2022 marked year 4 of the Elite Baseball Development Podcast. In all, we released 36 episodes in 2022 – and I learned a ton from some great guests. That said, here are our top five episodes from the year:

1. Navigating Youth Baseball Development and College Recruiting with Walter Beede – Baseball dad, coach, author, and consultant Walter Beede joined us for a multifaceted conversation on a wide variety of topics that are essential for baseball families to understand. I’ve known Walter for over 15 years, and in addition to having more passion for baseball than anyone I’ve ever met, he’s also helped a ton of families navigate the travel ball and college recruiting landscapes.

2. College Baseball Strength and Conditioning Considerations with Zach Dechant – Texas Christian University Assistant Athletic Director of Human Performance Zach Dechant oversees baseball development at TCU. In this discussion with guest host John O’Neil, Zach shared insights on long-term development of college athletes, discussed his offseason work with alumni that have moved on to professional baseball, and outlined the key competencies he looks to develop in the coaches he mentors.

3. Principles of Power Development – I flew solo for this podcast, as I took on a whopper of a topic: power development. My goal here was to take a large, seemingly complex topic and break it down into digestible constituent parts.

4. Multifaceted Pitching Development with Matt Hinkley – Matt Hinkley joined the Cressey Sports Performance – FL staff in late 2021 and has done a phenomenal job with our pitching department. In this podcast, we covered a wide range of pitching topics, including:

• How to connect the dots between pitching mechanics and strength and conditioning
• How to employ high-speed cameras for pitch design
• Why it’s so important to plan the yearly competitive calendar
• When to use subtle adjustments vs. broad overhauls
• Why he’s more of a “pitching manager” than a “pitching coach”
• Why the mental side of pitching can never be overlooked
  

5. Understanding Anterior Shoulder Pain with Dr. David Altchek – Dr. David Altchek of the Hospital for Special Surgery and New York Mets shared some outstanding clinical insights on the diagnosis and treatment of anterior shoulder pain in overhead throwing athletes.

Finally, while I’ve got your attention, be sure to check out our foremost sponsor from the past year, 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 – 10 FREE travel packs – 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.

We’re back to the regular EricCressey.com content this upcoming week. Thanks for all your support in 2022! We’ve got some great stuff planned for 2023.