Mike Montgomery

Assistant Baseball Coach @ Southwestern University

[Trevor Bauer (トレバー・バウアー) @BauerOutage]

The pitch most pitchers are missing isn't their nastiest one. It's the boring one in the middle.

Here's how I build an arsenal that actually works:

Three pitches. Three speeds. Three movement shapes. All coming out of the same tunnel.

Up-and-down: fastball, gyro slider, curveball.
Lateral: sinker, cutter, sweeper.
Fast, mid-speed, slow.

The middle pitch is the anchor. Most guys skip it. That's the mistake.

Reason one: the smaller the movement, the easier it is to throw for a strike. So in fastball counts, when I need the zone, I throw the mid-speed pitch. High strike percentage, and it tunnels with the fastball. The hitter sees the same window out of my hand and has no idea what's coming. He's guessing on speed alone. That's where pitchers win.

Reason two: once that middle pitch is doing its job, I never have to throw my curveball or sweeper for a strike. I save the big breaker for two-strike counts, for chase situations, for the moments when missing the zone is actually the right play.

A fastball and a breaking ball is just two pitches. Add the middle pitch and you have an arsenal.

Most pitchers are one pitch away from being almost unhittable. They just keep looking for something nastier when the answer is something simpler.

[Grandpa_Grinder @Walan_Kite]

@EricLDaugh @DebyanneS Whose next?

[Next Level Baseball @nextlevelbb]

Hitters
The only time striking out is somewhat acceptable is with a 3-2 count and an expanded strike call.
Expand the zone with 2 strikes.
Choke up, spread out, take the plate away and compete like a JYD.
When the count goes full you shrink the zone and make him throw a real strike.
Full count walks fuel offenses and destroy pitchers.

[Mike Montgomery @driveitdeep]

@VictorRojas I hear ya coach. Most of these guys want money and will never get it and may never play. It’s amazing how many guys I have contacted that have never replied or have told me thanks but……

[Coach @CoachBradley9]

Interesting to note that the most talked about hitting metric in recents months is
Barrel Accuracy… not bat speed, not exit velocity and not launch angle! In very simple terms….being able to get barrel of bat to the ball! Ability to make solid contact!

[Matt Lisle @CoachLisle]

When talking about Attack Angle, timing has to be part of the conversation.

Here is a way to look at timing and attack angle and their relationship together. The attack angle will vary on the height of the pitch as well as location hence the (4-12 degree range)

Vertical Bat Angle is another big piece of the puzzle. (That’s for another post)

[3 Lefts Baseball | Coach Big Mike Fuchs @3leftsbaseball]

The Death of Baseball IQ

The game is over and we need to talk about why we took an L and why half of you are going to go home open your phones and completely miss the point.

We have an absolute epidemic in amateur baseball right now.

Players who are chasing metrics but losing ballgames. You’ve been trained to believe that if your exit velocity is up, your launch angle is perfect, and your radar gun numbers look good on a screen. You’re an elite prospect.

Let me tell you the truth. You are training for a spreadsheet while the team is trying to win a game on the dirt.

Data builds a great engine but tools don't mean a thing if you have zero Baseball IQ.

The 3 Lefts Metrics Audit

The Situational Deficit: In the cage a 95 mph exit velo is a perfect rep. In a live game with a runner on second, zero outs, and a tie score in the 6th. The definition of success changes. If you take a massive, heavy-pull hero swing to juice your personal data profile and roll over into a weak groundout. You failed. You chose to chase a metric instead of executing the backside approach the scoreboard demanded.

The Invisible Play Deficit: You can’t put a radar gun on a perfectly executed cutoff throw. There is no viral metric for an outfielder running 60 feet just to back up first base or an infielder communicating who has the bag on a steal before the pitch is thrown. Because those high IQ defensive plays don't generate a flashy stat line for social media. You treat them like afterthoughts. That is exactly why we give up runs.

The Scout Card Reality: You’re on the bus right now refreshing apps looking at a padded batting average. Let’s be real high level college recruiters and pro scouts don't care about your digital box score or what a local app says you're batting. They see right through it. They are watching how you handle a 95-mph fastball inside, your pitch recognition on a 3-2 slider, and your in game instincts. The screen might lie to protect your feelings but the radar gun and the scout's notebook won't.

Data can build the engine but it cannot steer the car. The college game moves way too fast for slow thinkers. If your energy, your hustle, and your focus change depending on your personal metrics instead of the team's record. You aren't a competitor.

You're just a data collector wearing our jersey.

Turn off the screens. Learn the game. Own the standard.
#3LeftsBaseball #CoachBigMike

[Dirt Bro Diamond Training @DirtBroUSA]

Controlled aggression and purpose behind every swing.

Don’t just push the ball around the field. But don’t swing max effort trying to hit pull-side home runs every round of BP either.

MLB hitters are the strongest and most physical players in the game. They could launch balls out all day if they wanted to. Yet the great ones understand that batting practice is about building a swing that performs in games.

Watch hitters like Miguel Cabrera. Sure, they hit some out, but they aren’t constantly hooking and top-spinning balls to the pull side. They’re hunting backspin and driving the baseball with authority.

Controlled aggression and driving the ball to the opposite-field gap helps hitters stay on fastballs to all fields, avoid pulling off, and buy time to adjust to off-speed pitches and breaking balls.

Many amateur hitters struggle with both because they train their swing to look good in BP, not perform in games. They become one-dimensional.

Be a mature hitter. Train for game performance, not batting practice applause.

[Xen Penny @XenPenny]

All the sayings and team words to promote a good culture and winning environment are fine. How to promote a real winning environment? It's in how you act daily. Do you have discipline as the leader? Do you study? Do you exercise hard? Do you watch what you eat?

[MAGA Voice @MAGAVoice]

HOLY SH*T: This Young Black Woman just exposed Democrat Talking points in 40 seconds:

“I'm 63 years old. I've been voting since I was 18. I have NEVER had a problem voting”

Would be a shame if everyone on 𝕏 saw this

[Phoenix 🇺🇸 @Phoenix2A_1980s]

You know what's crazy?

Ilhan Omar could roll out every receipt of this fraud she is part of on the Congress floor, get up on a desk and shout that she did it, and nothing, NOTHING would still happen to her at this point.

Strip her of her credentials, and DEPORT. HER. NOW.

How much proof do these people need???

[Kendall Rogers @KendallRogers]

Love to see this from Dave Serrano. Things didn’t work out at Tennessee, but the overall resume is impressive.

[Sarah Sizzle @sizzle_sarah]

It’d be cool if Senate Republicans actually passed the SAVE Act instead of just posting about it on X.

House did its job—your turn.

[Sam Rothman @samrothman_]

Former #Vols Head Coach Dave Serrano is headed to the NAIA World Series with @JURoyals_BB.

“I’ve always had a pit in my stomach that not only did I let myself down, and the ones closest to me, but I let my community down (at UT)...to have success here (at JU), I relish in the fact I did something really good in this community that I love.”

Loved catching up with Coach Serrano today! Full story airs tonight on @6News at 6.

[Gunther Eagleman™ @GuntherEagleman]

@LeaderJohnThune You are failing them all by not nuking the filibuster and passing the SAVE America Act.

[Pamela Hensley🇺🇸 @PamelaHensley22]

The Senate Parliamentarian just blocked $1B in Secret Service funding for Trump's White House East Wing ballroom security upgrades. An unelected official isn’t running the country. We elected Trump to be President NOT the Parliamentarian. Thune: ignore this or fire her. Now.

[Coach Tommy Tuberville @SenTuberville]

Anyone who chants “DEATH TO AMERICA” has no place in our country.

[@Chicago1Ray 🇺🇸 @Chicago1Ray]

🚨 Do your jobs... don't end up like Cassidy & Cornyn

Raise your hand ✋️if you want 5 of these Senators to start the process of removing Thune

BRITT
TUBERVILLE
SCHMITT
CRUZ
LEE
HAWLEY
SCOTT
BLACKBURN
MOODY
COTTON
MCCORMICK
ROUNDS
KENNEDY
CAPITO
SHEEHY

Remove John Thune 👇

[Barstool Ducks @BarstoolDucks]

Doesn’t get more electric than a walk off bunt

[U.S TROOPS🇺🇲 @Ustroopss]

Mayor of Charlotte, NC asks that we not post about this lady murdered on a Charlotte train by a repeat offender with 14 prior arrests

I say in Iryna’s memory please share and make this go viral! A repeat offender with 14 prior arrests should not be roaming the streets of ANY city! They should be locked up!! Epic failure in the justice system..

We will never forgot her ever