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Bullpen Session: Mound Presence

May 30, 2014

By: PBR Staff

In this installment of “Bullpen Session”, we are going to discuss Mound Presence.

Pitchers are a different breed. Pitchers are very ego driven. They have to be. Who else would want the spotlight on them for every pitch of the game, and put themselves in such a position to be the goat or be the hero. Often times a pitcher’s personality off the field is different than what is displayed when “toeing the rubber”. The pitcher’s body language combined with his on field personality creates a mound presence, which can be labeled in many different ways.

Here are a few:

  • Deck of Cards (Easily folds) - When the pressure rises, this pitcher shuts down. This pitcher cannot pitch through an opposing teams hits and runs. When things don’t go the way imagined, shoulders will slouch and blame is given to others. The pitcher that easily folds will question every non-strike call, and exhibits the poorest of body language when things are going bad. This mound presence is not only ineffective, but also can be contagious and spread through the dugout and carry on to the team’s approach at the plate.
  • Bulldog – A coach’s favorite. This blue-collar player wants the ball in every situation. This pitcher will not show negative emotion when things go bad. If the shortstop misplays a groundball, no problem. The bulldog keeps grinding.  The bulldog makes adjustments as the game dictates. This pitcher finds what works and runs with it, sacrificing style for effectiveness as long as the team is getting results. The bulldog picks up his teammates and gets back on the hill ready to pitch to keep the game rolling. The bulldog doesn’t look for an excuse to explain failure.
  • The Intimidator – The angry scowl on this pitcher’s face is present from the first pitch to the final out.  If the intimidator hits a hitter, he thinks, “So what………. give me the ball so I can strike out the next guy!”  This pitcher often achieves success by taking the hitter out of his approach. On occasions, the intimidator will win pitches he should not by the establishment of this mound presence.

Pitchers worry about their “stuff”. Prioritizing things like their mechanics, velo, depth on breaking ball or slider, are all elements of a pitcher that college coaches and pro scouts look for. However, there are intangibles such as mound presence that can either bump a guy up who is on the bubble or take a player of a list completely. Pitchers are not robots. Baseball is a game that should be played with emotion. When a pitcher exhibits a good mound presence, he can help his stock rise in the eyes of recruiters and scouts, and more importantly, help his team win.
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