Next Level Baseball Institute

Scientific Baseball Analysis and Development

[nlbi]

What's Wrong With The MLB Draft?

Many analysts and fans are wondering how Cardinal’s rookie sensation, Michael Wacha, could have passed to the 19th overall pick, since he is now dominating those who represent the best teams in baseball for 2013.  Having personally scouted Wacha for three years, I can confirm that scouts passed on the future Cardinal’s ace for not having a plus breaking ball and little “project-ability” compared to a dynamic high school player like Nick Travieso or Lucas Giolito, two RHP taken before Wacha in the 2013 draft. 

Scouts consistently fall into this infatuation for a young, power pitcher, with an upper 90’s fastball and a plus breaking ball without ever fully understanding the pitcher’s ability to PITCH. In Wacha’s case, he was, at minimum, a safe pick for any staff, having shown an exceptional track record for Team USA and Texas A&M for three straight years. The Cardinal’s scouts, praised as one of the best in recent history, pounced on him for the sure thing bargain that he was and the rest is now history.

Major League Baseball has repeated this mistake several times. In the spirit of undervalued players, here’s a list of those who have been severely overlooked in the MLB drafts of past years provided by Sports Illustrated Magazine:

Mike Piazza, C, 1989, Dodgers, 62nd round. Hard to top a Cooperstown-bound catcher in round 62. He was a legacy pick at family friend Lasorda's behest but he became a superstar.

Albert Pujols, 1B, 1999, Cardinals, 13th round. Now one of the top ten hitters of all-time, it’s hard to believe he fell this far, giving the Cardinal’s yet another bargain pick.

Keith Hernandez, 1B, 1971, Cardinals, 42nd round. Perhaps the greatest fielding first baseman ever. Lasted this long after sitting out his senior season in a dispute with his high school coach.

Andre Dawson, OF, 1975, Expos, 10th round. This five-tool player was nothing short of an afterthought in this draft. On the way into the Hall of Fame this summer.

Don Mattingly, 1B, 1979, Yankees, 19th round. This undersized first baseman was a worker who could hit. But he couldn't run and few foresaw the power or greatness that would come. A total miss by everyone.

Rickey Henderson, OF, 1976 A's, 4th round. All-time great was missed by everyone before A's grabbed him.

Ryan Howard, 1B, 2000 Phillies, 5th round. This later bloomer was slow to be promoted to the majors, too, perhaps because of the presence of power-hitting Jim Thome. But as soon as Howard arrived, he established himself as baseball's top slugger.

Jason Bay, OF, 2000, Expos, 22nd round. The Canadian was underappreciated almost right to the point where he signed that $66-million contract with the Mets. The Expos were full of good picks. This was one of their best.

Johnny Bench, C, 1965, Reds, 2nd Round Arguably the greatest catcher whomever lived, scouted in the 2nd round under old school “eye-catching” scouting standards.

Nolan Ryan, RHP, 1965, Mets, 2nd round. This may contradict my previous argument, but nonetheless Nolan Ryan was taken in the 2nd round due to a lack of control, but the upside was unprecedented with Ryan’s velocity so I’m shocked scouts let him slip this far.

George Brett, 3B, 1971 Royals, 2nd round. Future Hall of Famer made it to the second round in the productive and topsy-turvy 1971 draft.

Roger Clemens, RHP, 1983 Red Sox, No. 18 overall. Clemens was an underappreciated star pitcher for the University of Texas Longhorns, where he was not exactly hidden but somehow skipped by eight teams that took right-handed pitchers ahead of him.

Cal Ripken Jr., SS, 1978, Orioles, 2nd round. Funny to think now that the Orioles (and presumably just about everyone else) preferred someone else to Ripken, another all-time great who went in round two. No one could have predicted he'd top Lou Gehrig as an iron man, but you'd think the team where his father worked as a coach might have known something no one else did.

Wade Boggs, 3B, 1976 Red Sox, 7th round. He was a great hitter but scouts must have wondered whether he had the power or other skills to be a third base star. Became a Hall of Famer and a steal.

Kevin Youkilis, 2001, Red Sox, 8th round. A University of Cincinnati scrapper, few foresaw his greatness. Didn't get notoriety until being dubbed as the Greek God of Walks in Moneyball. Turns out he could do more than walk, and beyond that, he is not Greek but Jewish.

Brandon Webb, RHP, 2000, Diamondbacks, 8th round. The 2006 NL Cy Young winner never overwhelmed folks with his velocity but he was one of the majors' best pitchers over a five-year period. Currently working his way back from shoulder trouble. Might not return this year, but a bargain nonetheless.

Ian Kinsler, 2B, 2003, Rangers, 17th round. This multitalented infielder might have been overlooked because he shared time with Dustin Pedroia at Arizona State before transferring.

Mark Reynolds, 2004 Diamondbacks, 16th round. Still strikes out too much. But great power and potential summarize Ryan Zimmerman's infield mate at the University of Virginia. Played shortstop in college.

[nlbi]

The 30 Most Efficient Swings in MLB History

It’s no secret Sabermetrics has become the new norm in baseball. Analyzing players by their production and efficiency has given teams an understanding of baseball as a statistical game of chess.  Those who reject the measure of a player’s efficiency, misunderstand the strategy behind the game.  The statistic OPS, or on base percentage plus slugging percentage, measures the complete offensive efficiency of a hitter by compiling his ability to get walked, get hits, and hit with power.  However, for the purpose of mechanically analyzing a hitter’s swing, one must put a spin on the revered OPS statistic.

 Batting Average plus Slugging Percentage removes the variable of walks, and focuses on those players who most effectively balance contact consistency with power. Those who excel at this statistic represent the most balanced swings in baseball. 

Below is a list of the 30 MOST EFFICIENT SWINGS IN BASEBALL HISTORY. Ignoring any public controversies or allegations, the numbers show that these are the cream of the crop in hitting, and should be your ideal mechanics to mirror. Some of these names are obvious, but some might surprise you.  More importantly, 23 of these 30 players are also in the top 30 OPS leaders in MLB history. I’ll be breaking down some of these players’ swings in the future to point out the commonalities that have made them so successful.

Babe Ruth...............................1.032

Ted Williams............................0.978

Lou Gehrig...............................0.972

Rogers Hornsby........................0.935

Jimmie Foxx...............................0.934

Albert Pujols..............................0.920

Hank Greenberg........................0.918

Barry Bonds...............................0.905

Joe Dimaggio..............................0.904

Manny Ramirez...........................0.897

Stan Musial.................................0.890

Miguel Cabrera...........................0.889

Ty Cob........................................0.880

Larry Walker...............................0.878

Johnny Mize................................0.874

Vladimir Guerrero........................0.871

Al Simmons.................................0.869

Chuck Klein.................................0.863

Harry Heilman..............................0.862

Dan Brouthers.............................0.861

Hank Aaron..................................0.860

Willie Mays...................................0.859

Albert Belle...................................0.859

Alex Rodriguez.............................0.857

Frank Thomas..............................0.856

Billy Herman..................................0.856

Mickey Mantle...............................0.855

Todd Helton..................................0.855

Mike Piazza...................................0.853

Earl Averill.....................................0.852

[nlbi]

The Importance of Good Posture in Pitching

A very simple to overlook component of pitching velocity is the importance of good posture throughout the delivery. To check for posture, a pitcher must be evaluated from the side and back angles.

From the side view, you want to see a pitcher's head stay over his belly button throughout the delivery. The purpose of this is to keep the pitcher’s center of mass moving down with the slope of the mound. Think of the pitcher as a single unit that needs to move down the mound similar to a roller coaster moving down a hill. If the pitcher leans too far back, then his center of mass is being held back, causing a dragging effect that slows the motion down.

From the back view, you can use the same methodology for posture evaluation. The pitcher’s head and weight should be over his belly button, and his weight should be over the balls of his feet to perform the explosive movement of driving down the mound. Think about the posture being upright but comfortable, like a normal stance used when in casual conversation.

Maintaining upright and centered posture throughout the pitching delivery is a big component of efficiently building momentum down the mound to create arm speed at landing and, thus, throw with higher velocity. 

Notice these several MLB pitchers and the exceptional posture they maintain to create efficient mechanics:

[nlbi]

How to Hit Homeruns…. Optimal Bat Swing Parameters for Maximum Range Trajectories

In a 2003 study by University of Cambridge Engineering Professor William J. Stronge and University of California Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering Professors Gregory S. Sawicki and Mont Hubbard, optimal swing to maximize range trajectories on a baseball was charted.  In other words, they conducted a study to shed light on the ideal swing to consistently crush homeruns.

Their several conclusions included the following:

There is an optimal strategy for achieving maximum range.  For a typical fastball, the batter should undercut the ball by 2.65 cm and swing upward at an angle 0.1594 rad.

The optimally hit curve ball will travel farther than both the fastball and knuckleball, because of beneficial topspin on the pitched curve ball that is enhanced during impact with the bat.

Range is most sensitive to bat speed, which suggests that a batter ought to work on bat speed before anything else to increase the range of his/her hits.

For a given pitch type, range increases with pitch speed.

Most importantly, this study revealed that while creating backspin by undercutting a baseball to increase lift is more beneficial due to a force called the “Magnus Effect,” a hitter must achieve this undercut by SWINGING SLIGHTLY UPWARD and not down through the ball.

The benefit of this Magnus Effect on a 95 mph fastball has been charted to contribute more than an additional 50ft distance to a baseball’s flight.  Additionally, as illustrated in previous articles, the optimal swing plane for consistent contact is also a slight upswing because it more efficiently matches the downward trajectory of a pitched baseball.

So, in conclusion, if you want to hit more homeruns and raise your batting average from more contact, learn how to swing slightly up and increase your bat speed by utilizing your lower body to deliver the hands through the zone.

You can read more on this study by visiting: http://baseball.physics.illinois.edu/AJP-Nov03.pdf

[nlbi]

Nolan Ryan Pitching Mechanics - Left Handed

[nlbi]

How to Teach a Crucial Component to Pitching Velocity….Back Leg Drive

One of the biggest contributors to adding pitching velocity is the improvement of back leg drive. The back leg is the ONLY tool available for the pitcher to move quickly and explosively down the mound and is, therefore, the most important focus for improving pitching velocity.

Following weight shift, when the pitcher breaks his hands, his attention should shift towards driving explosively on the ball of his back foot down the mound, essentially pushing with his back leg.  The pitcher should feel like he is driving the rubber towards second base quickly with his back leg.

A great way to instill this into a pitcher’s mind is to lay the pitcher on his back on the ground…feet at the rubber and head at the base of the mound.  Draw a line in the ground to represent the pitcher’s full body height.  Draw another line a few inches in front of that first line to represent roughly 95% of the pitcher’s height and explain that he must reach that line by driving explosively with his back leg. It is important to note that the pitcher CANNOT get to that line by reaching with his front leg, because that defeats the purpose of moving his center of mass quickly down the mound to build what’s called elastic energy.

To illustrate the proper movement for back leg drive, have the pitcher mimic a slide board stride (side to side) from the top of the leg lift position.  Explain that from that position, the pitcher must push or drive from one side to the other with the back leg, allowing the front leg to just hang loosely and go along for the ride with the pitcher’s front hip.

Doing this exercise is the simplest, most effective way to learn back leg drive.  The pitcher will understand how to move explosively and will get the visual feedback of landing on the line drawn in the dirt. 

Use this as a simple tool to easily add 3-5 mph to your fastball.

Video to come soon demonstrating the slide board drill.

[nlbi]

Use this as a very disciplined method for working fielding mechanics.  Perfect for introducing fielding at younger levels or maintaining mechanics at older levels. 

[nlbi]

Above All Else - Get the Glove on the Ground

Errors happen in baseball, but most of them are caused by one common fault…not getting the glove down and working up through the baseball. You see it happen all the time, especially at the little league level. Players will set their feet to field a ground ball only to have it skip under there glove or between their legs. 

The worst offense happens with the in-between hop or the low line drive off the bat that one hops an infielder.  The best thing to remember as an infielder is to feel your glove hit the ground when setting up for a ground ball.  In some cases, like the low line drive that one hops an infielder, it is best to go down to one knee and form a wall to block the baseball from passing you to at least keep the ball in the infield.

A fielder's reaction time is exponentially faster working from the ground up than it is working down to the ground if a ball takes a bad hop.  So remember, the number one priority for consistent fielding performance is to GET THE GLOVE ON THE GROUND. 

[nlbi]

          Which is Correct? "Tall and Fall" vs. "Drop and Drive"

The answer is NEITHER. In actuality, pitcher’s do a combination of the two.  

There are two main phrases used to describe what a pitcher should do with his back leg to move down the mound.  The term “tall and fall” has been used to describe pitchers like Randy Johnson, who appear to just let their body fall down the mound.  Meanwhile, Tom Seaver became the poster child for the “drop and drive” terminology, because of his tendency to get so low to the ground that his back knee would drag.

However, in reality, the most efficient and highest velocity pitchers do a combination of both methodologies.  A pitcher’s posture during leg lift and weight shift at the beginning of the motion is upright and tall to build momentum into leg drive.  Once the hands break, the focus then shifts to driving down with the slope of the mound into a long stride.

This driving phase causes the back leg to bend in order to be able to push or shift quickly down the mound, but the pitcher’s weight is NOT dropping straight down.  Instead, because the pitcher is driving down with the mound’s slope, his center of mass is moving gradually with the mound, much like a roller coaster going down a big hill.

Back leg drive is the explosive aspect of the pitching motion. A pitcher must be athletic on the ball of his feet, and must use his whole foot against the rubber to drive explosively. This move is the main contributor to greater velocity.  With good posture and a smooth but explosive delivery, the bigger muscles (legs) pick up enough momentum to accelerate or whip the throwing arm through after landing. This effect is referred to as “building elastic energy,” and it works much like when pulling back a rubber band further in order to make it shoot faster.

To summarize, if you were to choose a phrase to describe the pitching motion best, it would be best described as a “TALL AND THEN DRIVE” motion.

Take a look at Nolan Ryan, Aroldis Chapman, and Bob Feller shown below.  All are from different time periods in baseball (Feller: 1936 – 1956, Ryan: 1966 – 1993, Chapman: 2010 – Current) and all are officially documented to have thrown over 100 mph. See the similarities in their speeds of movement and explosive back leg drives. 

[nlbi]

The best compilation of available online video to show the great Nolan Ryan's pitching mechanics from all angles. Enjoy. 

[nlbi]

Build Pitching Velocity in the Weight Room

Pitching involves a short burst of explosive movement down the mound in order to throw with high velocity.  A pitcher relies on his legs to drive quickly down the mound in order to accelerate the throwing arm around and deliver the pitch.

Remember that Force = Mass x Acceleration, so the goal is to create explosive movements that accelerate the arm, which in turn boosts velocity while allowing the body's bigger muscles (legs & hips) to take stress off the arm.

The pitcher’s motion lasts less than 2.0 seconds on average, and lasts less than 1.3 seconds from the stretch. This type of movement relies on fast-twitch muscle movement more than maximum strength. Therefore, in order to build the fast-twitch muscles necessary to repeat a delivery, a pitcher would benefit more from explosive training in the weight room over mass building.

In addition, a pitcher’s training should emphasize the functional strength necessary to maintain balance and posture throughout an explosive pitching delivery. Since the pitcher is mostly on one leg at a time, functional strength training should attempt to isolate each leg separately.

For lower body functional strength training, some dynamic exercises include:

For lower body explosive strength training, some powerful exercises include: 

Take a look at Mets pitching sensation Matt Harvey, who uses a very smooth and balanced, but explosive and continuous, motion to deliver fastballs up in the 99 mph range. This intensity with the lower body is a common trait among all high velocity pitchers. 

[nlbi]

High Velocity Pitching = No Balance Position

One of the most ridiculous and unintelligible practices in baseball today is the concept of the "balance point" or "balance position" in pitching. Pitchers are taught to lift their leg and stop at the peak of their leg lift to "gain balance" for better accuracy and control. There is even a flat ground drill dedicated to this position: you pick your leg up and touch your toe back down to the ground, then lift again....go back down again, and then throw. 

But what is the point of this? Why would I shift my momentum back (or load) in order to stop that momentum yet restart it again?

The purpose of the mound, and the purpose of the leg lift, is to reach maximum potential energy. This is similar to a roller coaster at the top of its biggest hill. Once a pitcher lifts his leg, the next move is to drift or weight shift into leg drive down the mound in order to move fast and, therefore, throw fast.   

Once the leg is lifted, the pitcher is always in motion. 

There is a big difference between being in balance and reaching a balance point.  When sprinting or jumping, an athlete is always in control with good poster and alignment, but is moving continuously and very fast for maximum performance. The concept is simple if you just stick to Newton's First Law of Motion: 

"Every object in motion stays in motion, unless acted on by some external force."

The bottom line is stay in motion in order to build momentum, because momentum and acceleration are the keys to velocity. Newton's Second Law of Motion states that Force = Mass x Acceleration.  In order to accelerate in any explosive movement (jumping, sprinting, pitching, etc.) remember:

Once you are moving, you are always moving. 

Notice how Nolan Ryan, still the holder of the fastest officially recorded fastball in history, stays in motion throughout his entire delivery.  He uses weight shift after leg lift to gather momentum and drive down the mound. 

[nlbi]

"Squashing the Bug" doesn't exist in the Big Leagues. See for yourself the torque associated with Rotational Hitting. Find more at www.nextlvlbaseball.com

[nlbi]

Why swinging down at the ball is NOT the answer

A major piece of misinformation in baseball instruction today is the preaching of "swinging down" on the baseball. There are two major arguments to this thought process: 

Direct your hands short to the baseball and get inside the ball by swinging down.

Create backspin on the ball by cutting under it. 

But lets use common sense more than scientific research to dissect this argument, and fully understand an efficient swing. In baseball, the pitcher's (defense's) main objective is to get outs, mostly by making the hitter put the ball on the ground to the fielders. At the same time, hitters (offense) are told to keep the ball out of the air and swing down to put the ball in play and let the fielders make mistakes. The question is:

How can the defense and the offense have the same objective?

More specifically, let's examine the plane of the baseball vs. the plane of the swing to understand the most efficient way to make consistent and powerful contact.  The peak height of the pitcher's mound is ten inches higher than the plate, sloping downward from the rubber. This height advantage combined with an overhand delivery causes a downward slope on all pitches thrown to the hitter.

In order to make consistent contact to a downward sloping baseball, a hitter must create a swing plane in the opposing direction of the baseball. This means a hitter needs to swing slightly up, or even at the very least, to create the most consistent line drive contact off the bat.  A hitter wants to get on plane as quickly as possible with their swing so as to make consistent contact despite being early or late to the pitch. A slightly upward swing allows the best chance of this. 

Now, situation hitting is an entirely different instance, and requires downward swings at times to intentionally put the ball on the ground (hit and run).  But for the everyday power swing, a slightly upward angle is the most efficient path. 

Watch the videos of Albert Pujols and Ken Griffey Jr. below; two of the most efficient professional swings in the last 20 years.  

[nlbi]

Should a Pitcher Long Toss?

A major topic of debate today among coaches is whether or not long toss is a valuable tool for improving velocity and arm endurance. The issue is that only one side of the debate is backed by scientific research and analysis.  

Simply put, long toss is not an efficient training methodology for improving a pitcher's velocity, and it can be explained by basic physics. You've probably heard the term "arm strength," and using long toss to improve "arm strength." The problem is that "arm strength" doesn't exist, but rather ARM SPEED.  

It is true that during long toss, the furthest throw requires the most velocity, and that long tossing to a target far away gives a visual reference and feedback to achieve new levels of velocity (as further targets are reached).  However, the act of attempting to "throw harder" in long toss is simply a result of increased effort or "Work," which in physics is a byproduct of Force x Direction (W = F x D).  Since Force equals Mass x Acceleration (F = M x A), then the  same "Work" can be applied by training to move faster with good timing down a mound.

Throwing off a mound adheres to the law of "specificity" in physics, meaning the most efficient work is the work that resembles the exact motion required  (in other words - you pitch off a mound in a game, so pitch of a mound in practice).  Throwing off of a mound requires completely different timing into a completely different ball release position than throwing off of flat ground, as noted by the comparison photos above.  

Throwing off of a mound doesn't allow the added benefit of a crow hop, but does allow the added benefit of a sloped surface to bring more energy into motion, two very different skilled movements. Don't get me wrong, sometimes a hard throwing pitcher that long tosses may never experience any hindrance in performance because his body may adjust naturally when pitching off of a mound.  However, despite his ability to adjust, the practice of long toss is not benefiting him in any way to increase performance. 

A pitcher's most efficient work is done off of a mound, using video feedback to practice good timing and mechanics at a high intensity with accuracy.