SHOULD YOU PLAY SUMMER BALL?

Let’s start here- you’re a 150lb sophomore in high school whose body just started to mature. I’m going to assume your goal is to play college baseball but what gives you the best chance to make it to the next level over the next 3, 6 and 12 months? 

In order to play college ball, you have to get noticed by a program and in order to get attention you have to display elite traits on the baseball field (ie pitching velo, hitting velocity with barrel control, elite speed etc.). Gone are the days where filling up the zone or guys that make a lot of contact get recruited. 

So that begs the big question, do you currently display elite traits that help you get noticed vs the other 100 kids at the showcase? If you’re currently throwing low 80s and look like every other pitcher at the tournament, how are you going to differentiate yourself from the others for a college program?

My argument would be that your summer is better served finding your next jump in your development by spending time in the weight room, building your base of strength and power and combining that with a throwing or hitting progression to help you add velocity. Don’t have your potential on the field be limited bc you don’t prioritize other forms of development.

This is not to say that in game reps are not important, they’re our best metric to see if you’re actually good at baseball but here is what we also know - both strength gain and weight gain are correlated to improvements on the field. One study found that body mass were strong predictors of peak fastball velocity in collegiate pitchers, another found velocity is correlated to weight gain to 210lb. There’s an equal amount of studies showing importance of leg, shoulder, rotation strength and power and its correlation to velocity. If you are only chasing in game repetitions, you are leaving a key developmental piece on the table and the earlier you get accustomed to the weight room and training, the longer the period you have to develop that skill. 

Now this entire argument is mute if you’re a kid that has a long training background, has developed skill wise but is lacking in game repetitions, in that case, it’s time to go get noticed. For the majority of young highschool kids they would be better served investing in themselves, getting in the weightroom and eating a ton of calories rather than traveling across the state/country. Don’t blend in with the rest of the pack, force people to notice you.

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If you need help with a general offseason strength and conditioning program, you can find that here https://www.bridgeptp.com/e-books-guides.  

Some Studies

Peak Lower-Extremity Power Unadjusted for Body Mass Predicts Fastball Velocity in Collegiate Baseball Pitchers - PubMed

Countermovement Jump and Momentum Generation Associations to Fastball Velocity Performance Among Division I Collegiate Pitchers - PubMed