We welcome physical therapist Dan Swinscoe to this week’s podcast for a great in-depth conversation on the unique needs of rotational sport athletes and key sports medicine considerations across the baseball lifespan. Dan also offers some great insights for up-and-coming rehabilitation specialists looking to become well-rounded practitioners, highlighting key competencies and emphasizing the importance of openmindedness. Dan's been an awesome resource to me over the years, and I'm excited to share his expertise with a larger audience.

A special thanks to this show's sponsor, AG1. Head to https://www.DrinkAG1.com/cressey and you'll receive a free 10-pack of AG1 travel packets with your first order.

You can follow Dan on Twitter at @DanSwinscoe and Instagram at @DanSwincoe.

Sponsor Reminder

This episode is brought to you by AG1. AG1 is your daily foundational nutrition; it has 75 whole-food sourced ingredients designed to support your body’s foundational nutrition needs across five critical areas of health: 1) energy, 2) immunity, 3) gut health, 4) hormonal support, and 5) healthy aging. It is the new and future way of getting a multivitamin, and a whole lot more. Head to www.DrinkAG1.com/cressey and claim my special offer today – 10 FREE travel packs – with your first purchase. I use AG1 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!

Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!

2023 marked year 5 of the Elite Baseball Development Podcast. In all, we released 36 episodes in 2023 - and I learned a ton from some great guests. That said, here are our top five episodes from the year:

1. Creating a Culture for Sustainable Success with Tim Corbin -  Vanderbilt University head baseball coach Tim Corbin discussed transforming cultures in a team environment, and what key standards must be present to provide for sustainable success. Tim also spoke to college recruiting, long-term player development strategies, and the evolution of the student athlete.

2. Optimizing Athlete Physiology with Dr. Andy Galpin - California State University – Fullerton Professor and Human Performance scientist Dr. Andy Galpin shared many great insights on the physiological assessment of athletes. Andy has worked with athletes from across many high levels of sport to develop a comprehensive set of research-backed solutions for those seeking peak performance. We touched on the benefits and drawbacks of technology, and where he sees the health and human performance industry going in the decades ahead.

3. The Broken Business of Baseball Showcases with Dr. Peter Kriz - Sports medicine orthopedist and researcher Dr. Peter Kriz took an in-depth look at how showcase participation relates to injury rates in pitchers. This conversation drew heavily on Dr. Kriz’s two landmark studies on the topic, and yielded some crucial insights to help players, parents, and coaches plan for safe long-term development of pitchers. We also chatted about the diagnosis and treatment spondylolysis (stress fractures) of the lower back in extension/rotation sport athletes.

4. Using Archetypes to Individualize Baseball Training with Rick Franzblau - Clemson University Director of Olympic Sports Strength and Conditioning Rick Franzblau covered innovative ways to assess, program, and coach in a baseball population. Rick’s insights related to infrasternal angle, mechanical vs. fascially driven athletes, and the development of college athletes are all outstanding. This conversation will help you to see individualized development through a new lens, and also appreciate how you might have gotten “accidental” positive results in the past.

5. How Pitching Injuries Occur - In this podcast, I discussed some of the causative factors for modern pitching injuries. Everyone wants to heavily scrutinize mechanics, but there are a lot of other considerations we have to take into account.

Finally, while I've got your attention, be sure to check out our foremost sponsor from the past year, AG1 (formely 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 https://www.drinkag1.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 2023! We've got some great stuff planned for 2024.

Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!

We welcome Houston Astros pitcher Bennett Sousa to the latest podcast. A Cressey Sports Performance athlete since his high school days, Bennett touches on how that experience impacted his development. He speaks to the importance of routine, and also delves into why the big leagues is so much different than pitching at any other level of baseball, yet the adjustment from high school to college is actually the biggest. There are some great pearls of wisdom for players, parents, and coaches who are looking to optimize their long-term development plans.

A special thanks to this show's sponsor, AG1. Head to https://www.DrinkAG1.com/cressey and you'll receive a free 10-pack of Athletic Greens travel packets with your first order.

Sponsor Reminder

This episode is brought to you by AG1. AG1 is your daily foundational nutrition; it has 75 whole-food sourced ingredients designed to support your body’s foundational nutrition needs across five critical areas of health: 1) energy, 2) immunity, 3) gut health, 4) hormonal support, and 5) healthy aging. It is the new and future way of getting a multivitamin, and a whole lot more. Head to www.DrinkAG1.com/cressey and claim my special offer today – 10 FREE travel packs – with your first purchase. I use AG1 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!

Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!

It's time for another listener Q&A, so I cover three questions from our audience in this week's podcast:

1. What are your thoughts on high school students playing a winter sport? My son has played basketball and baseball since he was 4. He wants to play college baseball and decided as a sophomore he wants to quit all sports but baseball and focus on that. We think he is too young and should play basketball this winter and still attend his indoor baseball session (pitching). Thoughts?
2. Rotator cuff drills are a key part of rehabilitation and prevention programs, but I’m struggling to see where all the different kinds fit into my program. Do you have any ideas?
3. You previously talked about lessons learned in terms of Tommy John timelines. I know a lot of surgeons and rehab specialists have adjusted their approaches to surgeries and the associated timelines well. What are some of your key takeaways now that there have been some changes to the way elbow surgeries were approached in recent years?

A special thanks to this show's sponsor, Hawkin Dynamics, the premiere force plate on the market today. They're used all day, every day at Cressey Sports Performance and are a key component of both our performance and rehabilitation programs. Head to www.HawkinDynamics.com/cressey to learn more about what a game changer their force plates can be for how you evaluate, program, and train athletes.

Sponsor Reminder

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hawkin Dynamics. In 2016, Hawkin engineered the world's first wireless force plate solution with a mobile app - making it the quickest, easiest to use, and most robust solution on the market for group testing. Today it is still the only fully validated wireless force plate solution that exists – something that is extremely important when evaluating marginal gains on the world's best athletes, monitoring readiness, or returning athletes back from an upper or lower extremity injury. It is trusted by all sport organizations large and small; as well as tactical, military, and rehabilitation environments around the globe. It's force testing in the palm of your hand with research-grade accuracy. We use Hawkin Dynamics force plates at Cressey Sports Performance and they’re a crucial part of our evaluation process, not to mention a vital resource for monitoring fatigue and evaluating the efficacy of our performance and rehabilitation programs. Whether it’s finding the sweet spot on the force velocity curve or keeping a close eye on asymmetries, these force plates are used all day, every day at CSP. Check them out at www.hawkindynamics.com/cressey to learn more.

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!

Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!

We welcome Oakland Athletics infielder Zack Gelof to the latest podcast. A Cressey Sports Performance athlete since his teenage years, Zack offers some awesome insights on chasing long-term athletic development; seeking out competition; visualizing goals; adapting training approaches; and improving defensive performance on the diamond.

A special thanks to this show's sponsor, Hawkin Dynamics, the premiere force plate on the market today. They're used all day, every day at Cressey Sports Performance and are a key component of both our performance and rehabilitation programs. Head to www.HawkinDynamics.com/cressey to learn more about what a game changer their force plates can be for how you evaluate, program, and train athletes.

Sponsor Reminder

Today’s episode is brought to you by Hawkin Dynamics. In 2016, Hawkin engineered the world's first wireless force plate solution with a mobile app - making it the quickest, easiest to use, and most robust solution on the market for group testing. Today it is still the only fully validated wireless force plate solution that exists – something that is extremely important when evaluating marginal gains on the world's best athletes, monitoring readiness, or returning athletes back from an upper or lower extremity injury. It is trusted by all sport organizations large and small; as well as tactical, military, and rehabilitation environments around the globe. It's force testing in the palm of your hand with research-grade accuracy. We use Hawkin Dynamics force plates at Cressey Sports Performance and they’re a crucial part of our evaluation process, not to mention a vital resource for monitoring fatigue and evaluating the efficacy of our performance and rehabilitation programs. Whether it’s finding the sweet spot on the force velocity curve or keeping a close eye on asymmetries, these force plates are used all day, every day at CSP. Check them out at www.hawkindynamics.com/cressey to learn more.

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!

Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!

For this week's podcast, I'm tackling an important - but underappreciated - topic in the worlds of health and human performance: warm-ups. I shine some light on the goals of warm-ups, as well as the research on both injury reduction and performance benefits. Most importantly, I make some practical recommendations for how to structure an efficient, effective warm-up for not only baseball athletes, but a variety of other populations as well.

A special thanks to this show's sponsor, AG1. Head to https://www.DrinkAG1.com/cressey and you'll receive a free 10-pack of Athletic Greens travel packets with your first order.

Sponsor Reminder

This episode is brought to you by AG1. AG1 is your daily foundational nutrition; it has 75 whole-food sourced ingredients designed to support your body’s foundational nutrition needs across five critical areas of health: 1) energy, 2) immunity, 3) gut health, 4) hormonal support, and 5) healthy aging. It is the new and future way of getting a multivitamin, and a whole lot more. Head to www.DrinkAG1.com/cressey and claim my special offer today – 10 FREE travel packs – with your first purchase. I use AG1 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!

Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!

We welcome Chicago Cubs pitcher Julian Merryweather to the latest podcast. We talk about the advantages attending junior college afforded him; what factors were key to his velocity improvements; and the strategies he employed to have a career year in terms of performance and durability in 2023.

A special thanks to this show's sponsor, Marc Pro. Head to www.MarcPro.com and enter the coupon code CRESSEY at checkout to receive an exclusive discount on your order.

Sponsor Reminder

This episode is brought to you by Marc Pro, a cutting-edge EMS device that uses patented technology to create non-fatiguing muscle activation. Muscle activation with Marc Pro facilitates each stage of the body’s natural recovery process- similar to active recovery, but without the extra effort and muscle fatigue. Athletes can use it for as long as they need to ensure a more full and quick recovery in between training or games. With its portability and ease of use, players can use Marc Pro while traveling between games or while relaxing at home. Players and trainers from every MLB team - including over 200 pro pitchers - use Marc Pro. Put Marc Pro to the test for yourself and use promo code CRESSEY at checkout at www.MarcPro.com for an exclusive discount on your order.

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!

Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!

We're excited to welcome Hawkin Dynamics Vice President of Performance and Brand Marketing Drake Berberet to the latest podcast for an in-depth discussion of how force plates can be used for both performance and rehabilitation. Drake's been a great resource to me, and in this podcast, he shares some insights that benefit both those who already use force plates, as well as those who are considering investing in them.

A special thanks to this show's sponsor, Marc Pro. Head to www.MarcPro.com and enter the coupon code CRESSEY at checkout to receive an exclusive discount on your order.

Sponsor Reminder

This episode is brought to you by Marc Pro, a cutting-edge EMS device that uses patented technology to create non-fatiguing muscle activation. Muscle activation with Marc Pro facilitates each stage of the body’s natural recovery process- similar to active recovery, but without the extra effort and muscle fatigue. Athletes can use it for as long as they need to ensure a more full and quick recovery in between training or games. With its portability and ease of use, players can use Marc Pro while traveling between games or while relaxing at home. Players and trainers from every MLB team - including over 200 pro pitchers - use Marc Pro. Put Marc Pro to the test for yourself and use promo code CRESSEY at checkout at www.MarcPro.com for an exclusive discount on your order.

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!

Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!

We’re excited to welcome physical therapist Doug Kechijian to this week’s podcast for an awesome discussion of return-to-play practices for injured athletes. Doug has taken a deep dive into this realm over the past few years as he prepares to publish a book on the topic, and his insights on this podcast bring to light some invaluable considerations for players, parents, coaches, and rehabilitation experts. CSP-MA Director of Performance John O’Neil takes the lead as a guest host as well.

A special thanks to this show's sponsor, AG1. Head to https://www.DrinkAG1.com/cressey and you'll receive a free 10-pack of AG1 travel packets with your first order.

You can follow Doug on Twitter at @GreenFeetPT, or visit www.ResilientPerformance.com.

Sponsor Reminder

This episode is brought to you by AG1. AG1 is your daily foundational nutrition; it has 75 whole-food sourced ingredients designed to support your body’s foundational nutrition needs across five critical areas of health: 1) energy, 2) immunity, 3) gut health, 4) hormonal support, and 5) healthy aging. It is the new and future way of getting a multivitamin, and a whole lot more. Head to www.DrinkAG1.com/cressey and claim my special offer today – 10 FREE travel packs – with your first purchase. I use AG1 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!

Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!

We welcome Colorado Rockies pitcher Tommy Doyle to the latest podcast. We cover a number of different topics related to his development, including his college recruiting process; strategies for training as a taller pitcher; bullpen success, and rehabilitation from shoulder surgery.

A special thanks to this show's sponsor, AG1. Head to https://www.DrinkAG1.com/cressey and you'll receive a free 10-pack of Athletic Greens travel packets with your first order.

Sponsor Reminder

This episode is brought to you by AG1. AG1 is your daily foundational nutrition; it has 75 whole-food sourced ingredients designed to support your body’s foundational nutrition needs across five critical areas of health: 1) energy, 2) immunity, 3) gut health, 4) hormonal support, and 5) healthy aging. It is the new and future way of getting a multivitamin, and a whole lot more. Head to www.DrinkAG1.com/cressey and claim my special offer today – 10 FREE travel packs – with your first purchase. I use AG1 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!

Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!