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| Photo Credit: Newsday |
Player Name: PJ Weeks
Position: LHP
School: Bayport-Blue Point ’15
PJ is a LHP with a stocky build that is coming off his third consecutive Class A County Championship. He threw seven shutouts this season.
When he gets to his balance point, his leg kick is just above belt height, his front foot is point down, his eyes are on the ground and his back leg is firm. He stays closed until the very last second before rotating his hips. He throws from a 3/4 arm angle. His stride is sufficient for his height and he gets very good finish on his pitches. He fall off to the third base side as many lefties do.
In this game, he got ahead of the leadoff hit with a 79-MPH fastball before getting him to fly out to right field for the first out. The following batter watched strike one on a fastball, took a fastball for ball one, swung through a fastball for strike two, fouled off three consecutive pitches (one curveball at 69 MPH) before singling up the middle on a 79 MPH fastball. The following batter fouled off two straight fastballs, watched ball one on the inside corner before grounding out to shortstop for the second out. The cleanup hitter grounded out to second on the first pitch.
Weeks gets it done the old fashioned way. He doesn’t overpower anyone, but he throws three pitches for strikes, he can pitch backwards with his curveball and changeup and his fastball is effective because he gets great tail on his two-seamer and can paint the inside corner with his four-seamer.
He threw only one pitcher above 80 MPH but it did not matter.
