How do you measure pitching command in a bullpen?

Why strike percentage isn't enough

A fastball called low and away that lands belt-high over the middle is a strike. In a game it's a double. A changeup meant for the bottom of the zone that lands two inches below it is a ball, and a very good pitch. Strike percentage calls the first one good and the second one bad. Command measurement gets both right.

How to chart it

1. Before a pitch or a group of pitches, mark the intended target in the zone.
2. Record exactly where the pitch actually crossed. Never move the mark toward the target; if the pitch hit the spot, the miss is zero on its own.
3. Repeat. Change the target when the pitcher moves to a new spot or a new pitch.

What to read afterward

• Hit the spot: the share of pitches within a set radius of the target. PitchWise uses about 2.6 inches, roughly the width of a ball and a half.
• Average miss: in inches. For high school pitchers, under 8 inches on fastballs is a reasonable goal; college pitchers work toward 5 or 6.
• Miss direction: arm side, glove side, high or low. A pitcher who misses glove side consistently has a mechanical cause, not a focus problem.
• Strikes versus command: a pitcher with a high strike percentage and a large average miss is throwing hittable strikes. That's the pitcher the numbers usually flatter.

A note on scale

The strike zone is 17 inches wide. A charting box that's wider than the zone, as most are, means a "small" miss on the screen is a few inches of real distance. Use inches, not screen distance, when comparing pitchers.