How Steve Delabar Went from Substitute Teacher to Major League All-Star
In today’s post, we are joined by former Toronto Blue Jay and current Cleveland Indian’s pitcher: Steve Delabar. Delabar has one of the best stories you’ll hear in the game today. Steve gives us the shorter version of this incredible story: going from an assistant...
UCLA Coach Shares the Problem with Arm Care in Youth Baseball
In this week’s blog, we are joined by former UCLA Coach and current Minnesota Twins Area Scout Seth Moir. Seth talks to us today about a popular topic among pitchers: arm health. During Moir’s days at UCLA, they would simply promote a lot of throwing. They...
The Key to a Big League Changeup (Shared by a Former Dodgers Pitcher)
In this video, former big leaguer Jon Ely goes over the importance of the changeup. The goal of the pitch is simple: keep the opposing hitter of balance. A very common misconception with this pitch is that you have to change your throwing mechanics from how you...
The “Right” Way for Pitchers to Throw Year Round
This week we are joined by none other than long toss guru Alan Jaeger. Now more than ever, pitchers have the opportunity to pitch just about every day of the year (not that you should!). The question becomes, "How do I make sure that my arm stays healthy and strong...
How to Engage Your Lower Body on the Mound
In this week’s blog, Otterbein pitching/strength coach Johnny LaCorte talks about engaging your lower body when throwing off the mound. Coach LaCorte talks about how pitching is a kinetic chain: it starts with your feet and ends with the ball coming out of your...
The Six Areas that Create A Complete Pitcher (And the Common Mistake that Robs Pitcher’s Command)
What is the number one cause of command issues for early age pitchers? According to former Chicago White Sox pitcher Stew Brase, it’s all about direction. In this video post he also covers the six things that makes a “complete” pitcher. All of these together are...
Todd Blyleven on The Difference Between Control and Command
Former Big League Scout Todd Blyleven believes the key to having good control for a pitcher is having good direction to the plate. An easy way to make sure you are having good “direction” is to focus on having good balance. Finding a good balance point and...
The Importance of Staying in the Moment & Managing Expectations as a Pitcher
This weeks interview is with journeyman, left-handed pitcher Rich Hill. Hill's advice to young pitchers is all about control, a word synonymous with pitching, but a different type than you might be thinking. It involves mentally controlling what...
Rangers’ Pitcher Shares Mentality & Mindset on the Mound
Repetition can be used as a tool to regain focus in many different sports. In basketball, players will dribble the ball and spin it in their hands a unique way before a free-throw attempt to clear their head and focus on the shot. In tennis, before a serve, the player...
Increasing Velocity, Maintaining Command, and Becoming An Elite Pitcher with Mississippi State’s Pitching Coach
Today we get a great interview with Mississippi State University’s pitching coach, Wes Johnson. He has been a coach since 1998 and has had numerous pitchers of his drafted by MLB teams. His specialty is developing pitchers and increasing their velocity. This is...
The Ideal Mindset of an Aspiring D1 Pitcher
Today, we are have one of the most respected college pitching coaches in the country. In addition to winning back-to-back national titles while at Oregon State (2006-07), he was part of the staff that led the Beavers to three straight College World Series appearances...
Illinois Pitching Coach on Being a Better Pitcher
Today Next Level Ballplayer got together with Drew Dickinson, the pitching coach at Illinois. In this short interview, we cover what advice Drew gives for ball players who want to take their game to the next level. He shares some very simple advice that every...
R.A Dickey on his #1 Pitching Tip & Favorite Star Wars Character
Today Next Level Ballplayer got together with R.A Dickey, one of the best knuckleball throwers in the MLB. He was kind enough to take some time to share his wisdom. In this interview, you will learn R.A’s top piece of advice for ball players who are looking to get...
How R.A Dickey Stays Focused On The Mound
Today Next Level Ballplayer got together with R.A Dickey, one of the best knuckleball throwers in the MLB. He was kind enough to take some time to share his wisdom. In this interview, you’ll hear all about how R.A is able to focus when he is on the mound...
How to Teach Catchers How to Catch a Knuckleball Pitcher
Today Next Level Ballplayer got together with R.A Dickey, one of the best knuckle ball throwers in the MLB. He was kind enough to take some time to share his wisdom. In this interview you’ll hear all about how R.A made the change from a power pitcher to a knuckle ball...
Thomas Edison’s Pitching Advice That Helped Trevor Bauer Make It To The Big Leagues
"The Indians' Trevor Bauer has been one of the top prospects in baseball leading up to spending the majority of the 2014 MLB season in the big leagues. When I asked him about the biggest pitching lesson he learned that has helped him over the years, I was very...
Crusty Reflections About the Greatest Game on Earth (By Tim Dillard)
Hi guys, we have quite the treat today! One of my favorite ballplayers in the world has written a guest post for Next Level Ballplayer and I hope everyone gets a chance to read it. Tim Dillard is in his 12th professional season and has enough hilarious stories to fill...
Duke Pitching Coach Shares New Pitching Tips!
So you want to be a collegiate pitcher. Well what should your mind-set be if and when you get the chance? How are you going to adapt quickly to the players with a higher level of ability. What will be the best way to perform while holding up to the traditions and...
How Pitching In The Moment Took Jake Johansen From a 45th Rounder to a 2nd Round MLB Draft Pick
Today we dive into the importance of pitchers being able to stay in the moment while on the mound. Our minds seem to always be tempted to dwell on the past or the future. The best ballplayers learn to train their minds to consistently stay in the moment. Today we hear...
Big League Pitching Advice w Giants’ Santiago Casilla (Refocusing After Giving Up a Big Hit, and More)
I had the privilege to hang out with Santiago Casilla in Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic a few weeks ago. We were speaking at the same baseball conference put on for about 150 Dominican baseball coaches. Santiago has an amazing story that includes going from Low A, to...
Derek Holland Shows You How To Take Care of Business!
The best players in the game know how to use emotion to achieve peak performance levels. They don't let negative emotions dictate how they perform, but they do use positive emotions as an asset to execute in key situations. In this interview Derek Holland reveals a...
How Josh Beckett Was Taught to Throw His Nasty Curveball
When thrown well, the curveball has the opportunity to be one of the nastiest pitches in baseball. I can't think of anything nastier than a pitcher buckling the knees of a hitter with a sick curve. The lure of the curveball and the enjoyment of making hitters look...
The “Best Way to Condition/Train Pitchers” w KU Baseball Strength Coach
I realize that the “Best Way to Condition Pitchers” title might be a little hard to prove because there are a lot of great pitchers and coaches who train many different ways. Regardless, I think that the video below does a good job of describing the “Why” in this type...
Why Too Many Pitchers Never Reach Their Potential (With Pitching Coach Dan Spencer)
If you want to pitch at the “Next Level”, you will face obstacles along the way that will make or break your baseball career. Your chances of successfully performing at the next level depends on how you respond to the adversity that will come your way… because...
From Not Recruited Out of High School, to Almost Getting Cut in College, to Pitching in the Big Leagues- Chad Reineke’s Awesome Baseball Roller Coaster and Pitching Lessons He’s Learned Along the Way
I have a great story for you guys today. We’ll get to today’s big league pitching advice video on what to do after giving up a big hit, importance of staying positive on the mound, the best pitching advice Chad’s ever heard, and more… But first a quick behind the...
Indians’ Trevor Bauer Shares His “Wacky” Pitching Philosophy, How He Deals with Failure, His Mound Mentality, and More (Video)
Trevor Bauer might just be the most polarizing pitcher in the game today. He long tosses well beyond the length of a football field BEFORE every game he pitches. He never runs poles. He has at least seven pitches he can throw and over ten others he’s worked on in the...
The Key to Being a Great Pitcher
I love asking the question, What is the biggest separator between good and great _____? You can fill in the blank with pitchers, hitters, fielders, high school players, and college players. Today, we fill in the blank for pitchers. We’re joined by Indiana...
Pitching Grip Breakdown with Stony Brook Pitching Coach Mike Marron (video)
The Stony Brook Seawolves baseball squad grabbed the attention of the nation during their unprecedented run to the 2012 College World Series. A big part of that 52 win season was a pitching staff that posted a 3.15 ERA (23rd best in the country). The leader of that...
What Should Pitchers Throw in an 0-2 Count? Red Sox AAA Pitching Coach Weighs In
Both Sides of the 0-2 Debate Today we are diving into a pitching discussion about what a pitcher should throw in a 0-2 count. Essentially, there are two sides of this passionate argument: 1. DO NOT in any circumstance throw a strike. Either throw a breaking ball in...
“Throw the Ball Right” With Dodgers’ Pitching Prospect Chris Withrow
This article is brought to you by Jaeger Sports, creator of Jaeger Sports J-Bands. If you’re a pitcher, guess what? You are going to give up hits and runs. What happens from there is one of the greatest separators of good and great pitchers. The sooner you...
