Of course, pitchers face similar challenges upon reaching Double-A. Where once they could dominate lower-minors competition solely with big velocity, hurlers now have to mix in secondary offerings and sharpen their command.
“One noticeable change for pitchers moving from High-A to Double-A is the ability to consistently locate a breaking ball while also throwing around 90 mph,” McDaniel said. “Those two abilities alone will likely get a pitcher through the A-Ball levels pretty easily.”
Just as hitters face a tougher brand of competition, so too do pitchers have to prove that they can continually succeed against better quality opposition. At a level where batters are beginning to develop a smarter, more refined approach, young hurlers can’t overmatch batters without their own well-executed plan.
“A typical Double-A hitter is less likely than his A-ball counterpart to chase junk pitches outside the strike zone,” Sickels said. “You’re more likely to find hitters capable of handling major league quality fastballs; there are fewer weak bats that you can just overpower. If your command isn’t sharp, or if you don’t have something to go with your fastball, those weaknesses will get exposed quickly in Double-A.”
