Summer proves to be one of the most exciting times at Premier Pitching and Performance (PPP) as it affords us the opportunity to spend extended time with players from all levels of college baseball. Many of these players come seeking answers to various development questions. Division I  arm Kaden Jacobi came to us fresh off 46.2 innings of work in the SEC with a single goal in mind: raise his floor as close as possible to his ceiling. His goals were clear - tighter command of all four strikezone quadrants, a weapon to neutralize left-handed hitters, and a more stable velocity floor across his arsenal (with focus on his sinker)

As with every athlete who walks through the doors of PPP, we relied on the pillars of our Comprehensive Assessment Approach (CAA) to leave no stone unturned. 

Each athlete’s own radar distribution of attributes  is completely unique. While one athlete may exhibit high force/power output and low biomechanical efficiency, another may show high biomechanical proficiency with a need to focus on frame and engine size by improving force/power output. 

Arsenal Analysis 

For our elite training  group, the focus begins with the pieces of their arsenal. From the performance of the individual pitches and their sequencing, to how consistently they can be executed near the ceiling of their performance, we begin to outline a plan of attack. Below is a unique look at Kaden’s arsenal on assessment day in late May. This scoring and graphic was developed by PPP Fellow Alden Arrington and displays a Power 4 Stuff+ grade as well as the particular pitch’s performance against LHH and RHH given its metrics. It provides a clean look at where a pitch’s profile COULD go with small tweaks. The beauty of this visual (as you will see later) is how the Stuff+ zone distribution changes by manipulation of all elements that go into a Stuff+ score.

Kaden came in very one-dimensional. While his sinker shape helped him with regard to Power 4 average, the 89.2 average velo needed to improve. His slider/sweeper was essentially a non-factor and his inability to throw another off-speed pitch hurt him as well. Three key goals emerged from this assessment:

1. Improve the velo floor AND ceiling of the sinker.

2. Add more horizontal break to the slider/sweeper AND throw it harder

3. Finally solidify a viable change-up option as a weapon against LHH

Biomechanical Assessment 

With velocity being such a large part of the goals for his arsenal, a deep dive into Kaden’s biomechanical profile was the next step. 

Based on his biomechanical assessment, the following goals emerged:

1. Take slack out of the system to improve timing and sequencing (both in Hip/Shoulder Separation AND scap retraction.

2. Improve postural relationship between torso and pelvis to create a better “stack”

3. Improve center of mass velocity 

Kaden created a large amount of  hip/shoulder separation into foot plant. What we do know is that the magnitude of hip/shoulder separation is not nearly as important as the ability to close that gap. HOW hip/shoulder separation is created matters. Part of the large amount created by Kaden came from late torso clockwise rotation, placing the pelvis in relative counter-clockwise rotation. This provides a perfect example as to why simply looking at snap shots in time does not paint a true picture of athlete strategy. 

On top of large amounts of hip/shoulder separation, Kaden also created large amounts of scapular retraction (scap load). Similar to hip/shoulder separation, the amount of scap retraction is only as good as the athlete’s ability to pull themselves out of it. Kaden was getting “stuck” in his scap load, relying on elbow extension to pull himself out of it. 

Kaden’s posture with regard to trunk flexion at foot contact was another biomechanical characteristic that stood out. A better postural “stack” could not only contribute to better output, but more consistent pitch execution as well.

Finally,, Kaden fell outside our elite data range for his pelvis center of gravity velocity, a key contributor to ball velocity. Getting Kaden to move down the mound faster would certainly help the potential to raise the velo floor of his entire arsenal. 

 

Physical Capacity

The final pieces of our CAA include taking a peek under the hood to look at physical capacity. Through our use of force plates and our movement quality table assessment, we were able to identify some very specific capacity needs for Kaden. With regard to force production, Kaden’s countermovement jump (CMJ) numbers were very solid. With a capacity score of 103.7, he easily exceeds the elite average score of 100. With just average scores for RSImod (can be thought of as a measure of elasticity) and contraction time and below average scores for eccentric braking rate of force development, helping Kaden to move faster became a point of emphasis. Improving Kaden’s elastic qualities increased the likelihood of improving his propulsive power expression. With regard to our CMJ data set, propulsive power with respect to an athlete’s body weight is one of our highest correlated metrics to ball velocity. 

In addition to the CMJ, we relied on numbers from his squat jump assessment as well as plyometric push up to further refine his strength programming. 

It became clear that Kaden’s low-hanging fruit with regard to our elite data set was to improve his upper body force/power expression. Kaden is not alone here. It remains a glaring deficit at all levels of baseball that upper body force/power output is consistently undertrained for fear of harming the health of the shoulder and elbow. It is our opinion at PPP that to truly prepare the body for the demands of throwing a baseball at high velocities, we must expose the body to proper amounts of stress in training. 

Movement Quality

When checking in on Kaden’s movement quality, the most glaring areas of needs included improved thoracic spine rotation, improved motor control/coordination of his shoulder external rotators, and overall hip mobility - specifically hip extension to aid in chasing more upright posture throughout his delivery.  

Interventions: Where Do We Start?

Physical Capacity

The easiest way to improve on-field execution is to improve physical capacity in a way that allows the athlete to self-organize into more efficient skill patterns.  Seeing how close Kaden’s squat jump and countermovement jump peak power outputs were upon intake, improving his use of the stretch-shortening cycle proved paramount. That concept also carried over into his upper body force/power expression. To improve lower body output in an effort to help improve COG velocity, multi-rebound plyometrics were paired with lifts used to raise the force expression floor. Specifically, fast eccentrics were used to help improve Kaden’s braking capabilities. Similarly, we combined heavy upper body horizontal pressing and pulling with plyometrics at various depths of his shoulder range of motion to aid in helping the pec/lat complex to pull him out of scap retraction. 

Lower Body Example

A1. Fast Eccentric Safety Bar Split Squat: https://vimeo.com/1166103179?fl=ip&fe=ec

A2. Snap Down to Reactive Split Jump:  https://vimeo.com/1120219835?fl=ls&fe=ec

Upper Body Example

A1. Bench Press (Eccentric Tempo Emphasis)  

A2. Deep Drop Catch Push Up:  https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/1141706384

We then transitioned Kaden into more propulsive-emphasized plyometrics to combine with the higher intensity lifts.

Lower Body Example

A1. Pin Split Squat:  https://vimeo.com/1153191167

A2. Band Assisted Split Jumps: https://vimeo.com/1166103590?fl=ip&fe=ec

Upper Body Example

A1. Bench Press OC Iso - https://vimeo.com/1141706184?fl=tl&fe=ec

A2. Band Assisted Plyo Push Up: https://vimeo.com/1166103753?fl=ip&fe=ec

Finally, to improve overall upper body coordination, we added oscillatory reps and combined them with quick contact plyos.

Upper Body Example

A1. DB Oscillatory Bench: https://vimeo.com/1166104579?fl=ip&fe=ec

A2. Partner Reactive Supine MB Chest Pass:  https://vimeo.com/1153191259?fl=tl&fe=ec

Movement Quality

As the main output target was to improve the pec and lat’s ability to pull Kaden out of scap retraction more efficiently, we needed to deliberately train more proximal structures to insure glenohumeral and scapular stability. Accessory examples include:

BU KB Press with Band RNT: https://vimeo.com/1141706114?fl=tl&fe=ec

Dolphin Plank to Pike: https://vimeo.com/1108780301?fl=tl&fe=ec

Quadruped ER Lift Off: https://vimeo.com/1108780152?fl=tl&fe=ec

Quadruped Shoulder “Airplane”: https://vimeo.com/1108780005?fl=tl&fe=ec

Additionally, improved spine proprioception and control as well as hip mobility and pelvis control were staple accessories for the lower half.

Low Bear Lumbar CAR: https://vimeo.com/1111694471?fl=tl&fe=ec

Tall Kneeling Hip CAR: https://vimeo.com/1120218717?fl=tl&fe=ec

Quadruped Hip Airplane: https://vimeo.com/1120218474?fl=tl&fe=ec

Tall Kneeling Spine Rotation w/Opposite Foot Touch: https://vimeo.com/1141704260?fl=tl&fe=ec

Biomechanical

To improve Kaden’s trunk posture and shoulder control into and out of scapular retraction, we relied on a few key drills:

Scap Control

Darvish: https://vimeo.com/813292260

Backwards Walking Throws: 

Pendulum Throws: https://vimeo.com/1086073751?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

Posture Control

Plug: https://vimeo.com/813284207?fl=ls&fe=ec

Hook ‘Em: https://vimeo.com/813281346?tq=hook#t=1

Rotational Step Back: https://vimeo.com/813285153

 Arsenal

The biggest intentional priority for Kaden was to figure out a change up grip that would work for his supination profile. An easy choice was to spike the middle finger in “kick change” fashion to help create more consistent shape and execution. Within just a few throws, Kaden had the elusive change up he had been looking for. As for improving his sinker and sweeper profile, improved output and biomechanical did exactly what was needed - raise the velocity floor and set a better axis on the sweeper to improve its horizontal profile. 

Final Results: Exit Testing

Kaden’s attention to detail and commitment to the plan laid out for him became obvious upon exit testing. Here are how his numbers stacked up:

Physical Capacity

Below shows Kaden’s exit capacity score. Though paired with a submax bullpen session prior to his exit motion capture, the progression is clear. The red radar displays his exit distribution and the yellow underneath his intake. He was able to raise his predicted velocity ceiling from 95.2 mph to 97.3 mph by improving his capacity score from 103.7 to 111.4. 

 

Squat Jump and Plyo Push Up performance also displayed significant improvements.

 

By Kaden raising his physical capacity floor, he improved his overall adaptability as an athlete. This adaptability is essential for improved, more consistent biomechanical and skill expression. 

Biomechanical

The most glaring biomechanical change can be seen in Kaden’s posture at foot plant. Decreased torso forward bend improved his trunk stack throughout. Improved postural stability and physical capacity helped to increase his COG velocity and then provide a better foundation for energy transfer to the arm.. The improved COG velo and tempo played a large role in organically improving the load and unload of his arm. The time constraints forced Kaden to become more efficient with his arm path and positioning as seen by the improved elbow flexion leading into foot contact. This was all made possible by the trunk stack improvement. This stable base created a better foundation for energy transfer. Note the shortened gap between hip/shoulder separation on the kinematic sequence graph as well as the postural changes below. . All in all, the arm better captured the energy created by the pelvis and torso. Below are intake (blue)  and exit (red)  captures synced to foot contact. 

Arsenal/Pitch Quality

None of the physical or biomechanical improvements matter if they do not translate to better pitch output and execution. The change in quality of Kaden’s individual pitches and total arsenal were undeniable. His total Stuff+ score improved from 72.5 to 156.5. While a 137.5 Power 4 Stuff+ is impressive, the most impressive improvement of all was Kaden’s execution of a change up he had only been throwing for a few weeks. His change up graded out at a whopping 192 against left-handed hitters. Considering the goal of developing a weapon to attack lefties with, this feat cannot be overstated. See below for his full exit Power 4 Stuff+ and individual pitch metrics.

The amount of exposure to elite-level players has given us a unique perspective: It is much easier to make these elite players worse than it is to make them better.  What this references is the notion that many of these athletes achieve success with their own unique combination of characteristics. Some of these characteristics in a vacuum may go against conventional wisdom and appear to be easy targets for adjustment. Working with elite-level athletes requires a team of individuals who communicate without silos to bring together an entire toolbox of knowledge and skills. While a comprehensive assessment through utilization of some of the game’s best tech makes PPP unique, what separates us from many of our competitors is the scalable system built around utilizing the information to create clear plans for each of  our athletes. The information means nothing until it's formulated into a digestible road map for the athlete. Are you ready to find out what your full potential looks like?

Written By: Nolan Rappe, DPT. PPP Performance Coordinator

#DominateTheZone