Pitch (baseball)

To obtain variety, and therefore enhance defensive baseball strategy, the pitcher manipulates the grip on the ball at the point of release.

Variations in the grip cause the seams to catch the air differently, thereby changing the trajectory of the ball, making it harder for the batter to hit.

The selection of which pitch to use can depend on the type of hitter who is being faced; whether there are any base runners; how many outs have been made in the inning; and the existing score.

It is basically a pitch thrown very fast, generally as hard as a given pitcher can throw while maintaining control.

While throwing the fastball it is very important to have proper mechanics, because this increases the chance of getting the ball to its highest velocity, making it difficult for the opposing player to hit the pitch.

If thrown correctly, the changeup will confuse the batter because the human eye cannot discern that the ball is coming significantly slower until it is around 30 feet from the plate.

There are two legal pitching positions: Typically, pitchers from the set use a high leg kick, but may instead release the ball more quickly by using the slide step.