We’re excited to welcome Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Alex Wood to this week’s podcast. A special thanks to this show’s sponsor, Athletic Greens. Head to https://www.athleticgreens.com/cressey and you’ll receive a free 10-pack of Athletic Greens travel packets with your first order.

Show Outline

• How undergoing Tommy John surgery his senior year of high school impacted Alex’s progression as a ballplayer
• How arriving to the University of Georgia with an elbow injury his freshman year was a blessing in disguise
• How Alex was game ready 10 months post Tommy John but why he instead chose to redshirt his freshman season and wait to return to playing until summer ball
• How Alex has mastered his unorthodox pitching delivery through the course of his career
• What positions Alex strives to hit consistently in his throwing motion
• How Alex fast tracked through the minor leagues and what lessons Alex learned quickly as a young big leaguer
• How MLB veterans like Brian McCann and Mike Minor aided in his transition into a MLB starter
• What changes Alex made to his pitching approach to have a breakout season with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017
• How Alex succeeded with only a fastball and change-up all the way up to the big leagues and why he chose to add a spike breaking ball into his arsenal upon make it to “the show”
• How Alex manages his in season and off season throwing regimes
• What Alex does pitch-by-pitch, in-game to control the flow of the game
• How pitchers can build rapport and better manage the minute details of an outing with their catcher
• What coaching qualities Alex sees as most impactful, and how players should utilize great coaches to take accountability of their own career and develop into their own best coach

You can follow Alex on Twitter at @AWood45 and on Instagram at @AWood45.

Sponsor Reminder

This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. It’s an all-in-one superfood supplement with 75 whole-food sourced ingredients designed to support your body’s nutrition needs across 5 critical areas of health: 1) energy, 2) immunity, 3) gut health, 4) hormonal support, and 5) healthy aging. Head to www.AthleticGreens.com/cressey and claim my special offer today – 20 FREE travel packs (valued at $79) – with your first purchase. I use this product daily myself and highly recommend it to our athletes as well. I’d encourage you to give it a shot, too – especially with this great offer.

Podcast Feedback

If you like what you hear, we’d be thrilled if you’d consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving us an iTunes review. You can do so HERE.

And, we welcome your suggestions for future guests and questions. Just email elitebaseballpodcast@gmail.com.

Thank you for your continued support!