For a long time the MLB’s biggest sluggers tended to all train the same way, combining huge amounts of time in the batting cage with an almost equal level of effort in the gym, remembering all the while not to forget about their duties on base.
However, as teams and players start mining training data in search of that elusive added edge, there are now plenty of innovative training routines that are making their way into MLB locker rooms and training centers.
Here are just some of the ways that MLB batters are ensuring they smash the competition out of the park.
Pitching Machines Are Making Outdoor Batting Practice Obsolete
There was a time when prior to a game, batters would have coaches or other support staff sling them a few pitches, with the idea that the batter in question would get a feel for how the ball was travelling through the air and how their swing was feeling.
However, there is obviously a big difference between facing a 95mph fast ball and a 50mph flopper.
With this in mind, more and more franchises are now ditching outdoor batting practice in favor of indoor batting nets armed with pitching machines, all of which can mimic a ripping curve ball or a speeding fast ball, meaning these are the forward thinking teams fans should include in their MLB betting parlays, because the batters on their rosters are sure not to swing and miss.
Caption: High speed pitching machines are the tool of choice for most top sluggers
Eat Healthy and Hit Big
Diet is perhaps the one aspect of every pro player’s daily training regime that has changed more than any other.
Gone are stodgy foods such as pizza and sandwiches, and in are protein rich meals that are also packed with healthy carbs.
A big part of all this is hydration, with most top players doing away with caffeine rich energy drinks as well as coffee and alcohol.
Caption: Batters need plenty of carbs and proteins in their diets, but they must be the correct types
Explosive Training Should be on Every Batter’s Schedule
Of course, there is still no way to get around the fact that batters need to spend many hours per week in the gym.
However, while many would think that only the upper body muscles are important for a slugger, that could not be further than the truth, with core muscles and leg exercises being the focus.
Keeping Flexible
With all that weightlifting and hard swinging it is very easy for batters to get too tight, meaning their outfield game can suffer.
To prevent this there are a whole host of players using live or online yoga classes to remain supple and injury free.