Miguel Tejada Talking Fitness, Best Hitting Advice and Favorite Hitting Drill
Today we hear from someone who needs little introduction: former MVP and six-time All-Star, Miguel Tejada. The Dominican shortstop turned third basemen, came up with the Oakland A’s and has since played with the Orioles, Astros, Padres and Giants. On top of his MVP...
The Keys To Being a More Consistent Hitter, Being a Good Teammate, Overcoming Bad Calls, and More with The Mets’ Justin Turner
Today, I’m excited to sit down with Mets’ infielder Justin Turner. Justin has played in the big leagues in each of the last four years, including over 200 games played with the Mets over the last two seasons. He’s known as a gamer that always shows up ready to...
Importance of Using the Whole Field, One Handed Hitting Drills, and an Entertaining Conversation with Former MVP George Foster
Boy, do we have a treat for you today. Not only are we joined by a former MVP, but that former MVP happens to be fairly entertaining in his own way. At different parts of the interview I thought he might just break into his own comedy act and steal the entire show....
"Do You Have a Balanced Swing?" with Twins’ Prospect Victor Arias (Quick Video)
What does it mean to have a balanced swing? Different baseball people will probably give you different answers, but today we are talking specifically about being in a balanced position after a hitter strides. There are some coaches that are big on keeping the...
Three Quick Hitting Tips For Recognizing Pitches
Recently I had the opportunity to hang out and talk baseball with former Big Leaguer Pablo Ozuna. Pablo played most of his career with the White Sox and retired with a .282 batting average. Anyways, as you guys already know, I’m always looking for nuggets of baseball...
Padres’ Yonder Alonso Reveals His Best Hitting Advice, Challenges of Adjusting to the Next Level and More (video)
Next Level Ballplayer is pumped to share this week’s exclusive interview with San Diego Padres’ first basemen Yonder Alonso. Yonder has established himself as one of the top young players in the game today and continues to prove that he’s in the big leagues to stay....
Great Hitting Drill For Staying Inside the Baseball (video)
If you’re a hitter, you’ve probably heard the phrase “stay inside the baseball,” “keep your hands inside the ball,” or something else along those lines. Some hitters get it right away, but for others it can be a bit confusing. The advice to “stay inside the...
Mets’ Scott Hairston Reveals His Positive Self-Talk, Other Hitting Tips, and More
Special thanks to the Mets’ Scott Hairston for hanging out with us today. Scott has enjoyed a nine-year MLB career after being drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 3rd round of the 2001 MLB draft and then making his big league debut in 2003. He is now in his...
Want to Be a Better Hitter? Free Up the "Hitting Highway" Like Adam Eaton (video)
You’ll hear coaches and hitting gurus say it all the time to hitters: “Keep it simple.” The natural question that follows from the hitter is, “What exactly does that mean?” It can mean a lot of things, from shortening your stride, limiting your pre-pitch bat...
Why "Batting Gloves are Overrated” and More from Red Sox Prospect Blake Swihart
After interviewing one of the Yankees’ top prospects Mason Williams a few weeks ago, some Next Level Ballplayer followers (from Red Sox Nation) sent me a few “comments”. They “politely” asked me to stop wasting my time with Yankee interviews, and instead, to do...
What You Should Be Doing in the On-Deck Circle Before EVERY At-Bat
Every batter spends some time in the on-deck circle before his at-bat. Well, maybe not directly inside the circle (weirdly enough, rarely do players actually stand on the circle), but somewhere in the vicinity. Too often ballplayers go through the motions in the...
“Don’t Think. Just Do.” & More with Mets’ David Wright (video)
Mets’ third baseman David Wright is one of the premier players in the game today. Despite a down year in 2011, he has burst back into superstardom in 2012. Wright was drafted by the 1st round of the 2001 draft, and since his MLB debut in 2004, he has been a...
Top Yankees’ Prospect Mason Williams Talks High Expectations, Hard Work, and Approach
This week we are joined by one of the Yankees’ top prospects, Mason Williams. Mason is a speedy center fielder that was a fourth round draft pick by the Yankees in 2010. He’s been a standout prospect ever since. In his first full professional season, Mason hit .349...
‘A Drill to Keep Your Bat in the Hitting Zone Longer’ with Tampa Bay Rays’ Drew Sutton (Video)
“The best hitters keep their bat in the hitting zone longer than everyone else.” If you’ve been around the game long enough, you’ve heard this or something along the same lines before. In a related note, one of the hitting problems I hear about and see the most in...
"Overcoming the Odds" with 155-Pound Dodgers’ Infielder Justin Sellers
This week we are joined by one of the scrappiest players in the Big Leagues today, the LA Dodgers’ Justin Sellers. Sellers made his Major League debut in 2011, and has already played 2B, SS and 3B in the Big Leagues this season. At first glance, it doesn’t make sense...
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...
Overcoming ‘The Most Evil Thing in Baseball’ & Owning The Mental Side of Hitting with Steve Springer (video)
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...
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...
“You Can’t Be Afraid to Hit with 2 Strikes” & More with Pirates’ Josh Harrison
This week we are joined by the Pirates’ Josh Harrison. Recently I had the pleasure of listening to Josh speak to a small group at the Green Diamond Gallery in Montgomery, OH (words can’t describe how cool that place is) and then sit down with him for a one on one...
“How Many Swings Does It Take To Be A Great Hitter?” & More With Indian’s Hitting Instructor Jim Rickon
I recently had the pleasure of meeting Cleveland Indian’s hitting instructor Jim Rickon. Going into his 14th season as a part of the Indians organization, he has been a player, bullpen catcher, and hitting instructor. Just a few of the superstars he’s played with...
‘Slumps Are Mental’ and Much More with JP Arencibia
Quick - Who holds the Blue Jays’ franchise records for most home runs in a season by a catcher? Who hit a bomb on the first pitch he saw in the big leagues and then followed it up with a single, double and another bomb in the same game? And who recently hung out with...
Clubhouse Convos with Ben Zobrist
Today in our Clubhouse Convos we have Ben Zobrist, super utility man for the Tampa Bay Rays. Not only is Ben a great guy, he’s also a very talented switch hitter that can play just about any position on the field… and play it well. We appreciate Ben taking the time to...
What are Big Leaguers Thinking About in the Batter’s Box?
As a batter, should you be guessing pitches? What should you look for? What should be your mindset in the box when facing a tough pitcher with nasty off-speed stuff? A good rule of thumb that you hear around the baseball world is, “If the pitcher has a good fastball,...
MLB Clubhouse Convos with Drew Sutton: Spring Training Edition
Many thanks to Drew Sutton for cutting lunch short with Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia to spend some quality time with Next Level Ballplayer. Drew is coming off a season where he saw time with the big league clubs of both the Reds and Indians. In this edition of...
The New College Bats: What College Coaches Around the Country are Saying About Them
As the 2011 college baseball season begins, there’s a lot of talk about how the new bats will affect the game. Only time will tell, but the initial responses seem to point towards a huge change in the landscape of college baseball. Here are some of the top coaches in...
