Mark Bell's Power Project From Powerlifting to Pro Baseball: Eric Cressey on Building Elite Athletes
Jun 18, 2025
Eric Cressey, a renowned strength and conditioning coach and Director of Player Health for the New York Yankees, shares invaluable insights on athletic performance. He discusses the integration of powerlifting principles into baseball training and highlights the importance of mobility and rotational capacity. Cressey emphasizes injury prevention techniques, particularly for common shoulder issues, while critiquing traditional lifting methods. He also explores the significance of individualized training and the impacts of early sports specialization on young athletes.
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Powerlifting Principles Adapted for Baseball
- Powerlifting principles, in moderation, apply broadly but must be adapted for baseball needs.
- Combining strength with mobility and rotational power improves baseball performance effectively.
Avoid Olympic Lifts for Baseball
- Avoid Olympic lifts for baseball players due to high injury risk and limited baseball-specific carryover.
- Focus instead on jumps, med ball throws, sprints, and change of direction drills with rationale.
Building Cressey Performance
- Cressey Performance evolved from college basketball beginnings into a baseball athletic performance empire.
- They integrate pitching, hitting coaches and advanced data assessments across facilities in Massachusetts and Florida.
