Strength in Numbers #238 What separates the best from the rest isn’t just knowing the science or logging years of reps—it’s the ability to bridge both. That’s called evidence-based practice. At its core, evidence-based practice means making decisions that blend the best available research with real-world experience, rather than relying on “how it’s always been…

Strength in Numbers #236 Across multiple studies, a consistent pattern keeps showing up. The muscles that protect the elbow fatigue before velocity drops - The small forearm and finger flexor muscles that help stabilize the elbow get tired early in games—even when the pitcher still looks fine and velocity hasn’t changed. As pitchers throw more,…

Strength in Numbers #235 The force–velocity curve describes a fundamental property of muscle contraction: as contraction speed increases, the maximum force a muscle can produce decreases. At slow speeds (or during isometric efforts), muscle fibers have more time to form cross-bridges, resulting in higher force output. At very fast speeds, fewer cross-bridges can attach, so…

Strength in Numbers #234 Grip strength has long been used in baseball as a quick screening tool for fatigue and injury risk. It’s easy to measure, inexpensive, and has proven to decline during games and across a season. But multiple studies have exposed a critical limitation: Why grip strength falls short It measures the wrong…

Strength in Numbers #233 Velocity has long been considered a necessary risk of high-level performance. A recent landmark study of over 1,300 pitchers across eight seasons found that higher fastball velocity is associated with an increased risk of UCL reconstruction. But there’s an equally important—and often overlooked—point. Velocity explains only a portion of injury risk.…

Strength in Numbers #232 When I began working in professional baseball, what stood out immediately was not just how hard pitchers threw—but how variable they were from outing to outing. The same pitcher could: Look explosive and efficient one week Appear stiff, late, or “off” the next Report no pain, yet show clear mechanical drift…

Strength in Numbers #231 I was recently visiting Oklahoma City.  When on the plane, I was thinking about how flying affects our bodies.  In Major League Baseball, red-eye flights across time zones wreak havoc on the body.  Travel, in my opinion, is one of the most challenging aspects of pro sports to master, but there…

Strength in Numbers #229 We are in an age of instant information.  We lack patience.  We at times lack the dedication.  We can lack the humility to change… but we cannot give up on demonstrating growth mindsets, adding new tools, and getting better each day.   I had recently connected with a former D1 football strength…