Tips to Develop into an Elite Athlete:

If you really want to develop into a great baseball player to be able to play, compete, and even be a star on the field, it is time to take your training to the next level. Every elite high school, college, and  professional  baseball player spends a lot of their time working out in the weight room, working on hitting or pitching mechanics, but what else are they doing to become an elite athlete? Those are the two most important areas to focus on, but what else can you do? Here is how you can take your development to the next level:

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6 areas of focus:

1.) Weight Room
2.) Speed
3.) Baseball specific drills
4.) Athleticism
5.) Recovery and health
6.) Mental Game

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Goals for the weight room:

Force =mass x acceleration

Your main goal in the weight room should to be able to add lean body mass, strength, and explosiveness.

Strength and body weight = mass

Explosiveness = acceleration

• Height in inches x 2.5 = minimum ideal body weight
• Master the 5 main movements (bend/lift, Single leg, push, pull, rotation)
• Stability Exercises
• Deadlift 400+ lbs
• Barbell reverse lunge: Ideal body weight on bar for 10 reps per side
• Chin up  250 lbs x 1  rep (body weight plus added weight)
• Train asymmetrically (meaning one side of the body at a time, example dumb bell single arm bench press vs barbell bench press)

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Speed work:

• Run sprints, shuttles, T- Drill
• Improve 60 time
  • Positions
    • Middle Infielders should aim to get below 6.8
    • Corner infielders below a 7.2
    • Outfielders below a 6.8
• Train explosively.
  • Jump, run, cut.

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Baseball specific drills:

Drill work will be your friend,  check  out some of  my other posts for position specific drills you can be doing

• Continue to improve pitching mechanics
• Continue to improve hitting mechanics
• Continue to improve fielding mechanics
• Continue to improve base running ability

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Drills to Improve Athleticism:

• Play other sports for fun (pickup basketball, flag football, spike ball, soccer, ping pong, hacky sack)
• Footwork ladders/ hurdles
• Hand eye coordination drills
• Play other positions in baseball for fun
• Learn to juggle
• Try swinging, throwing, writing, playing other sports with your opposite hand (this will increase coordination on the other side of the body as well as help keep you healthy by working the opposing muscles.)

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Recovery and Health:

• Sleep! 8+ hours a night
• Eat clean! Eat lean meats, fruits, and vegetables. Stay away from process sugars and trans fats
• Supplements are okay (creatine, whey/collagen protein, essential amino acids)
• Drink Tart cherry juice
• Add turmeric to smoothies, eggs, etc.
• Don’t stay up late, aim for 8+ hours of sleep every night (this is where your body will grow and repair itself to increase your development as a player)
• Stretch, mobility work, yoga
• Have good posture
• Rice bucket exercises to keep forearm, hands, wrist, elbow strong

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Mental Game

• Practice meditation to learn how to clear your mind and focus on one specific task
• Learn how to pick up on hitters/ pitchers tendencies and patterns throughout a game
• Study video of your mechanics, professionals, and your opponents.
• Read books (baseball books, nutrition books, strength training books, ect.)
• Learn what it takes to be a leader… don’t just talk the talk, walk the walk.
• Have a growth mindset (what are you doing today to get better)