Today, I've got a quick guest video blog from Cressey Sports Performance - Florida Pitching Coordinator Matt Hinkley. Pitch grading is a hot topic at the high levels of baseball right now, and while it can be super helpful for guiding players to best evaluate their pitching arsenal, it can sometimes lead you down confusing rabbit holes. In this video, Matt provides some context:
If you're looking to learn more about a short- or long-term visit to Cressey Sports Performance - Florida, please reach out to cspflorida@gmail.com. And, be sure to check out the CSP Pro Experience, a summer development opportunity we offer to pitchers who are interested in relocating to Palm Beach Gardens, FL to train with us regularly.
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We're excited to welcome St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Daniel Ponce de Leon to the latest podcast. Daniel speaks to his wide-ranging college baseball experience, reflects on the minor league development that brought him to the big leagues, and tells the story of a life-changing head injury that occurred on the mound (which is also the subject of his new book, One Line Drive).
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 - 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.
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!
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We're excited to welcome Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Tyler Kinley to the latest podcast. A self-described "Red Shirt All-American," Tyler overcame a number of injuries in his early career to eventually become a 100mph arm with one of the best sliders in baseball. In this conversation, he shares a collection of lessons he's learned along the way.
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!
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 Oakland A's starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo to this week's podcast. He talks about his quick ascent to the big leagues, things he learned during Tommy John rehab, sacrifices needed to compete at the highest level, and the things he's working on to keep improving.
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!
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We're excited to welcome Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Lou Trivino to this week's podcast. Lou is an awesome story of a minor league breakout player who quickly became an impact player at the MLB level.
A special thanks to this show’s sponsor, Rawlings. We’re ecstatic to announce a new partnership between Rawlings and Cressey Sports Performance, and they’ve set up a 20% off discount code on select products for our listeners. Just head to www.Rawlings.com and enter coupon code CRESSEY20 and you’ll receive 20% off on your order. Certain items are excluded, but there’s still a ton of great baseball training gear to make you a better player and coach.
Show Outline
How being a three-sport athlete in high school impacted Lou’s early athletic development
How Lou ended up at Slippery Rock University out of high school
What transformed Lou from a Division 2 arm into an 11th round draft pick in 2013
Why Lou was unimpressive initially in pro ball but soon found himself as a transitioned from a starter to a reliever
How getting more rotational in his sparked a jump from 89 mph to 96 mph overnight
How Lou’s reason for coiling is rooted in maintaining counter rotation and feeling tension, and what thought helps Lou to coil effectively in his delivery
How Lou managed the switch from a starter to reliever
Why Lou has decided to showcase five pitches out of the pen, and what type of flexibility affords him
Why Lou cut back on throwing his cutter early in his professional career
How Lou reincorporated the cutter back into his game in 2017, at a higher rate than years prior, and how this pitch has defined his game since
Why he utilizes his cutter to gauge how in sync his delivery is, and how throwing an effective cutter is impacted by the movements earlier in the chain
How Lou taught Blake Treinen to throw his cutter and how a quality cutter is less about the perfect grip, and more about the approach behind the pitch and feel for the ball out of the hand
Why Lou oddly throws his 2-seam faster than his 4-seam fastball and how he has learned to differentiate these pitches
What Lou’s routine is for getting hot in the pen
How Lous structure his throwing in-season to remain prepared to throw in-game any day of the week
What Lou’s recovery process between outings and daily training sessions is
How Lou attacks strength training in-season without compromising his performance on the field
This episode is brought to you by Rawlings. If you want to develop faster, and train better, you need the best gear. Well, we have some good news for you. The #1 baseball brand in the world, Rawlings, has partnered with Cressey Sports Performance to make getting the best training gear for you more affordable. Simply head to www.Rawlings.com and use the code, CRESSEY20, at checkout and you’ll save 20% off your order! This offer is only valid on select items, but there’s a ton of great gear you’ll save 20% on that will help you become a better player, so shop now!
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 Major League pitchers Adam Ottavino, Corey Kluber, Blake Treinen, Brandon Kintzler, Mike Soroka, and Steve Cishek - along with CSP-Florida pitching coordinators Brian Kaplan and Mark Lowy - for a roundtable on the two-seam fastball. This podcast featured a lot of great insights for up-and-coming pitchers, and also a lot of great back-and-forth among some of the most accomplished pitchers in the game.
A special thanks to this show's sponsor, Marc Pro. Head towww.MarcPro.comand enter the coupon code CRESSEY at checkout to receive 20% off on your order.
Because this podcast was filmed on Zoom and we featured screen shares of pitch profiles and demonstration of pitch grips, it's probably best watched on YouTube:
That said, you can also listen to it here:
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; use promo code CRESSEY at checkout at www.MarcPro.com for 20% off 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!
Today's guest post comes from Cressey Sports Performance - Florida Associate Pitching Coordinator, Mark Lowy. This post comes on the heels of Mark’s appearance on Episode 51 of the CSP Elite Baseball Development Podcast. During it, he discusses some of the intricacies of release point data and how he uses the numbers to help understand a pitchers delivery. This discussion in the podcast kicks off at the 20:30 mark. -EC
Back in the fall, Eric put together a great Instagram post on the similarities in upper body positioning between Oliver Drake and Adam Cimber, despite their incredibly different release points.
What we know from looking at video is that most pitchers release the ball in the neighborhood of 90 and 110 degrees of shoulder abduction. This is backed up by various studies over the years, and corroborated by current motion capture setups such as Simi and Kinatrax.
Therefore, we know that when looking at deliveries, we can hold shoulder abduction relatively constant across players, and understand that the lateral trunk tilt (right) a pitcher displays during the delivery is going to be a key contributor as to where they release the ball.
By understanding this, we can appreciate that the arm slot and ball release for any given pitcher is a result, and not a process in and of itself. If we can agree on this, it begs the question: what helps determine where in space a pitcher releases the ball?
To help answer this, we need to work backward. If you have ball release data available, a good place to start is with the vertical release point, the horizontal release point, and (if possible) the extension (how far down the mound the ball was released) of a given pitch. These three data points tell you where the pitch is coming in from. Rapsodo will give you the first two, while Trackman will give you all three.
If you do not have access to ball release data, don’t worry! It’s still important to coach with your eyes and understand the root cause when you notice something amiss with someone’s arm slot.
To break down the delivery effectively, we need to start from the ground up to understand what affects ball release. It’s important to recognize that each section could serve as its own article, but for time’s sake, we will hit on the big rocks in each group. From start to finish, we can identify:
A. Back leg direction and upper half positioning
B. Stride length to lead leg landing position
C. Trunk tilt into and through ball release
A. Back leg direction
This is an area that is frequently talked about in the pitching world, and with good reason. Since we understand that pitching is a series of highly-coordinated movements, we have to be able to consistently own the first one, as it sets up all events later in the chain.
A main goal of the back leg is to provide a) stability as the body begins to create and store energy and b) provide direction as the body begins to move down the slope. Some factors to take into account when breaking down the back leg of a pitcher can include:
Ankle mobility into dorsiflexion and eversion
Hip mobility in ER, IR, and flexion
Anatomical structure of the hip (retroversion vs. anteversion)
Postural tendencies of the upper half
For the sake of this article, we are going to look at the first and last bullets, as they are easier to identify on video. It’s worth mentioning that when breaking down a delivery, we always prefer video over still shots. However, pictures can be useful for comparison’s sake.
If you have an athlete with above average dorsiflexion (knee over toe range of motion), he may be able to get away with more forward knee translation while still maintaining contact with the ground during his load phase. Conversely, an athlete with stiff ankles may struggle to keep the foot anchored in the ground when the knee drifts forward, and will need to maintain a more vertical shin during their load. This can be determined in simple ankle mobility screen, and should also be looked at dynamically during a movement screen to see how well the athlete controls (or doesn’t control) the range of motion he has available to him.
As the back leg starts to bend, the lower half and upper half start to work together. On the right, a more flexed ankle/knee help bring the torso forward. On the left, a more stacked knee and ankle helps keep the trunk more upright.
This is where the postural tendencies of an athlete come into play. Athletes who are more extended and flat through the lumbar and thoracic spine generally take a more upright torso position as they begin to work down the slope, while athletes who are more neutral/rounded through the upper back may prefer to hold more torso lean forward.
B. Stride length to lead leg landing position
As the pitcher begins to move down the mound, there are a lot of factors to look at regarding his stride length and direction. From an assessment standpoint, we hone in on a few things:
Adductor length (hip abduction range of motion)
Hip internal rotation
Thoracic spine mobility (active and passive)
These are three pieces among many that are going to influence a pitcher’s movement down the mound. It’s important to note that we do not coach guys to “push” or “drive” off the rubber – this commonly leads to early and aggressive hip extension, which throws off the timing and sequencing of the delivery. Instead, we want the front leg to land in a position that is a) comfortable for the pitcher and b) allows him to decelerate properly. This will look very different based on the points above.
Athletes with limitations in hip abduction are generally going to benefit from a shorter stride, as the longer the lead leg continues to search for distance, the tougher it is for the back leg to maintain tension into the ground. The flip side are hypermobile/loose pitchers who can get into whatever positions they want, and when trained to be able to create stability in these positions, they can be very effective.
Hip internal rotation can be looked at through a similar lens. Athletes with higher degrees of IR (anteverted hips, hypermobile, etc.) can get away with (and often find success with) a more closed off stride, as it allows them to create more tension and stability into the ground upon landing. They have the requisite room in the hip joint to be able to decelerate their upper and lower half in a closed off position. For athletes with hip IR limitations, a more closed off stride can be problematic down the road, as it forces them to adopt a deceleration pattern that does not dissipate stress as effectively as the hip and torso do when working together.
Stride length and path considerations should be taken into account for the upper half as well. For athletes who are less mobile through their thoracic spine, the longer the lead leg is floating in space, the more demand there is for them to resist torso rotation. The same can be true for someone with high degrees of passive thoracic range of motion, but low degrees of active. Those athletes crave stability, so the longer the lead leg is in the air, the less stability they have.
On the right, note the slightly closed off lead leg, versus the more open lead leg on the left. This is a function of the initial move with the back leg, and the following path of the front leg (and also gloveside). In these examples, we can see that when the torso follows the path of the lead leg, it helps the pitcher hold his line to the plate. If we swapped the lower halves in the two pictures, it would be very difficult for consistently create velocity while finding the strike zone.
C. Trunk tilt into and through ball release
As we are beginning to understand, every step in the delivery influences and sets up the next one. In the comparisons from above, we see how back leg direction can shape both front leg path and upper half direction as the pitcher moves down the slope.
As we get to ball release, the final picture now makes sense. On the left, the more upright torso, stacked lower leg position, and more open stride help pull the trunk up, raising the arm with it. On the right, initial back leg direction shapes a more closed landing position and more level shoulders through ball release.
It’s important to reiterate that this article is not an attempt to determine “right vs. wrong,” but look at different deliveries that exist on the spectrum of high performance. As coaches, the overall takeaway should be to find and create a delivery that recognizes individuality while also understanding how a pitcher’s anatomy plays a large role in how he looks on the mound.
About the Author
Mark Lowy serves as a Strength and Conditioning Coach and Associate Pitching Coordinator at CSP-FL. He completed his internship in the spring of 2018. Prior to joining the staff, Mark trained and coached high school and college athletes in the New York and New Jersey area. He also served as an assistant baseball coach at Ridgewood High School (NJ). Mark graduated from Gettysburg College in 2014. You can follow him on Twitter at @Mark_Lowy and on Instagram at @CSPFL_Pitching.
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 Cressey Sports Performance - Florida associate pitching coordinator and strength and conditioning coach Mark Lowy to this week’s podcast for an in-depth discussion on how we create comprehensive development programs for our professional pitchers. Mark flies under the radar, but he's a tremendous asset to our offerings at CSP-FL and has built a loyal following of elite arms.
How Mark Lowy and Brian Kaplan have expanded analytics in the off-season preparation of pitchers at CSP-FL
What work the CSP-FL pitching staff is doing to create individualized pitching reports for their pitchers
How Mark approaches collecting and compiling each pitcher’s pitching report and what makes CSP’s model and application of evaluating pitchers unique
How Mark’s role at CSP involves the translation of data and biomechanics into simple, understandable recommendations
Why Mark aims to be subjective before objective and apply a human element to his coaching and analysis of pitchers
Why you can’t make pitch design or pitch usage recommendations based purely off data
How understanding a pitcher and their approach influences how data is applied to their game
What is Mark’s primary focus when developing pitching skills with younger athletes and why building pitchability should evolve from what an athlete’s body allows them to do and what their delivery does for them
Why coaches need to appreciate pitchers’ unique attributes and avoid coaching towards average
How a player’s movement capabilities influence their mechanics and why appreciating how a player moves can explain the authenticity of their throwing motion
What aspects of the delivery impact horizontal and vertical release points in pitchers and how identifying and understanding specific release point trends can lead to the proper mechanical fixes
What vertical approach angle is and how it impacts how a hitter perceives a pitcher
When diving into player analytics, what are some numbers that blew Mark’s mind and caught his attention to look into further
How coaches need to appreciate how a pitcher’s arsenal plays uniquely to hitters
Why synergy between skill development coaches, strength and conditioning coaches, and sports medicine professionals is differentiated at CSP and how Mark uses his resources to create the best experience for his pitchers
What high school and college pitchers can do to best prepare themselves for success in baseball
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 - 10 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!
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 Seattle Mariners pitcher Justin Dunn to this week's podcast. A special thanks to this show's sponsor, Athletic Greens. Head to http://www.athleticgreens.com/cressey and you'll receive a free 10-pack of Athletic Greens travel packets with your first order.
Show Outline
How Justin transformed from a 5-foot, 100-pound high school freshman into an MLB draft pick by his senior year
How being a late bloomer affected his college recruiting process
How developing size and strength took Justin from a 70 mph arm into the mid 90s arm he is today
How following a structured training program allowed Justin to make the most of his natural athleticism
Why Justin decided to attend Boston College instead of immediately entering pro ball out of high school
How Justin made the transition from closer to starter
Why Justin has always been a big proponent of long toss
How promoting athleticism in his throwing motion and remaining free and loose with his arm action through long toss has helped Justin
How Justin has learned to listen to his arm, manage his workload throughout his career, and make adjustments to his throwing routine whether throwing as a reliever or a starter
How Justin manages soreness and tightness following a day of heavy throwing
What differentiated Justin as a college junior that led him to be a first round draft pick out of BC
Why throwing a changeup gave Justin trouble as he progressed into his starting role at BC and how establishing a routine of throwing his change up in catch play allowed him to develop and master this pitch
How Justin initially learned to throw his slider and what his thought process is when throwing it nowadays to keep it consistent
How simplifying his process on the mound and mastering his secondary pitches have allowed him to become the big leaguer he is today
As a young big leaguer, what key competencies is Justin working to develop to ensure his longevity in the show
How becoming immersed in the daily routine of Major League Baseball and learning from the experienced players around him will help him become a mainstay in a big league rotation
What Justin’s pre-bullpen routine is and how he structures his bullpens
Who Justin loved to watch dominate as a pitcher growing up and who he likes to watch now
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!
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 Chicago Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks to this week's podcast. A special thanks to this show's sponsor, Rawlings. We're ecstatic to announce a new partnership between Rawlings and Cressey Sports Performance, and they've set up a 20% off discount code on select products for our listeners. Just head to www.Rawlings.com and enter coupon code CRESSEY20 and you'll receive 20% off on your order. Certain items are excluded, but there's still a ton of great baseball training gear to make you a better player and coach.
Show Outline
Why Kyle chose to move across the country out of high school and attend Dartmouth College
How Kyle has developed his ability to manipulate the baseball to create movement
How Kyle worked diligently to develop his changeup and how players can better develop this feel pitch
How throwing a quality changeup actually helped Kyle learn to throw a two seam fastball
How grip, specifically pinky position on the baseball, impacted the effectiveness of his changeup
What Kyle’s thought process is when throwing his changeup and how late hand speed out front trumps early, forced pronation with the pitch
How Kyle developed a cut changeup, which is differentiated from his “regular” changeup
How Kyle approaches attacking hitters and why he emphasizes throwing first pitch strikes and controlling counts against hitters
Why Kyle’s four seam fastball usage increased in 2016 and why this change allowed him to have more margin for error and improve the effectiveness with his fastball
How Kyle learned to read swings and bat paths in pro ball and how this has influenced how he competes against hitters
How Kyle prepares by utilizing coaches’ scouting reports along with video to develop a plan for success against the opposition
Why Kyle has always been intrigued by the mental side of baseball and how he has used it to develop an edge in the game
How simplification has revolutionized Kyle’s ability to master his mentality, control the game, and play to his highest ability
Why Kyle works to find a balance between using analytics and relying on his intuition
What pitch clicks in the bullpen when Kyle is set to have a great game and how Kyle knows when he is locked in
How Kyle attacks throwing his various pitches in his daily throwing progression
How individuals who lack elite velocity can identify their strengths and learn to separate themselves from the competition
Sponsor Reminder
This episode is brought to you by Rawlings. If you want to develop faster, and train better, you need the best gear. Well, we have some good news for you. The #1 baseball brand in the world, Rawlings, has partnered with Cressey Sports Performance to make getting the best training gear for you more affordable. Simply head to www.Rawlings.com and use the code, CRESSEY20, at checkout and you’ll save 20% off your order! This offer is only valid on select items, but there’s a ton of great gear you’ll save 20% on that will help you become a better player, so shop now!
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!
