How Far Should a 14-Year-Old Hit a Baseball?

At 14-years-old, baseball players experience several adjustments to the game that they have been playing since tee-ball. The field gets bigger, players begin to hit puberty, and games become more competitive.

Some players grow faster than others making it difficult to compare 14-year-olds across the board when it comes to measuring data points. Their pitching and exit velocities, as well as their 60-yard dash times, are all over the map thanks to puberty.

That does not mean players should not compare themselves to other players their age. It just means they should understand all of the factors that contribute to these measurements when they do.

There is nothing wrong with setting goals in relation to what peers have accomplished. As they make the transition from youth and travel leagues to high school, one thing that a lot of young hitters want to know is, “How far should I be able to hit a baseball?”

A 14-year-old should be able to hit a baseball at least 200 feet. Hitting the ball at least 200 feet ensures that the player can hit the ball well into the outfield.

Considering most baseball fields at that age are well over 300 feet, 200 feet may not seem like much. Players likely won’t hit any home runs hitting the ball that far, but a 200 feet line drive could result in at least a single and maybe even a double if it is hit in the right spot.

Again, measurements at this age largely depend on the development stages of the player, but 200 feet is a good number for every 14-year-old to shoot.

How Can Players Train Themselves to Hit the Ball Farther?

While many high school and youth level coaches will say they don’t want their players to aim at hitting home runs, none of them will complain if and when their players hit a few balls over the fence.

At the age of 14, hitting home runs on a high school-sized field is a tall task, but it is never too early for players to start training to hit the ball farther.

More distance in hitting typically comes from added strength, so players should work on their overall strength when it comes to training for hitting.

Some ways that players can increase their overall strength are by doing baseball-specific strength training, hitting more, and simply allowing their bodies to naturally mature.

This added strength allows for players to have quick hands and allows them to have more force behind the ball, therefore making it travel farther.

When doing strength training, it is important to focus on baseball-specific exercises. General strength training exercises such as squats, push-ups, pull-ups, etc. will indeed help players get stronger.

But for players to maximize that strength, some baseball-specific workouts to go along with general strength training exercises are key. There are many resources and personal trainers out there who focus on strength training for baseball.

At the end of the day, to get better at hitting, a player must hit. Hitting the ball farther is not just about swinging harder, it is about swinging more efficiently to maximize distance. Frequent hitting practice will help make a player’s swing more efficient.

Many players opt to hit with hitting instructors who can coach them throughout their practice. A good hitting instructor is great but not always necessary.

Many times, players can utilize the coaches on their team to tell them things to work on, and then they can implement them into their own practice. There are also a lot of great instructors out there who put videos of drills on the internet for all to see. These are great resources as well.

Last but not least, a player’s body at this age is still maturing, and allowing the body to grow and develop naturally is key. Some players think that they need to take strength supplements or work out 7 days a week to get stronger.

For adults, that might be true. For 14-year-olds, a lot of strength is added naturally, and doing anything that can get in the way of that (some supplements, excessive weightlifting, lack of sleep, etc.) can do more damage than good.

Training to hit the ball farther can be rather complicated, but at the end of the day, it comes down to adding strength which can happen through baseball-specific training, hitting repetitions, and natural maturity.

Related Questions

What is the farthest home run by a youth player?

At only 13 years old, Blaze Jordan hit two home runs in a Power Showcase in Arlington, Texas that traveled over 500 feet. As unbelievable as that may be, there is video evidence of it.

What is the farthest home run in MLB history?

There are several home runs that reportedly traveled over 500 feet, but many of them happened before the Statcast era in the MLB. Statcast is the most reliable way to measure distance. The farthest home run ever recorded during this era is 505 feet by Nomar Mazara in 2019. Babe Ruth supposedly hit a ball 575 feet in 1921, but there is no way to fact-check that.

What is the average size of a high school baseball field?

Most high school baseball fields are anywhere from 300-320 feet down the lines, 340-370 feet in the gaps, and 360-390 feet in center field.

See Also:
12 Best High School Baseball Bats to Buy
How Long Does a High School Baseball Season Last?
How Many Players Are on a High School Baseball Team?
How Many High School Pitchers Throw 90 MPH?