And yes this requires putting the bat & glove down, and focusing on becoming a better overall athlete.
“Ball players don’t recognize it, but come spring & summer, it’s all about maximizing baseball outputs.
Your actions from Mid October through the end of January have the biggest implications on your February-August performance.
Strength train with a Pro.
Eat like an adult.”
-Ray Zingler on X
As a deer hunter, this time of year is my favorite time of year.
For baseball guys, this can a lot of times be the late fall/winter lull.
They are finishing up a spring MS/HS Season, a hellacious summer schedule, and then for reasons I’ll never understand from a youth performance perspective (I understand the adult $ angle) another few months in the fall.
The typical youth baseball “season” runs from February to really November, leaving only the November, December, and a little bit of January to “rest” (still do a lot of baseball stuff).
As 85+% of their schedules are filled with baseball specifics, I always beg the question when do they have time to work on becoming better athletes?
We have plenty of good baseball players who are showcasing similar skillsets because they are all largely doing the same thing (yes, I understand there are outliers), but how do the “average” become “above average”.
It’s very simple, actually.
They don’t become above average by increasing their baseball IQ which is already relatively high. They don’t become above average by trying out the 6th hitting coach or taking yet another skills lesson. And they certainly don’t become above average participating in some shoddy nuanced “baseball training program”.
They elevate themselves by gaining mass and getting stronger.
This isn’t eating a turkey sandwich & Doritos and playing with J Bands or shoulder tubes either.
No this is taking the initiative to pack in quality calories, consistently and committing to a REAL strength training program.
Yes, STRENGTH training.
Jumps, sprints, squats, deadlifts, presses, ballistic medicine ball work, and etc.
We try so hard to avoid this stuff because it always seemed like players of the past could get around it.
But I’m here to tell you we are in a new era of baseball.
It’s not just about throwing strikes and putting a bat on a ball.
The players who are making the biggest impact are not the “smartest” players.
It’s the big, strong kids who hit tanks and throw hard.
Traditional “baseball training” is falling on it’s face right before our eyes.
It’s important to get up to speed (literally) with where the game is at.
Start eating like a horse and strength training with a pro.
Now is the time to do it.
