What Is The Hardest Position In Baseball? Never Ending Argument.

What is the hardest position in baseball? This forever argument over the most difficult position in baseball has continued on since the beginning of baseball.

Many baseball experts argue for the shortstop position. Because while playing,  they need to communicate with other players in the field. Besides, they need to run for cutoffs into the outfield. 

Some of them vote for the catcher or center fielder. The catchers are constantly beaten up with balls and bats. But most of them rank the pitcher position high on this list. 

As a school baseball coach and ex-player, I also observe that a pitcher needs to perform hard and also acquire some skills. These skills that a pitcher should have are always different from other positions in baseball. Let’s find out which one is the hardest position in baseball.

What is the Hardest Position In Baseball?

Before jumping into the details about it, let know the most important positions in the baseball game. It will help to know the position of the baseball player again.

Pitcher is one of the hardest baseball positions because they need to measure and rank. It is one of the most physically dependent positions on your body. 

It depends on whether you are a reliever or a starter. So there are several types of this position, such as reliever,  starter, or even closer – based on your skill, strength, and velocity. 

Why Pitcher is the Hardest Position In Baseball?

Every year, I observe many young players who want to join my school team as a pitcher, as this position can control the entire game.  So, it is considered as the toughest position in baseball. 

A good pitcher can win the game with his good pitching skills without any fielder touching the ball. That’s why the stress and demand make it one of the premium positions in baseball.

Baseball positions in order of importance:

• Pitcher
• Catcher
• Shortstop
• Centerfield
• 2nd Base
• 3rd Base
• 1st Base
• Left Field
• Right Field

Also, a pitcher is the most important baseball player in the game. As they have the most crucial impact on the win or loss of a team.

Many experts in this baseball field claim that catchers also play a hard role in the game. That is also true, as a catcher needs to play actively along with a pitcher in every game. So, if you want to become a great pitcher, you should have a strong arm.  

Also, you have the ability to throw the ball perfectly. You will have a hard time pitching if you can not throw strikes.

What Makes Pitchers the Hardest Position in Baseball?

What is considered the hardest position in baseball – A pitcher is the most crucial position in baseball. All play begins with the pitcher. Also, a pitcher can control the pace of the game.

It is not that much hard to become a good pitcher but becoming a great pitcher is a tough job. 

Not only physical skills, but you also need to have some mental skills to become a great pitcher. 

You also need to practice a lot. So, you should practice more and should gather as much experience as you can to be a better pitcher. 

A pitcher’s main responsibility on the baseball field is to get the hitters out. They can do this in multiple ways, for instance, flyouts, strikeouts, ground balls, and so on. 

To become a great pitcher in baseball, you need to require a few specific mental skills. Pitching is a tough job as it requires both mental and physical involvement at the same time. 

But l think – it is more of a mental game than a physical one. A good pitcher should have to be calm through adversity. He or she needs to think forward and perform smartly in all situations.  

If you want to become a better pitcher, you should acquire many important physical skills too such as throwing strikes. You need to have a strong command of this skill to perform better on the baseball field. 

Also, a good pitcher should be able to throw the ball with a higher velocity. As it will assist a baseball pitcher to sneak the fastball by the hitter.

Being a successful pitcher, you also need to have the ability to move the baseball with different grips. It is another very essential physical skill that a great pitcher should focus on. 

You can not become a great pitcher overnight. Baseball pitching is a tough job, so it needs more practice just like the other sports need. 

Good baseball requires a lot of dedication and repetition to acquire all the mechanics, techniques, and strategies of pitching delivery.

Many baseball pitchers begin pitching at a very young age. You can not imagine that in my school team, the youngest pitchers who start pitching are around 7 years old. So, do not worry there is no specific age limit to begin pitching and be a good pitcher. 

What Skills and Attributes Do You Need to Become a Great Pitcher?

Every game begins with the pitcher and they moreover control the pace of the game. 

The significant needed required skills for pitching –

Arm strength and Accuracy

Arm strength is important because proper strength and conditioning help to lead to more powerful and accurate swings and throws. So, arm strength and accuracy are important for a perfect throwing.

Pitch Arsenal

A good pitchers should learn to deliver the baseball different ways. He needs to keep hitters off balance and adapt to different situations. Pitchers should learn to throw his ball in fastball, curveball, slider, changeup, and others ways.

Good Command in Strike Zone

Pitchers should learn how to control and manipulate each pitch in their arsenal is essential. They need to be master of pitching accuracy so that they can throw within or outside of the strike zone.

Learning to control and maximize the movement at the time of pitching is very important.

Anticipation

Anticipation helps players to develop and improve their ability to concisely predict what will occur and position the players according to it.

So, anticipation will help a pitcher to understand what the hitter wants to do and also predict accurately their strengths. You need to mix up your pitches to keep batters confused about upcoming pitching.

Effective Communication

A good pitchers need to communicate with other players. He need to communicate with catchers effectively so that he can pitch the baseball in right way at the right time.

Managing Mental Toughness

Baseball is not only a physical game but also a strategic game. Every moment captain and every player should be careful about game. Pitchers plays this role most.

As a pitcher, you need to be focused, calm, and plan for every pitching. To plan the right pitching, you need to be careful about game situation, including the score, the number of outs, the inning, and the base runners.

Height

Usually a bigger and stronger player gets more attention than a regular player in the baseball world. Professional coaches, and school and college coaches also want tall players on their teams.

If they hear someone’s height is 6’4″, they feel more interested than a regular player with a 5’10” height.

The Pitcher Body Type Scouts Look For –

• Need to be tall – height is around 6’3″ or above 
• Should have the thick and strong lower half
• Should have long legs, arms, and wide shoulders 
• Having big forearms – is a plus point 

What Does a Pitcher Do in Baseball?

In baseball, every game begins with a pitcher. A pitcher pitches the baseball from the pitcher’s mound on the way to the catcher to start the game. The pitcher starts the game to retire a batter, who always tries to draw a walk.

Important Demands, Skills & Role of a Pitcher

• Should have a strong arm
• Have to be mentally tough
• Should have high dexterity 
• Always ready for any high-pressure situations and should handle this situation wisely 
• Should have a good body control 
• Need to be very competitive 
• Also, have a strong baseball focus and intelligence

Important Pitching Roles –

In the higher levels of gameplay, many pitchers need to play specific roles such as major leagues. Here are some of the major roles of a pitcher: 

Starting pitcher – Basically, a starting pitcher starts the game. Occasionally, they complete the whole game by pitching all nine innings. Though this happens frequently. If they can pitch 6 or 7 innings, then no doubt they have done a great job and performed their duty perfectly.

Middle reliever – The middle reliever arrives to pitch a few innings while the starting pitcher gets troubled. So, they try hard to get the game into their hands.

Setup reliever – The main job of a setup reliever is to keep the game close. So that, the closer can arrive at the 9th innings. The setup reliever usually pitches 1 or 2 innings. 

The closer – The closer is a top pitcher. They usually pitch the last inning. They are frequently the power pitchers who usually arrive and throw as hard as they are able for one inning.

Some Common Mistakes in Selecting a Perfect Position Made By the Players

What is the right position for a young player? Here are some common mistakes made by players and parents in selecting a perfect position to reach the next level.

Mistake – 1. Aspiring to choose a position that is not a good fit for you

Mistake – 2. Become too stiff about that position

Mistake – 3. Playing in too many positions without acquiring the skill

Which Position is Perfect for You to Play in Baseball?

You should work on some crucial facts to select an ideal position for you in the baseball game. You have to measure your skills to choose which baseball position is perfect for you. 

It is very important to match up your skills with the requirements of your desired positions in baseball. 

If you are good with soft hands, then you should go for the middle infield position. If you have strong arms, then you should definitely choose the outfield position. 

So, as a school coach and ex-baseball player, I recommend all the interested players to work on different positions and skills to become a complete players on your baseball team.

How Can You Measure Your Skills that Assist in Picking Up the Right Position for You in the Baseball Team?

You need to assess your skills to choose the appropriate position in your baseball team. Provides you a small list of skills that you should pay more attention to choose the right position. 

While assessing, try to be honest about your skillset. 

Now start to rate yourself on a scale of 1 – 5 to measure your skills and abilities.

(Where 1 is poor and 5 is excellent).

• Arm Strength
• Height
• Soft hands 
• Anticipation and intelligence 
• Average Pitching Speed
• Velocity 
• Quickness
• Ground balls

The most versatile players are the best players. To become a great pitcher, you need to focus and work hard on these different types of skills, for example, arm strength, speed, velocity, soft hands, ground balls, etc. 

You should be a versatile player to become a star player on your team and grab your coach’s attention.

You should not only focus on one particular position till then you are playing at a high level. If you play at the centerfield or standout shortstop position, then based on the arm strength of your fellow team players, you can play a variety of positions in baseball through high school.

Important Pitching Strategies and Pro Tips

Throwing strikes is the main pitching strategy. You will have a better chance to gain success in youth baseball if you can throw strikes.

Here are a few other things you should focus on –

• You should focus on the glove of the catcher. Just pay attention to the catcher’s glove all over your pitch. Do not think about anything else.
• You should not get fancy on the first pitch. You should try to throw it for a strike.
• You should pitch at your own pace. Take some time to get into a rhythm. 
• Try to be compatible with your motion. Every time you pitch, landing, your motion, and follow-through have to look completely the same. You can also use pitching machines.
• You should work on throwing over the top but not the sidearm. Because it will reduce the chance and opportunity of getting injured and also give you more power.
• Always protect your arm
• You should have to be mentally tough
• You can practice pitching alone, it will also enhance your skill.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is catcher the hardest position in baseball?

As each play starts with the pitcher and they moreover control the pace of the game. So, the pitcher is the hardest position in baseball. But no doubt catcher is one of the hardest positions in baseball. 

Which position player is the fastest?

Generally, the center fielder position player is the fastest. Besides, the center fielder position, the shortstop, and second baseman positions are also very fast in modern baseball. Also, the right and left fielders need to have moderate speed. 

Why is the shortstop called the ‘captain of the infield’ in softball?

There are many reasons why shortstop is considered the ‘captain of the infield’.  Shortstop is called ‘captain of the infield’ as it is a commanding position. 

This position plays an important leadership role on the baseball field. This position is the king of the defenders.

What is the hardest outfield position to play?

Centerfield is considered the hardest outfield position. Because they need to cover a larger area and also need a strong arm to make throws.

What is the easiest position in baseball?

The right field is the easiest position in baseball. Because most of the hitters are right-handed. 

Final Words

There is always a forever debate and ongoing argument among the baseball experts about what is the hardest position in baseball. Few of them consider – the catcher position the hardest position in baseball. And few of them consider – the shortstop position. 

But as an ex-player and school baseball coach, I think the pitcher is the hardest position in baseball, because of the skill, anticipation, and strength. If you are a pitcher and want to increase your pitching speed read this article on how to increase pitching speed by 10 mph.