Elite Baseball Development Podcast

Eric Cressey sits down with Dakota Herman to discuss how bullpen arms should be lifting in season to optimize their performance both at the professional and collegiate level, how hitters can mitigate the stressors placed on the lead shoulder of their swing, what recent history and research says about bicep tenodesis and recovery and what baseball players should be aware of when considering this procedure, and what high school coaches can do to best prepare their pitchers for week one of spring season.

Starting pitcher for the Cleveland Indians Aaron Civale discusses how he has developed and differentiated a 6 pitch arsenal, how the spike in strikeouts across major league baseball doesn't have to come at the cost of missing the strike zone, and what process-oriented mindset he has adopted to find continued success throughout his baseball career.

Relief Pitcher for the Colorado Rockies Tim Collins discusses how dialing in his strength training and managing the details of his lifestyle allowed him to maximize his undersized 5'7" frame and develop into a mid-90s arm out of high school, how developing a changeup in AA gave him the edge he needed to become an MLB mainstay, and how fixing a nagging hernia injury after the Royals 2014 World Series run evolved into back to back Tommy John surgeries that sat him out of the '15 and '16 season.

Eric answers your submitted Instagram questions including: why pitch counts are important despite their contradiction to the accepted belief of the SAID Principle, what coaches should consider when incorporating vertical pulling with athletes who have a history of lat injury, what're the best exercises for strengthening the deceleration muscles of the throwing motion, and what professionals should assess in an athlete when personalizing an arm care program.

Pitcher for the Seattle Mariners Justin Dunn talks about how he transformed from a runt touching 70 mph as a freshman into the low-90s arm that became drafted out of high school, how the methodology of Alan Jaeger and the implementation of long toss into his routine allowed him to capitalize on his athleticism mechanically and learn how to manage his workload throughout his career, and how simplification of his process and mastery of his secondary pitches have allowed him to develop into a big leaguer.

Mobility expert Dana Santas discusses why she chose to leave her job in corporate real estate to pursue her passion for yoga, how she marketed herself as a young instructor to be able to bring mobility techniques to professional sports organizations, and what individuals should be cognizant of when looking to work with a mobility expert and make strides in their own movement quality.

Dr. Greg Rose, Co-Founder of Titleist Performance Institute (TPI), talks about how he originally studied engineering in college but eventually found his path in the health industry through golf as a doctor of chiropractic, what it truly means for rotational athletes to move efficiently, and what professionals should consider and what strategies they can implement when analyzing and maximizing an athlete's career over their entire athletic life span.

Eric answers your submitted Instagram questions including: how pitchers should model their training in a 7-day rotation, what are the risks and specific considerations for using blood flow restriction techniques with pitchers, and what do submariners and sidearmers have to do differently in their training.

Closer for the Cleveland Indians Brad Hand discusses his development into a big leaguer after being a second round draft pick out of high school, how he learned to simplify his mechanics and find consistency on the rubber, why he decided to scrap his curveball in the minors and instead develop a slider, and how his preparation and routine has evolved since transitioning from a starting pitcher to a heavily relied on relief pitcher.

Kyle Hendricks, starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, discusses how he learned to manipulate and put movement on the baseball specifically his change up, cut change, and 2 seam, what his mental approach is for being a consistently effective pitcher, and how pitchers who don't have elite velocity can separate themselves from the competition.