Arm Strength
Arm Strength may not be at the top of the list for jumping levels, but I think it is seemingly overlooked by athletes trying continue their careers. While I believe that there are a lot of great players out there that don’t necessarily have great throwing arms, the game is becoming more defensive orientated. Recruiters are looking for players who not only swing it, but can get the ball across the diamond. Great catchers can be considered D 1 when they are on the bag at 2.0 seconds flat. While I think that kids and their parents throw 1.8 and 1.9 seconds around like many throw around 90 mph, there are really only a handful of athletes that are capable of performing at that level on a regular basis. To throw a 2.0 flat to second requires a good arm, some-where in the mid 70s at least. Right now, forget about the clock; I see a lot of recruiters just looking for the arm strength a catcher that possesses and a bit of accuracy. They seem to worry about times later.
Outfield seems to be an easy one for me to describe. Aim to throw somewhere in the low 80s and you probably have a pretty good chance to play on from a defensive stand point as long as you can catch a fly ball.
Infield is kind of different from other positions; it really depends on what you run into regarding opinion. Some coaches seem to worry about arm strength first, looking for mph around low to mid 80s, over picking the ball up. Some like picking it up first and having good actions as an infielder.
The question is, what does a strong arm do for you?
Answer:
It allows you to have a larger margin for error. Meaning, an infielder can afford to bobble the ball and still throw the runner out when that individual possesses a strong arm. A catcher can afford to have a pitcher that is a little slower to the plate and still throw the base stealer out. An outfielder can have a longer transfer time (from the time he picks the ball off the ground until the time it leaves his fingers) and still nail a runner at the plate.
The moral is young athletes don’t spend enough time on learning how to throw, or even playing catch for that matter. Being able to play catch properly allows an athlete to develop better arm strength. Having a strong and accurate arm helps to make you more marketable to schools and scouts. Pay attention to how you throw.