Prospect Perspectives with Dodgers’ Alex Castellanos


This week we are joined by one of the Dodgers’ top prospects, Alex Castellanos. Alex was a tenth round draft pick by the Cardinals in 2007 and then traded to the Dodgers last season in a deal for Rafael Furcal. As he’s worked his way towards the big leagues (now in AAA), he has changed positions from infield to outfield and back again in order to eventually allow his bat into the big league lineup. In his first full season of AA in 2011, Alex hit over .320 and has started 2012 in AAA on a tear.

Many thanks to Alex for taking the time to sit down with Next Level Ballplayer to talk about fighting through failure, how he gets out of slumps, importance of practicing hitting the ball the other way, what he thinks in the batter’s box, if he guesses pitches, his advice on taking your game to the next level and more.

What is one baseball-related lesson that has led to your success through the years?

Always work hard.  When things aren’t going your way, keep fighting and eventually, something will happen.  You have to love the game, because this game is tough.  It’s a game of failure.  If you can overcome that, you’ll become a great baseball player.

How do you get out of slumps?

I keep telling myself that I’ve done this before. I’ve gotten out of this before.  I get back into the cage and start working on those little things I’d do when I was playing well.  Eventually, I come out of it and it pays off.

Do you have one drill that you especially go back to?

I start hitting every ball away and make sure I hit them all to the opposite field.  Then, when that’s an inside pitch, I just react and pull it.

When you’re in the game, are you looking away and reacting?

It depends what kind of pitch and what pitcher.  It depends if it’s a pitcher I’ve faced before, what he is throwing to me.  I might look at video before to see if he is a righty or lefty.  I always read the pitcher first.  During the pitch, though, I’m just thinking about going up the middle.

Do you have a focus point before you get to the release point?  What do you look at from the box?

Sometimes I look at the pitcher’s grip.  I look at the screen in the back and see if it’s easy to pick up the ball when he’s throwing.  That’s pretty much it.

How do you prepare for your at bat in the on deck circle?

When I’m on deck, I try to time the pitcher the best I can.  I take note of what he’s throwing.  Then I just go up and hope for a hit.

How do you quiet your mind from the batter’s box?

Try not to think up there.  I just go up there and use my tools.  I react to the pitches.

Let’s say you’ve missed a pitch you should have drilled, do you do anything to refocus?

If I miss a pitch that I should have ripped, I make sure I don’t miss it again.  If you miss those rare cookies that the pitcher may give you, it’s not easy to get those back.

What’s the best hitting advice you’ve ever heard?

To be honest, I’ve heard so many things… I can’t remember!

What was the hardest adjustment for you when you reached professional baseball?

The pitches were so much better, especially coming from a D2 school.  Adapting and adjusting to those things is difficult for a while.

Do you guess pitches?

Not really.  Let’s say I’m batting third and he is throwing a lot of off-speed pitches to me.   Then I might cheat a little by guessing those pitches.  That’s it, though.

Do you have a mindset of hitting with power or does that come naturally with your approach?

Everyone loves to hit home runs.  I’ll be on deck, checking out who is on base and the situation.  And that will dictate my approach during that at bat.

What’s one piece of advice you would give aspiring baseball players who want to get better?

Work hard.  Make sure you love it.  It’s a tough game.  Work your butt off.  A lot of people will tell you that you can’t do it.  That happened my whole life, but I still went out there and did what I needed to do.


Posted on May 14, 2012 by Franco

Posted in Hitting, Interview, Next Level Ballplayer, Prospect Perspectives | Tagged , , , , , , |
0

What It Takes To Be A Great Catcher with Sal Fasano (Video)

Hey catchers and coaches, listen up! We have a catching-specific interview today with long time MLB catcher and current AA coach for the Blue Jays, Sal Fasano. Sal played for 10 different teams over his 13 seasons and was well-known for his great defense and ability to handle a pitching staff. In his free time Sal still works with a lot of young catchers around the country through FuMan Fitness. For more info on Sal’s workouts for catchers, go to http://salfasano.com/FuManFitness.html.

In today’s interview with Sal we dig into the details of the biggest room for improvement for most young catchers (posture), the most important thing for catchers (flexibility), how he handled pitchers (including bullpen routine), and more.

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Franco

Posted in Catching, Interview, Training Tips, Winning Ballplayer | Tagged , , , , , , , , , |
2

The College Baseball Recruiting Survival Guide: Video & Foreword


WE ARE DOING IT!  The College Baseball Recruiting Survival Guide has officially launched today.  We had a great response during the pre-sale period and very positive feedback has already started coming in, including this encouraging email I received from David in Maryland:

I just finished reading the book, and all I can say is WOW. This is THE perfect guide to getting recruited. Your book doesn’t beat around the bushes like other books. Your book gets straight to the point on what you need to know to have the best opportunity to get into an excellent college with an excellent baseball program.  I have even started taking notes on certain things I didn’t know and that I believe are very important to my recruiting process.  So I wanted to say thank you for the great information you have given me that will help me get recruited.

In honor of The College Baseball Recruiting Survival Guide launch, I want to share the book’s foreword with you.  The author is someone I’ve had the privilege of getting well in only the past few months.  Mike Shaheen was a high school baseball coach for 15 years, and spent the last 8 years as the head coach of a powerhouse program in Georgia where he won 3 state championships back to back.  After the 2011 season, he moved (with his wife and 2 kids) to the Dominican Republic to work with baseball players and coaches through the FCA ministry.

When I first mentioned my College Baseball Recruiting Survival Guide to Mike, he was very intrigued.  After I sent him the 1st draft, it resonated with him enough to ask if he could write the foreword.  I was honored, and of course I said yes.  Below, Mike provides great insight into the recruiting process from the player and coach’s perspective.  Enjoy.

Foreword to The College Baseball Recruiting Survival Guide:

For seven years as an assistant high school coach and eight years as a head coach, I tried my best to teach our players the value of putting team first.  That is not an easy sell nowadays.  Players today are far different than they were 20, 30, or 40 years ago.  Today, coaches have to work extra hard to convince their players that there is much more satisfaction in the actual practice or game than the result at the end.  They want to hear their coach tell them how they can get a scholarship and play for a Division 1 college.

Do not get me wrong.  I loved being the head coach of a high school baseball team – almost every minute of it.  I got to watch 15 of my players go on to play Division 1 college baseball, a handful of others went on to play at the D2 and D3 level, with three playing professionally today.  I may have come across as negative above, but in reality, I am trying to describe how tough it is to be a successful high school baseball coach.  High school baseball in the state of Georgia is pretty amazing.  Coaching and competing against players that are some of the best in the country was very enjoyable.  Spending quality time during the school day with my players and developing relationships that will last a lifetime is something to cherish.

I was blessed to coach some really great teams with some even better young men.  Being able to go to the ballpark each day with a smile on my face is something I will always remember.  But let’s face it.  It’s all different today than it was 30 years ago.  The pressure for your son to earn good grades, to get into the right college, to play strong baseball, to get a scholarship… it’s overwhelming for parents.  That is not an excuse, just a fact.  A high school education and a varsity letter is not enough anymore.  The days when a parent or coach would say, “if you are good enough, they will find you and you will get your scholarship” are officially over and have been for quite some time.

That leads me to the fact that there are a lot more young men out there searching for an opportunity to play college baseball and possibly beyond.  With that in mind, parents and coaches need to be that much more in tune with the process of recruiting.  There are several variables that have led to this recruiting craze, but one of the biggest is that there are more college baseball programs competing today than ever before.  There is more pressure from administrations to win games.  There are more players wanting to play at the next level.  There are more families and coaches that understand the process better than they did in the past.  Put it all together and you may have absolute chaos.

That is where David Franco and his guide to College Baseball Recruiting becomes a solution to the problem.  Every family with a son who wants to get to the next level needs a Recruiting 101 class!  Unfortunately, there are so many voices out there telling people what they want to hear for a pretty high price tag.  Most recruiting information companies tell parents and players what they want to hear.  They really do nothing to help a family become more educated about the recruiting process.

The idea behind David’s Recruiting Survival Guide is simple:  Educate parents and players so they can make the correct decisions during the most crucial moments in recruiting.  Some of the information that David writes in his manual will make showcase directors and recruiting services upset.  If those people are focused on what’s best for the players, this shouldn’t be so. It may not tell you what you want to read either.  What it does do is give everyone that reads it an opportunity to have a plan of action, execute that plan, and do it in a common-sense way that is going to give the young man an opportunity to play at the college that is the right fit for him.

While so many companies want to develop a gimmick behind recruiting, David gives his readers the facts and most direct ways to market themselves.  There is no gimmick.  He has interviewed countless college and professional athletes and coaches, and they have told him what they look for and how families should go about the process of marketing their son.  Everything I read in The College Baseball Recruiting Survival Guide is dead-on and can be applied during the sophomore, junior and senior years of high school.  I recommend this book to all of my high school coaching friends, parents and high school teenagers as it gives all prospects what they need to know about recruiting.

We live in a world that believes that if something is not expensive, difficult nor long waiting, it cannot be good.  We also are a society of gimmicks.  Everyone loves gimmicks.  The problem with all of this is that we are wasting a lot of time and money using the wrong products.  The old adage of K.I.S.S. (“Keep it simple, Sally”) has turned into M.I.C.E. (“Make it complicated, Emily”).  My advice to you is to read, take notes and formulate a plan using the clear and concise information that David Franco gives you in this complete guide to college baseball recruiting.

To purchase your own copy of The College Baseball Recruiting Survival Guide click the Buy Now button below!


Posted on May 2, 2012 by Franco

Posted in Uncategorized |
0

How to Get the College Baseball Recruiting Survival Guide… For Free!!!

You guys have been awesome.  I’ve received a boatload of supportive emails recently about the college baseball recruiting process as well as the College Baseball Recruiting Survival Guide that I recently announced.  I’m glad there are people as excited as I am about this.

To be eligible to win a free College Baseball Recruiting Survival Guide, all you have to do is answer ONE question in the comments section of this post.

The winner will receive:

  1. College Baseball Recruiting Survival Guide ($47)
  2. Next Level Ballplayer T-Shirt ($15)
  3. Personal 20 minute follow up call from me 1-2 weeks after you’ve read the CBR SG to answer any specific questions you might have about recruiting, or anything else (Priceless… just kidding).

The ONE Question:

Why do you think the College Baseball Recruiting Survival Guide can help you achieve your goal (or your son’s goal) of getting a baseball scholarship?  (Note:  Let me know exactly which aspects of the recruiting process you most want help with.)

How I pick the winner(s):

I’ll read through all the comments and pick out what I feel is the best answer.

You might be asking yourself right now, “What the heck is the College Baseball Recruiting Survival Guide?” Great question. The short simple answer:  The CBR SG is an all-inclusive product that includes everything a player and parent need to get a baseball scholarship without wasting time and money on questionable recruiting services and showcases.

A coach recently emailed me after hearing about the CBR SG; “I’m just tired of all the Vultures/Scavengers that lurk waiting to drain parents of hard-earned money with costly showcases, and other schemes claiming to assist in the process.”

This is only one of many college baseball recruiting problems that players and parents must navigate through.

Let’s address a few main points.

Some topics covered in the book:

  • The Recruiting Process from the Perspective of the College Coach
  • Factors that Influence College Baseball Coaches (Beyond Talent)
  • How Do Coaches Find You?
  • How to Stand Out When Playing in Front of College Coaches
  • Are You Good Enough to Play D1?  If Not, Where Do You Stack Up?
  • College Recruiting Services:  Scam or Value?
  • The Showcase Scam that is Sweeping America
  • How To Decide Which Showcases are Legitimate?
  • How to Not Waste Your Day at a Showcase!
  • How to Determine Which Colleges Are the Right Fit for You
  • Beware of the “String Along”
  • Why “Walking On” Usually Means the End of your Competitive Baseball Career
  • How to Email and Call a Coach
  • What to Do When The Scholarship Offers Come

There will also be four bonuses included, but I’m going to keep those a secret for now… Okay, one hint. One of them is an interview with the greatest college baseball recruiter on the planet.

Who the CBR Survival Guide is for:

This is for the high school player who wants to play at the next level – college baseball.  This is for the parents who want the best for their son and want to understand the ins and outs of the college baseball recruiting process (without breaking the bank).  This is for the high school coach who wants an insider’s look at the college recruiting process so he can better help his players.

Why I decided to write the CBR Survival Guide:

“I have so many (college recruiting) questions I am not even sure where to start.  I have read about a thousand articles on baseball recruiting and still feel as confused as before I started.”

– Michael, Georgia (Baseball Parent and NLB Reader)

For the last several years, I have been a sounding board to countless high school players and parents as they navigate through the maze of the college baseball recruiting process.  Often, the questions and stories are ones of frustration and confusion (as quoted above).  Beyond that, I have seen aspiring ballplayers shorten their playing careers by choosing the wrong school, or even worse, getting left out of college baseball all together while waiting for a scholarship that never came.

How the CBR Survival Guide will help you:

Numerous high school players and their families will spend thousands of dollars (way too much) wading through the college baseball recruiting process. This book will save you from overspending off the field, as well as show you how to stand out on the field. If you are going to spend time and money, I want to help make sure your time and money is well spent. This book should be the starting point of every single high school baseball family and player who aspires to play baseball in college. For those of you already further along in the recruiting process, don’t worry! This book will help you best prioritize your time and money to give you the best chance of receiving a college baseball scholarship.

Remember to leave a comment in the comment section below for a chance to win a free copy of the College Baseball Recruiting Survival Guide (Available for pre-sale on Tuesday April 24th).

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Franco

Posted in Uncategorized |
20

Overcoming ‘The Most Evil Thing in Baseball’ & Owning The Mental Side of Hitting with Steve Springer (video)

NLB Mental Game of Baseball

As you probably know, Next Level Ballplayer loves the mental side of baseball and interviews like this one. Not one interview with a big league ballplayer goes by without me asking about his mental approach and for any tips or routines that he can pass onto our NLB community of ballplayers, coaches, and parents. Today, we have the opportunity to learn from one of the best mental baseball coaches out there, Steve Springer (“Spring”).

How can I label Spring as one of the best mental baseball coaches out there? Besides being employed with the Blue Jays as their mental coach, I have gotten to know him (and his material) personally over the past year. Check out some of these big leaguers who love Spring’s information and awesome hitting CD/DVD —Jose Bautista, Ben Zobrist, Mark Trumbo, Hank Conger, Clint Hurdle, Billy Beane (Spring’s minor league roommate and yes, this is the Moneyball Billy Beane) and many more.

I rarely endorse products, as there’s a lot of junk out there. Springer’s CD/DVD is an exception. So, if you are a player, coach, or parent, I highly encourage you to check it out.

Many thanks to Spring for sitting down with NLB to talk about how to define success for a hitter, what constitutes a “quality at-bat”, why you should be a ‘guess hitter’ like Ted Williams, the definition of ‘hunting pitches’, the importance of breathing, and more.

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Franco

Posted in Hitting, MLB Clubhouse Convos, Mental Baseball |
0

Learning How to Hit Like a Big Leaguer & Defensive Tips with Reds’ Zack Cozart (Video)

This week we are joined by Reds’ shortstop Zack Cozart. Zack was a second round draft pick by the Reds in 2007 and has worked his way through the organization to become their shortstop of the future. Early on in his professional career, he was best known for his defense. Zack hit around .220 his first year of Pro baseball, leaving people wondering if his offense would ever catch up to his defense. It’s safe to say his hard work has paid off as he moved up a level every year until making his big league debut in 2011.

Many thanks to Zack for taking the time to sit down with Next Level Ballplayer to talk about how he developed his hitting, the one piece of hitting advice that got him out of his worst slump (led to a 5-5 night two hours later), the mental side of hitting and fielding, how he handles high expectations, his advice on taking your game to the next level and more.

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Franco

Posted in Hitting, MLB Clubhouse Convos, Mental Baseball |
0

Need to Take Your Pitching to the Next Level? Here’s What John Smoltz Did (Hint: Mental Toughness)

At the All-Star break of the 1991 season, John Smoltz was 2-11 with a 5.16 ERA. It was the middle of his second full season in the Big Leagues and even though he had had some success in his rookie year, there were many people that doubted whether he would ever develop into a winning pitcher. As the story goes, Smoltz turned things around in a big way and went 12-2 with a 2.62 ERA in the second half of the season and never looked back.

How did Smoltz make that incredible turnaround? He credits his psychologist, Dr. Jack Llewellyn, with helping him turn around that disastrous first half of the 1991 season, saying, “Dr. Jack was a big key in my turnaround. The main thing he taught me was to focus on the good and forget the bad.”

There are countless pitchers out there in dire need of turning things around in order to reach that “Next Level” or return to form of past success. Today we sit down once again with the ‘Mental Genius’ behind Smoltz’s turnaround, Dr. Jack Llewellyn. If you are a pitcher or a coach, this article should be treated like pure gold and applied immediately as we outline what Dr Jack did with Smoltz and what pitchers can do today to make their own turnaround a reality.

Enter Dr. Jack Llewellyn:

What Was the Starting Point For Your Mental Training with John Smoltz?

He had tremendous talent, good family support, was a solid Christian man, and had a deep desire to succeed. With that in place, it was obvious to me that he needed to control the things that he can control and let the other stuff go. MOST OF THE THINGS WE WORRY ABOUT IN LIFE ARE THINGS THAT ARE OUT OF OUR CONTROL.
Continue reading →

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Franco

Posted in Pitching |
9

Coaches’ Corner with University of Iowa Asst Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Ryan Brownlee

This week in Coaches’ Corner we sit down with University of Iowa assistant baseball coach and recruiting coordinator, Ryan Brownlee. Coach Brownlee is in his ninth season with the Hawkeyes and has established himself as one of the top recruitors in the Midwest. His 2011 recruiting class was ranked #1 in the Big Ten and #4 in the Midwest. Just in the last three years 12 of the players Coach Brownlee has recruited to Iowa have been drafted by MLB teams.

We appreciate Coach Brownlee stopping by for this insightful look into: the college baseball recruiting process, the hardest adjustment for freshman to make at the collegiate level, the best ways to prepare for college baseball, his advice to ballplayers that want to get better, a special message to parents of high school baseball players and more.

Before we start, here is a quote from the interview that should probably make it onto your wall!

“Have your kids do everything in the recruiting process.  That’s a huge red flag for a college coach if all the communication is through the parents.” University of Iowa Baseball Recruiting Coordinator Ryan Brownlee

What advice would you give high school players looking to play at Iowa?

Like any college program, we first look at athleticism especially for our position players, but even for our pitchers.   We figure we can teach them other aspects.  For example, foot speed – there needs to be a baseline level before they get to us.  To get to the next level, they should find out what college programs are doing now and start now.  That way they can be on the same routine and regimen before they get there.  The more college experience you give yourself early on, the better.   There’s a place for anyone to play somewhere on the college level.  I played at the University of Evansville, but I only looked into D3 schools in high school.  I didn’t know how I measured up, and I only started really working at baseball my Senior year.  The more players can learn as much as they can about playing in college, the better.   Not everything works for everyone, so players shouldn’t feel like they need to do everything.   Just try things that work for you.
Continue reading →

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Franco

Posted in Coaches Corner | Tagged , , , |
4

Sean Casey on Hitting, Hustle and More (Video)

This week we are joined by longtime MLB hitting machine Sean Casey. Nicknamed “The Mayor” and known for being a great guy, Casey hit .302 over his 12 year career in the big leagues. Before getting drafted in the 2nd round by the Indians in 1995, he led all of Division 1 College Baseball in hitting with a .461 average for the University of Richmond. It’s safe to say he knows a little bit about hitting and playing the game the right way.

I want to give a ‘tip of the cap’ to JP and Kevin from Green Diamond Gallery (greatest baseball memorabilia collection outside of Cooperstown) for asking these questions for NLB after one of their events. Also, many thanks to Sean Casey for taking the time to talk about hitting, hustle and his advice to ballplayers looking to take their game to the next level.

Before we start here is a great Sean Casey interview quote for your locker:

“If you can’t give your teammates four (hard) seconds down the line, than you shouldn’t be wearing the uniform.”

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Franco

Posted in Next Level Ballplayer | Tagged , , , |
3

‘How to be a Great Infielder and Slow the Game Down’ with Fielding Guru Juan Castro

Today, we have a treat for infielders out there who want to learn from one of the best. We are joined by current Los Angeles Dodgers infield coach and longtime Major League infielder, Juan Castro. Juan had a .229 batting average over his 17 seasons in the big leagues with five different teams (Dodgers, Reds, Twins, Orioles, & Phillies). Why then did teams continue to sign him for 17 years? Because he was a magician with the glove and coaches knew they would get dependable defense out of him at any infield position (make sure to watch the video down below of him turning a sick double play with Chase Utley).

In the history of Major League Baseball, Juan ranks 15th in career fielding percentage for shortstops. So in all of baseball history there are only 14 shortstops with a better career fielding percentage!! Ok, if you are an infielder, parent of an infielder, or a coach, I know you’re hooked. In this sit down interview with Juan Castro, we talk about, his top defensive tip for infielders, how to slow the game down on defense, how to quickly move on from an error, how all shortstops should be leaders, the mental side of being a shortstop, and more.

Before we start, here’s a quick Juan Castro quote for your bulletin board:

“One of the biggest enemies for an infielder is trying to be too fast.  That’s when all the errors and mistakes come in because we’re trying to be quick.”

Let’s talk defense.  What’s the best defensive tip that you heard early on in your career that really impacted you over the years?

There’s a lot of little things that make defense big, but one of the best things for an infielder is not to rush yourself.  Not to do everything too fast.  If you think in slow motion, then your adrenaline will take you to your perfect level.  If you think about catching the ball, fielding the ball, and getting rid of the ball as fast you can, that’s when you’re going to rush and make mistakes.   For me, it was big when I learned this myself – to relax and take things in slow motion.

If you feel yourself getting too fast, is there anything you can do in a game or practice to slow the game down on defense?

At first, it was the coaches telling me that I was rushing too much.  But as I got older and was learning more through work and repetition, I could tell on my own when something was wrong.  Then I started trying to think in slow motion.  One of the biggest enemies for an infielder is trying to be too fast.  That’s when all the errors and mistakes come in because we’re trying to be quick.
Continue reading →

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Franco

Posted in MLB Clubhouse Convos, Next Level Ballplayer | Tagged , , |
2