBC 17u, Top Tier endured a 3 ½-hour rain delay before returning to finish off a 9-1 victory at Lee Health Sports Complex.  The championship game, which began at 8 a.m. and did not conclude until nearly 1 p.m., ended in the bottom of the fifth inning under Perfect Game’s mercy-rule format. Top Tier’s dominant performance was powered by a complete-game effort from Christian Davis and an offense that erupted for seven runs in the first inning.  Not even hours of uncertainty and lightning delays could keep Top Tier from finishing what they started.  Davis started on the mound for Top Tier and remained the entire five...
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Erica Beach
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PG Super Regionals Dripping Springs, Texas June 6-7, 2026     DRIPPING SPRINGS, TX- The weather was nice, the Longhorns JUST won a national championship, and Perfect Game brought it’s first softball event to Dripping Springs. It was a weekend packed with college coaches, quality softball, and a great softball atmosphere. Over the course of the six-game guarantee event, our scout saw some amazing athletes. Below she highlights some of the athletes who caught her eye.   Destiny Sidiropoulos (2028, Houston, TX) of the Impact Gold HTX 16U was an incredible spark plug at the top of their lineup all weekend. She is a true triple threat who has great speed on the basepaths. She can soft and power slap, drop a sneaky bunt, and hit away with pop. Her barrel control is next level, and she is fun to watch pick apart defenses. On defense, she is versatile and athletic. She gets...
Tournaments | Story | 6/13/2026

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Joey Cohen
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With summer ball ramping up, the priority follow lists from our scouting staff start to take shape and every year a handful of intriguing names outside the national spotlight begin to separate. Digging deeper into the West region, there’s a group of prospects currently buried outside the Top 200 who carry real breakout and helium potential over the next few months. All 10 players featured here are coming off strong high school seasons and bring traits that evaluators tend to bet on whether it’s projectable/athletic bodies, strong secondary stuff, or flashes of impact tools. They may not be household names just yet, but the ingredients are there for significant jumps by the end of the summer circuit. Don’t be surprised if several of these names are firmly in the mix and climbing up early boards in a hurry before the fall rolls around. Two innings of work here from Jonah...
Tournaments | Story | 6/14/2026

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Steve Fiorindo
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Nash McCarthy (2030, Camas, WA) was outstanding in his start on day two of the UBC West for NW Baum Bat, working six-innings allowing four-hits, no walks and struck out seven.  Standing at 6-foot, 170-pounds with athleticism and room to add.  Effortless mover down the bump with a low effort, up-tempo operation that produced a fastball that was up to 84.  He showed feel for the secondary offerings mixing in a firm breaking ball at 71-74 with 11-5 shape with depth.  Controlled the zone and the tempo throughout the outing, moving the ball around to all four-quadrants.  Projectable arm speed with advanced feel for the spin and strike zone.  Dylan D'Oyen (2030, Cerritos, CA) got the start for 5 Star 2030 in their opening game of the tournament and impressed over six innings of work.  Athletic mover down the mound with balance and repeats the delivery. ...
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UBC South Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
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Quintin Blackwell (2030, Hercules, California) has, literally, been unstoppable this weekend for Premier Banditos Deleon. In six plate appearances, he has a walk and five hits. Doing it all with a double and two triples, while stealing three bags. Plenty of coil on the front side. Hands work through zone and the barrel stays on plane for a long time. High upside bat that makes an already deep Banditos lineup even deeper. Kenson Buth (2027, Trophy Club, Texas) has been an absolute weapon on both ends for Stix 2027 Scout. At the plate, he’s 6-9 with two doubles, a triple, and a home run. Linear approach with a ton of bat speed. Plenty of impact at the bottom of the zone and showing some ability to do serious damage in the middle of the field. On the mound, he went four quality innings, punching out three. The fastball lived 86-90 with carry. Good feel for the slider in the mid 70s....
Tournaments | Story | 6/13/2026

WWBA East Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
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Sawyer Pettit (‘27 MS) Has shown extremely well to start the summer of 2026. Its a physical left-handed hitting corner profile with big muscle mass. Will pass the eye test off the bus at the next level. The swing is clean with controlled violence and big in-air power that has shown up frequently. Good mover for the size and plays the game hard. Candidate for a big frosh season at LSU-Eunice in 2028. Keviyun McQueen (‘27 MS) Pair of barrels tied together here. Innate feel to hit with fast hands. Line drive approach that gets to pull side power in the air. Excellent athlete that will stick at a premium spot. #LaTech commit.#WWBAEast pic.twitter.com/xeintVTMil — PG Deep South (@PG_DeepSouth) June 12, 2026 Keviyun McQueen (‘27 MS) The Louisiana Tech commit just does not stop hitting. Left the yard to the pull side yesterday and followed it up with a 3-4 day with a...
Tournaments | Story | 6/12/2026

AZ All-State Ready to Take Place

Emily Hicks
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This weekend, eight teams will head to Goodyear Ballpark for the 2026 PG Arizona All-State tournament, setting the stage for what should be an exciting few days of baseball. With teams traveling from across the city, the field will be packed with talent and plenty of championship contenders. Among the teams competing in 16U are AZ Select, Marucci Athletics 2028 Grannis, Overfly 2028, Phoenix Phillies, Team Dinger 2028, T-Rex East Valley, USA Scout Team AZ 16U, and West Coast Ghost AZ 16U. Each team enters the weekend with its own strengths and goals, creating several intriguing storylines to follow throughout pool play and bracket action. One of the biggest teams to watch this weekend will be 10-10, T-Rex East Valley. Whether it's dominant pitching, high-powered offenses, or strong defensive play, T-Rex East Valley has already shown they can compete at a high level this season. A few...
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Perfect Game Staff
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13u & 14u PG Elite Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Tucker Richardson (2030, Mobile, Ala.) has already made a name for himself and he continued to play at the expected high level during his time in Hoover, finishing the tournament with a robust .700 average, collecting at least one base hit in each of his team’s games. Now the No. 10 ranked prospect in the country, Richardson more than once showed the ability to read and react to spin out of the pitcher’s hand, barreling up baseballs for a couple of his hits on the tournament. As much as the bat stands out, the defensive actions in the dirt are even better as he’s arguably the best defender in the class, making the most difficult plays look routing, including one where he charged hard on a slow roller with momentum taking him towards the third base dugout but thanks to the big arm, he was able to make the play look second...
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