There’s no arguing that players need to develop their skillset in the off-season. Most would probably even agree that they should develop in-season as well. The question is, are you actually doing it? Is there a plan in place?
The main areas I want to focus on are:
The weight room
Improving “stuff”
Improving mechanics
Most college and professional programs do a good job of developing their players in the weight room in-season. There is at least a plan in place and players are lifting. This is probably the lowest hanging fruit for high school players. At the high school level it is rare to have mandated lifts and a structured program. If you can take advantage of getting stronger and moving better in-season, you are setting yourself up for success.
Developing pitches in-season requires a willingness to experiment and to have an idea of what the goal is. Having Trackman or Rapsodo would be the most beneficial, but you can still develop your pitches without it. The important thing is to know what you are trying to do with the pitch. Throw it harder? Create more depth? More horizontal movement? Have a plan, work on it, and see how hitters respond.
Improving mechanics in-season is the rarest thing I see when it comes to development. Changing something in your delivery requires you to be uncomfortable and to accept that their might be a temporary dip in performance, depending on how big of a change it is. Look for ways to improve that don’t involve throwing. In most cases the player needs to move better so, attack the delivery with movement based drills. You can and should mix in throwing based drills that are going to help, but be conscious of the volume.
I believe every player needs to continue developing in-season. For some it might be minor things, for others it could be huge changes. The question you have to ask yourself is am I successful at my current level and is this good enough to get me where I want to go? Continue developing and see how good of a player you can become!
Enjoy the Process,
Jared Gaynor
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