As an elite baseball performance center, we pride ourselves on taking players to the next level. This past offseason, we worked with Minnesota Twins pitcher Alex Scherff to upgrade his arsenal and reach his full potential ahead of the 2023 season.
After an intensive training program with our coaches and analysts, Alex showed remarkable gains in velocity, movement, command, and overall effectiveness. His breakthrough season is a testament to our ability to develop talent through innovative training and analytics.
We initially assessed Alex's pitching skills at the end of the 2022 season to identify areas for targeted improvement. Battling an injured 2022 season, we saw untapped potential in the quality of his stuff, consistency of execution, and durability. Over the winter, we created a customized program to elevate his four-seam fastball and slider to become true plus pitches.
Through mechanical drills and weighted ball training, Alex gained .8 mph on his four-seamer, increasing his velocity to 94.7 mph on average. More importantly, he added an explosive ride at the zone's top, generating 18.9 inches of vertical break, 12.4 inches of horizontal run, and huge stuff scores of 13.3 versus righties and 6.0 versus lefties. With elite fastball metrics, he can overpower hitters up in the zone.
Alex also made his wipeout slider a focal point, adding 1.6 mph to 84.5 mph. The
sharper velocity separation from his heater created a tunneling effect that made his slider deceptive and un-hittable. With 3.0 inches more horizontal run, it rated as a plus pitch, inducing weak contact and swings-and-misses. These gains in raw stuff boosted Alex's strikeout ability tremendously. He improved his strikeout rate from 23.3% to 27.7% while exhibiting better control. Cutting his walks allowed Alex to increase his ground ball rate and lower his expected batting average and slugging.
The results spoke for themselves in Alex's overall statistical performance. He chopped
his ERA from 5.27 in 2022 to 3.57 through dedicated work attacking his weaknesses. Alex also fired 25 more innings than the previous season, displaying improved stamina and durability.
Beyond the numbers, our motion tracking technology detected Alex's enhanced repeatability in his delivery. He exhibited greater consistency in releasing from the same arm slot, hitting locations, and executing pitches. This led to fewer mistakes over the plate and more confidence to attack the zone in any count.
This case study demonstrates our ability to take talented pitchers to the highest level
through our integrated approach to training, analytics, mechanics, and skills. Unlocking Alex's full potential required identifying and addressing areas needing improvement through focused programming based on data and technology.
Here at Kova Sports, we surround players with the coaching expertise, facilities, and
research to maximize their abilities on the field. Alex's commitment and our program unleashed remarkable gains in a short time. We eagerly anticipate working with more driven athletes like Alex to help them achieve their baseball dreams.
If you are a player, coach, or parent seeking elite pitching and throwing instruction, we
encourage you to explore our programs. With access to state-of-the-art technology for
evaluation and training, we develop major league quality pitchers from youth levels up. Our proven system can help take your game or your players’ development to new heights. Let us help chart your path to baseball excellence!
Reach out today.