The Elite Baseball Development Podcast is a one-stop-shop for baseball development. Please subscribe to get updates for every new show!
In this episode, Eric highlights five ways that pitchers - especially in the amateur ranks - can safely build pitching velocity in a short amount of time. With summer ball approaching, this information is very timely.
In this episode, Eric welcomes Dr. Robby Sikka, who brings a wealth of sports medicine research experience across a variety of sports. Robby shares insights about the dramatic rise in injuries in professional tennis while also speaking to the broader landscape of sports medicine trends across high level sports.
In this podcast, Eric reviews some recent research on the utility of the Functional Movement Screen in predicting upper extremity injuries in baseball players. More importantly, he speaks broadly to the goal of doing assessments, and why what's predictive in one population might not hold up in a different group of athletes.
In this podcast, Eric welcomes Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Slade Cecconi, who speaks about not only his path to the big leagues, but his strategies for continuing to improve while at the highest level. Slade shares his late bloomer story, and outlines key developmental strategies he employed - including leaning on the wisdom of MLB veterans.
In this episode, Eric talks about the sports medicine challenges facing collegiate baseball players, and highlights injury trends that don't seem to be letting up. If you're a player, parent, or coach in the college setting, you don't want to miss this timely podcast!
In this episode, Eric welcomes Dr. Michael Freehill - team doctor for the Athletics and Stanford Baseball - to the show. As a shoulder and elbow expert, avid researcher, retired player, and baseball father, Dr. Freehill has unique insights about the direction in which baseball sports medicine is headed. They cover flexor injuries and what the industry needs to do to prevent and treat them.
In this episode, Eric discusses the unique circumstances surrounding the 2020 Major League Baseball Draft. It's been said this draft underperformed in terms of producing big leaguers, and there are some important player development lessons we can learn from this outcome. Thanks to our sponsor, AG1 . Head to https://www.DrinkAG1.com/cressey and you’ll receive an awesome welcome pack consisting of a free 5-pack of AG1 travel packets, a shaker bottle, and a 600-serving bottle of Vitamin D3+K2 with ...
In this episode, Cressey Sports Performance - MA co-owner and Director of Performance John O'Neil sits down with Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Ian Seymour. They touch on a wide variety of topics, ranging from offseason planning, to college recruiting, to Tommy John rehabilitation, to Ian's avoidance of social media. Ian's worked incredibly hard to get to the big leagues and has many excellent lessons to share with a larger audience.
In this podcast, CSP-FL pitching coach Matt Minnick shares insights on how players, coaches, and parents can work together to break down bad outings and create a plan for improvements. These lessons are applicable across all levels. Support Our Sponsor: 1stPhorm
In this episode, frequent guest Will Waterman from Proteus Motion shares some new insights on power development. He highlights the screens that have the most predictive capabilities if you're trying to build elite rotational athletes. Support Our Sponsor: AG1
In this episode, Eric outlines the four types of sleep profiles that researchers have investigated, and speaks to the importance of taking an individualized approach to optimizing this important part of their preparation and recovery. Support Our Sponsor: AG1
In this podcast, Eric emphasizes the need to remain openminded to different philosophies and viewpoints that may conflict with your own personal status quo. He speaks to looking past minutia to determine the actual meaning of the information we consume. Support Our Sponsor: 1stPhorm
In this episode, Eric outlines what an anconeus epitrochlearis is and how it can contribute to medial elbow pain, especially in overhead throwing athletes. Just as importantly, he speaks broadly to why it's important to consider anatomical variants in addition to medical and movement diagnoses.
In this episode, Eric highlights the importance of pitchers employing high-low models to their routines in order to optimize recovery and reduce the risk of injury. Additionally, he shares examples of how this structure works in the real world. Support Our Sponsor: Marc Pro
In this episode, Eric looks at how adding load can actually improve movement quality for certain individuals in specific situations. It might seem counterintuitive, but this knowledge can be a powerful tool in your coaching toolbox when applied in the right scenarios. Support Our Sponsor: AG1
In this podcast, Cressey Sports Performance - Florida hitting coach Ronnie Bernick discusses how often young players should train various aspects of skill development. This is a helpful podcast for not only players, but also coaches and parents looking to make efficient training decisions for the athletes they "manage." Support Our Sponsor: 1stPhorm
In this episode, Eric reviews a study of professional pitchers that saw a link between cervical spine range of motion and shoulder and elbow injuries in overhead throwing athletes. He speaks to how this loss of motion occurs, and more importantly, how it relates to overall movement dysfunction and the pitching injuries we commonly see. Support Our Sponsor: AG1
In this episode, Eric highlights the need for athletes to recognize that every rep can contribute to both short- and long-term outcomes - but the attention to detail is what determines whether that impact is positive or negative. Support Our Sponsor: 1stPhorm
In this episode, Cressey Sports Performance – Florida hitting coach Ronnie Bernick discusses how young hitters can take their foundational swing mechanics to a hitting approach that plays in game scenarios under different circumstances. Support Our Sponsor: AG1
In this episode, Eric interviews Dr. Peter Kriz about the results of a recent study he co-authored: "Do Pitching Restriction Policies Reduce Shoulder and Elbow Injuries in High School Baseball Players?" This discussion examines the history of pitcher usage recommendations over the past decade, and outlines where and how pitch count and frequency guidelines can be used to keep athletes safe. Support Our Sponsor: 1stPhorm
In this episode, Eric answers a listener's question about whether rotational athletes should include anti-rotation and anti-extension core exercises in their programs. Support Our Sponsor: Proteus Motion
In this episode, Cressey Sports Performance - Florida hitting coach Ronnie Bernick talks about how hitters can use data to shape their long-term development rather than just getting hung up on a few numbers. These are important lessons for coaches and hitters (and parents!) alike. Support Our Sponsor: AG1
In this episode, Eric highlights four ways that you can evaluate whether your training programs are creating the wrong adaptations. While we work heavily with rotational athletes, several of these lessons are applicable across all sports. Support Our Sponsor: AG1
In this podcast, Eric speaks to planning out the yearly calendar, prioritizing certain qualities, and accounting for the differences in warm vs. cold weather climates. Support Our Sponsor: 1stPhorm
In this podcast, Cressey Sports Performance - FL hitting coach Ronnie Bernick highlights the differences between random and blocked practice, and just as importantly, outlines how each can fit into overall development plans for hitters. Support Our Sponsor: 1stPhorm
In this episode, Eric interviews two Emory Healthcare sports medicine physicians, Dr. Eric Wagner and Dr. Robert Bowers, on the complexities of diagnosing and treating thoracic outlet syndrome and peripheral nerve entrapment syndromes. They discuss relevant functional anatomy, the etiology of these conditions, and conservative and surgical management. Support Our Sponsor: AG1
In this episode, Cressey Sports Performance - Florida hitting coach Ronnie Bernick discusses the key principles in youth hitting development and addresses the misconceptions within the space. He further emphasizes the need for coaches to focus on helping athletes develop body awareness and feel, not just replicate movements. Support Our Sponsor: 1stPhorm
In this episode, Eric chats with Boston Bruins Director of Performance, Kevin Neeld. They discuss the lengthy competitive hockey season, strategies for managing stiff hips, the skill-specific nature of work capacity, and how teams are evaluating and developing hockey athletes. There are many parallels to the baseball world, so this is a great listen for players, parents, and coaches. Support Our Sponsor: AG1
In this episode, Cressey Sports Performance - Florida pitching coach Matt Minnick takes a quick dive into what pitchers should know about spin - and more importantly, how they often overvalue spin rate. Matt shares insights on what really matters for creating pitch shape and, in turn, success. Support Our Sponsor: 1stPhorm
Renowned golf instructor and PGA Tour consultant Mark Blackburn shares fascinating insights on how the baseball world can borrow a variety of key competencies from the golfing community. From technology, to individualization, to long-term athletic development, this conversation delivered a lot of value for athletes, coaches, and parents alike. Support Our Sponsor: AG1
