Pitching Development Seen Through My Lens
I consider my case slightly different than most people my age. At 18 years old, I've been lucky enough to work in professional baseball for almost five years. As I grew up, I knew that my passion was baseball and what surrounded it. I was captivated by the mental and physical demands needed to succeed in the game. I was enticed by the developmental ideology that surrounded the game and those who sought to teach it. The foundation of my passion sat in the arms of development. More specifically, the efforts made continuously by coaches and teachers to help those who play the game, discover, execute, and capture their best abilities.
It's a fact that since the beginning of the USPBL, I've (most-likely) seen more pitches than any other person at the field. I spent my first few years as a photographer, which required me to watch the game and capture the best moments. My goal at the time, when I was just 14, was to get my foot in the door. I quickly taught myself photography and marveled at the raw potential and ability of the league's players. As the years at the field continued to mount, it seemed that a new player was signed by a Major League organization every few weeks. At the time, I was aware of the USPBL's development program for pitchers, known as Delivery Value System, or DVS, for short. As the developmental side had always captured my interest, I was keen at watching from a distance as to what techniques and tactics Justin Orenduff and the team used to help pitchers improve their abilities on the field.
It was never a quick process, but it was something that I noticed began to prove itself over and over. After spending a few seasons at the USPBL, I began to note the trends I saw and how DVS changed these players. When the season opened, many young players joined the league from all different types of backgrounds. Whether they had college, high school, or pro experience, none of them were alike. Pitchers were ranging from six-foot-seven to five-foot-eight. No two pitchers were alike, but those who were striving for success separated themselves from the pack fairly quickly.
As I mentioned earlier, I spent time in the league as a photographer and videographer before transitioning over to operations and development. Because of my time taking photos and videos, I (in a non-intentional way) ended up documenting players and their developments over time. I began to have the urge to learn what I could about the DVS system and see if I could figure out changes that the most successful players ended up making to become as successful as they were. Through my curiosity, I found photos and noticed a significant difference. Whether it be posture, usage of the legs, or the arm-position as the pitcher drove through the zone, there were many changes. I realized that the mechanical and mental changes helped these pitchers capture their true ability to pitch successfully.
As many old-time Scouts would recall, the "eye-test" is a way to evaluate a player solely based on their comfort level and general abilities on the field. Being a strong believer in analytics or not, you could tell that as players progressed through the DVS system, they began to develop more abilities and improve their grade not only analytically, but in the eye test as well. Pitchers looked more comfortable, and this in-turn, led to more comfort and dominance on the mound. I saw players who couldn't find the strike zone turn into some of the most successful pitchers the USPBL had ever seen solely because of their tireless work with Justin through the DVS system. This was more prevalent than ever in the 2019 to 2020 season regarding four different pitchers that spent two years in the USPBL. All four of these players had immense dedication to the DVS system and the team at DVS.
When it comes to explaining and understanding how powerful and effective the DVS system can be, there's no greater example than right-handed pitcher Ty Hensley. Ty Hensley was selected in the first round of the 2012 MLB draft by the New York Yankees, in what seems like an extremely long time ago. How he ended up at the USPBL is a long, hard-fought story. To sum it up, Hensley dealt with a multitude of injuries throughout his first few years, and because of this, he was eventually released due to poor performance in the few outings he actually was able to pitch.
Hensley found his way to Justin Orenduff and the DVS team as he continued to push for another chance with an affiliated organization in baseball. Justin trained Hensley in the DVS system for two years, and it wasn't a smooth journey, but it ended up paying off. "The biggest thing for me was just to get back on the field, while staying healthy," Hensley said, in an interview during the 2020 season. It's important to note that the DVS system isn't completely velocity-based, like many baseball programs nowadays. DVS is focused on helping a player get the most out of their body in terms of performance, health, and efficiency. This focus starts through a scoring system known as the Delivery Value System, a biomechanical tool used to evaluate a pitcher's overall effectiveness mechanically in terms of health risk and efficiency.
The highest possible score is 24, with the lowest being zero. Hensley reworked his delivery under the eyes of Orenduff, allowing him to throw the ball efficiently and in a way that wouldn't risk his health or further injuries. His score throughout his first season was 15. This paid dividends in the USPBL. In his first season, Hensley was still in the process of developing and learning the system. Despite rough numbers (5.72 ERA, 1.449 WHIP), Hensley had the most successful year of his career. In his one season at the USPBL, he threw more innings in this season than his entire tenure in the MILB season.
In regards to what makes DVS different, Hensley said, "I think what separates DVS from other developmental programs is its focus on the long term. Most programs focus on short term, but that's where DVS differentiates itself." Despite this success, Hensley was still committed to proving he could do both - be healthy and successful. He spent the next offseason working with Justin once again, and his results in 2020 were, well, exactly what you'd expect from a former 1st rounder pitching in an Independent league.
To say Hensley was phenomenal would be an understatement. Through his first seven games started, Hensley's stats were as follows; 36 IP, .67 WHIP, 11 H, 42 SO. On top of this, Hensley raised his DVS score 4 points, which is a notable feat he achieved as well. Hensley's K/BB rate increased by 111% between the seasons as well. He was throwing 33% more strikes, and overall pounding the plate. Hensley received local and national recognition, and he is now in the process of working through the pandemic to seek an opportunity with a Major League Organization.
Statistics as of 8/20/2020
Hensley's success is attributed to his dedication to the DVS system. I was able to see it firsthand. Every single start he made showed an improvement, whether major or minor. By the end of 2020, his presence on the mound showed confidence, dominance, and overall success. DVS helped Ty Hensley capture his best form, and in turn, it should lead him to another opportunity with a professional team. In the final part of his interview, Hensley mentioned that "DVS has allowed my body to get into a position that lets me be successful. I began to believe in myself and it let me take off from there. Pitching is all about repeating, and DVS helps you establish that consistency."
Being involved at the USPBL has let me witness some great matchups between players. As a four-team league, it is extremely common to see the same pitchers face off against one another multiple times per year. None were more notable than Ty Hensley and Garrett Christman. Christman was a former San Francisco Giants signee who was seeking success at the USPBL. He bought into the DVS system and was (like Hensley) determined to capture his best abilities as a pitcher. Justin Orenduff and the DVS team spent significant time with him over the two seasons, and it helped him improve his abilities in numerous ways. Christman logged almost 100 innings in his first season.
There was a lot of work to do between seasons, as Christman showed signs of success but still needed to turn the corner regarding his DVS score, which was currently sitting at 15. Christman spent significant time with Orenduff over the offseason working on his craft. It paid off in a huge way. Christman raised his DVS score to 20, one of the highest in the league, and success immediately showed. Christman went from 46% strikes in 2019 to almost 70% in 2020. His ERA decreased from 4.88 to 2.11. He recorded 94 strikeouts in 76 innings en route to winning the PItcher of the Year award. In a mid-season interview, Christman mentioned that "DVS is more about using your body effectively and getting the most out of yourself as a pitcher. DVS has allowed me to repeat my mechanics effectively and throw pitches for strikes consistently. DVS has also allowed me to use my body effectively and have a fast recovery." Christman's substantial improvement has become an impeccable example of the DVS system and the capabilities it has to improve players of all types. Christman mentioned that DVS is different from what you see on Social Media. You'll get results eventually and be prepared to experience something different but effective."
As I mentioned earlier, the DVS system isn't velocity-based. That being said, as a player continues to increase their DVS score, it is certain that their velocity will increase as well. As their score goes up, so does their efficiency, and as efficiency rises, so does velocity.
The 2019-2020 season both had three more pitchers that significantly increased their scores and their overall production because of it. All three of them were back-end bullpen pieces, Nolan Clenny, Jared Price, and Dugan Darnell were committed to the DVS system and the improvements that were going to come along with it. Two DVS instructors were responsible for the training and success of these players. Shane McCatty and Alan Oaks were tasked with coaching and overseeing the development of these three pitchers. They focused on training them and developing their throwing mechanics and mentality to get the best possible results out of them. This was a process that took time and dedication from both the two coaches and the players involved. Seeing through the development of the players overall in the DVS system ultimately provided success. Once again, the stats prove the ability of DVS. Clenny saw significant positive changes across the board. His score climbed from 15 to 18, and his strike percentage rose 41% while his ERA decreased by 87% when comparing the two seasons. In regards to DVS and how it helped him, Clenny said “DVS helped me use power from my back leg and transition it to my upper half. DVS doesn’t use outside tools like other programs. It’s more of a bodily focus.” Jared Price saw the largest increase in his DVS score. He jumped from a 12 all the way to a 20. His strike percentage rose 30% while his ERA decreased between the two seasons by 46%. “I never really found something that stuck until DVS, DVS also is focused on mental talk and pitching strategy. It isn’t all physical but it provides results.” Price said in an interview. Dugan Darnell increased his score from 17 to 20, seeing his ERA decrease by over 70% “DVS focuses on sequencing, and that full-body focus makes the recovery side of things a lot easier. DVS helped me put everything together and find the success I wanted.” Darnell said.
For all of these pitchers, I watched almost every one of their outings over the two seasons they played at the USPBL. They transitioned from different backgrounds to successful ones. Whether it was injuries, lack of velocity, or lack of control, all of these pitchers found the solution they sought through the DVS system. This captivated me and continues to do so to this day. I consider myself lucky to have been able to join the DVS team recently and learn more in-depth about the ideology of successful and safe pitching for players of all ages and levels.
