In this episode, I sit down with Cam Lanzilli, college pitching coach and former professional pitching development specialist with the Baltimore Orioles, to talk about what elite pitching development actually looks like behind the scenes and what most coaches and families are getting completely wrong.
Cam breaks down why recruiting pitchers who \"throw strikes\" is the wrong way to think about command, what focal point training is and why it changes everything, and how he uses data and movement profiles to develop pitchers individually rather than forcing them into a one size fits all system.
We also get into the Tommy John epidemic, why low volume training in the fall is actually the smartest thing a pitcher can do. He also mentions what he saw in a preferred walk-on that nobody else wanted that turned him into a scout magnet by the end of the season.
This conversation is a must listen for pitchers, parents, and coaches who want to understand what modern elite pitching development actually looks like and why uniqueness beats everything else in recruiting.
Topics Covered:
0:00 Intro
0:08 Is \"recruit guys who throw strikes\" actually true or just a social media trend
3:55 What acquiring strikes actually means and why zone rate alone is misleading
4:45 How focal point training works and why pitchers should stop throwing to their target
7:35 What the average pitch miss differential is in the MLB and what it means for development
8:39 What Cam would teach hitters knowing everything he knows as a pitching coach
10:35 A simple breakdown of focal point vs target and how pitchers can use it today
13:45 What Cam learned about patience from his mom being an English teacher
15:58 The biggest differences between developing college pitchers and professional pitchers
19:00 Why Cam keeps fall workloads intentionally low and what he is actually building toward
21:39 The real reason Tommy John injuries spike at the start of every season
25:03 How Cam gets pitchers to buy in when they are resistant or listening to someone else
25:36 Why Cam always has a reason before asking a pitcher to make a change
27:43 When is the right time for a pitcher to get a biomechanics assessment and 3D motion capture
29:42 The preferred walk-on nobody wanted who became a scout magnet by the end of the season
32:34 What Cam looks for first when he watches a pitcher and why uniqueness beats everything
36:53 The advice Cam would give every player and family navigating the recruiting process today
Follow Cam Lanzilli:
Twitter/X: https://x.com/LanzilliCam
https://x.com/eckerdbaseball
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