Your EXACT Path To Throw 95mph

written by JOSH GESSNER | The Athletter

Good morning to all new and old readers! Here is today’s edition of TheAthletter, exploring stories, ideas, and frameworks to be the best Baseball Player you can be.

Throw 100mph Update:

I’m starting to really ramp up my training both throwing and lifting. I’m sharing everything I do publicly through my Instagram. Here’s one from 12/23/24:

My Best Advice This Week:

This is a piece of advice I Wish I had Growing Up. I talk about handling adversity which is inevitable in the game of baseball. Write your own Epic Story.

Your EXACT Path to Throwing 95mph+ in 2025 (Step by Step):

Step 1: Focus on Velocity Development

Firstly, and this is one of the most important steps, actually take time to focus on velocity development.

Everyone is playing so much these days.

And when you're playing, you don't give yourself the best chance to increase velocity.

When you actually take time to develop:

Instead of throwing 100 pitches on the weekend, you can go out and do a pull-down day.

Instead of throwing a touch bullpen, you can go and do a plyo velocity day.

This is what I did.

I took it to an extreme where I took 16-plus months off from playing to actually develop velocity.

But this helped me go from 78 to 95 miles per hour in those 16 months.

You might be thinking:

"If I take all of this time off, I'm going to fall behind. Everyone's going to think that I quit or something."

Let them think that you're falling behind.

Because when you come back throwing 10 miles per hour harder:

And you went from throwing 85 to 95...

Then you're going to be ahead of every single other player.

Another thing I keep hearing is that velocity will come with age.

Just wait until you get bigger, stronger, older, and velocity will come.

This is a myth.

99.99 percent of you guys are never going to throw 95 without actually training for it.

Step 2: Get on a Structured Throwing Program

The second thing is to actually get on a structured throwing program.

Right now, you might just be playing catch whenever you feel like it, maybe some plyos.

But you’re not on a structured program specifically designed to help you increase pitching velocity.

This doesn’t have to be complicated.

Do two high-intensity throwing days a week.

It might be a pull-down day, a plyo velocity day, or a mound velo day.

Just throw hard twice a week and make sure you’re tracking your progress.

Having a radar gun is mandatory.

You can’t improve something you don’t track.

One day, go out and throw as hard as you can.

That’s your baseline.

The next week, try to beat that.

Repeat this for three to four weeks, then take a deload week to rest and recover, and then repeat.

This isn’t the best way to do things, but it’s the simplest way.

If you don’t have a coach and you’re not in a position to financially invest in a program, this is what I would recommend.

Just throw hard twice a week and try to throw harder than you did the previous week.

Step 3: Improve Mechanics

Next is mechanics.

This is where it can get extremely complicated.

There are a million different things on social media.

My favorite framework, especially for the lower body, is the four steps: drift, drop, rotate, block.

Drift: This is how well you shift your center of mass.

It’s basically just drifting your center of mass a little bit forward during your leg lift so that you’re not at a balance point.

Drop: This is dropping as hard as you can into your back leg.

The harder you drop into it, the more momentum you’ll have and the harder you’ll throw.

Rotate: This is when you create hip-to-shoulder separation.

Make sure you’re holding that tension as long and as tight as possible, then releasing it at the last second.

Timing is more important than the amount of separation.

Block: This is the lead leg.

It’s how well you stop all that momentum and transition it into your arm and throw.

Step 4: Improve Body Composition

Body composition is very important. If you’re a skinny kid, you’re going to have to gain weight.

Aim for 2.5 to 3 times your body weight in inches.

I was a 16-year-old weighing 155 pounds, and I gained 50 pounds in 16 months.

This helped me gain that 16mph.

On the other hand, if you’re overweight, cut down to the 10-15 percent body fat range. This isn’t a hard rule, but it gives you an idea of where you should be.

Step 5: Lift with Progressive Overload

The main thing with lifting is progressive overload.

Add weight to your lifts every week.

For example, if you can squat 225 for five reps, try 230 the next week, then 235, and so on.

Build a strong foundation.

Once you have a strength base, start focusing on power and speed with plyometrics, jumps, and velocity-based training.

Step 6: Obsession

If throwing 95 is your goal, you need to be obsessed with it.

Make it your singular focus for six months.

When you work toward one goal with obsession and daily effort, you can achieve much more than you ever thought possible.

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you: 

1. Free 9 Week Program: A free generic program for those looking to gain velocity.

2. My Best Thoughts: I upload Youtube videos multiple times a week sharing my best thoughts.

3. ThePitcherLab: Exclusive group of pitchers looking to work 1-1 with us. Our mission is to help you become good enough to get recruited or signed. Full Stack Program, Full Mechanical Breakdown, Daily Feedback. DM me ‘1-1’ for details.