Far East Division

Meta description: Learn how to pitch like Yu Darvish employing his command of multiple pitches and mental outlook.

Yu Darvish is a Japanese born right handed pitcher currently playing baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is 30 years old and has pitched in the majors since 2012. Darvish transitioned to the United States in a deal between the Texas Rangers and the Nippon Ham Fighters of the Japanese Pacific Division. He has compiled a 54 win and 39 loss record with a 3.39 ERA while battling arm injuries the last several years with the Rangers. He is considered a high-quality pitcher and was obtained by the Dodgers to bolster their rotation in their bid to capture a World Series Title.

As an international star, Darvish is a model that many young pitchers wish to emulate. Let’s take a look at some of his distinctive qualities and show you some ways you can try to pitch like Yu Darvish. We will leave aside that his height of 6 feet 5 inches may give him some delivery advantages. There is not much you can do about your height!

Characteristics Of Yu Darvish’s Pitching

1. Ability to throw many different pitches effectively

Darvish displays command of many pitches. He consistently throws a fastball, splitter, slider, curveball, changeup and cutter. He does not have what one would consider an overpowering major league fastball as it tops out at around 93-95 MPH. This is good speed but not elite. His success is built on his ability to throw different pitches and choose the right one at the right time. This is how he gets his strikeouts. He has an uncanny ability to make hitters miss and paint the edges of the strike zone.

Yu was scouted by the Rangers when he was in high school, and they identified him as a top prospect. His ability to control speed and location was the key factor in this decision proving that pitching is indeed more than brute speed.

2. Maintaining composure on mound

Yu Darvish was highly touted by many observers early in his career for showing maturity on the mound that far exceeded that of a typical young player. This composure and ability to not get emotionally overheated lend themselves to his cerebral pitching style where he will outthink you rather than overpower you. The ability to remain calm and in control of his emotions is one of Darvish’s strong points and one that all players can learn from observing.

3. Striving for improvement

What sets many major leaguers apart from other players is their drive to continually improve their performance. This trait was recently exhibited by Darvish after a start against the Miami Marlins where he gave up three solo home runs. Alerted to the fact that the Marlins may have known what pitch was coming, Darvish studied videotape of the game and concluded he was indeed tipping off pitches. He paused an instant longer before throwing a fastball as compared to a curveball. The Marlin hitters took advantage but Darvish will eliminate that tell from his repertoire going forward. Without this ability to self-criticize and make changes it is impossible to remain at the top of an athletic profession.