How to read a batter

One of the keys to being a great catcher is being able to read situations before they happen. One of those situations is when the batter steps into the box and is ready for the pitch.
When the batter sets himself ready for the pitch, there are many tells you can see that may tip you off for what he is expecting.

One of those tells would be his foot placement. Batters have varied stances that may help them overcome a weakness they have such as their foot placement. A batter may have their front foot in toward the plate more to help them get to the outside pitch better. This can help a catcher see what the batter wants and how to pitch to that batter.

Another tell that a catcher can look for is how far the batter is from the plate. If the batter is far from the plate, he may have a hard time hitting the outside pitch. In most cases, he will try to pull the outside pitch which in most cases results in him rolling over in his swing and hitting a weak ground ball for an easy out. If the batter is close to the plate, an inside pitch may tie him up and jam him. But I will throw an advisory out there for the batters who crowd the plate as they may have a reason for this. The first one is that the batter is a very fast runner and all he wants to do is make contact and let his legs do the work. The other is they have a very fast swing and can get their hands quickly through the batters zone to hit the inside pitch. When you see the batter swing, you will most likely get an idea of how they are.

Lastly, some batters have tells. As a catcher you need to be looking for these as they will give you information about that batter. The more information you have, the better strategy you can form to get the best possibly outcome for yourself and your team.