What makes a pitcher a "power pitcher"?

Question

I've heard the term all the time. People try to put pitchers in all sorts of subcategories beyond the starter/reliever categories. What is a power pitcher? And what are some of the other classifications of pitchers like this?

Answer 1

high speed fastball

Answer 2

someone who throws overpowering pitches like 98 mph fastballs or 20 inch break curveballs .

Answer 3

usually they bring the heat and rack up quite a bit of strikeouts

Answer 4

Power pitcher just throws with speed to blow hitters away; they don't rely on hitting corners.

Example: Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson early careers. As these two have lost speed, they have to rely on becoming finesse pitchers to survive.

Maddux would be an example of a finesse pitcher for his whole career.

Answer 5

A pitcher that throws overpowering stuff that blows hitters away. Usually a strikeout pitcher with a hard fastball. Tim Lincecum is a power pitcher.

Answer 6

Pitchers that throw 95 mph or so pitches are considered power pitchers.

Answer 7

Speed or a wicked break.

Answer 8

A pitcher that can't throw 100MPH and dont have a real specialty pitch, but can throw 95MPH for 9 innings. Examples would be Roger Clemens and Roy Halladay.

Answer 9

Usually, a power pitcher is one like Beckett or Zambrano, or Chamberlain who can come at you with a 98 mph heater, then get you to miss with a tight change up, or curve ball.

Usually, a power pitcher is the best in the league...

Answer 10

A power pitcher is usually a pitcher that throws hard and fast. The best definition of a power pitcher in this generation is Randy Johnson because he really comes at you with the 100 MPH cheese and even his slider can hit 90+.

The only other term I have heard about pitchers is a "finesse" pitcher who doesn't really that hard but uses more movement and command to succeed. The best example of that is probably Tom Glavine or Greg Maddux. Neither possesses a Johnson fastball but both uses deceptive movement and moving the ball in the strike zone to succeed.  

Answer 11

A pitcher with a consistent 95 plus mph pitches which makes his off stuff even nastier,ie: Nolan Ryan, John Smoltz, Goose Gossage, Billy Wagner. Oh yeah,and eating Wheaties instead of taken shots

Answer 12

A power pitcher is someone that can throw 100mph fastball or gas. But being a power pitcher does not mean there going to be good some one who has power some times results in less control meaning pitches in the middle of the plate and home runs. Power pitchers have  very violent deliveries usually spinning out when the pitch is delivered or goin falling towards 1st or 3rd side plates. These pitchers usually have amazing arm speed meaning a big breaking ball is in there arsenal. Its all about control, control pitchers are people like mike mussina who can only throw 88 mph with his fastball, his ablity to locate his pitches allows him to be successful. There are also deception pitchers such as edwar ramirez who can only throw 90 or so but has a devasting circle change that goes 67 mph. another type of pitcher is a south paw or lefty who basically side arms a pitch. CONTROL IS EVERYTHING it doesnt matter the speed any pitch can be hit if its in the middle of the plate

Answer 13

It's anyone who relies primarily on his 2 seam, 4 seam, or cut fast ball, or in other words it's their best pitch.....some pitchers can hit 90 plus but won't be considered power pitchers cause their best pitch is a changeup or curve