Jake and Mark sit down with Ryan Ricci, the pitching coach for the Single-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins (The Fort Meyers Mighty Mussels), and former pitching coach and recruiting coordinator for the George Mason baseball program. Ryan, who pitched in the Diamonbacks' organization and who is a George Mason Baseball alum himself, has overseen the development of several professional players. We hit on a topic that we've wanted to discuss for a long time: the command vs. stuff debate in pitchers' development and gameplay. Which is more important, and is one of them easier to coach? How do either or both of these metrics affect a pitcher's deception?

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(0:00) Intro

(2:53) Ryan's Baseball Career

(4:20) How to Think About Stuff and Command

(6:52) Which is More Important / Easier to Coach?

(8:50) With Great Stuff Comes Great Command?

(10:50) Quantifying the Trade-Off

(14:08) Ryan's Ideal Data Points

(17:00) Deception

(19:20) Does Command / Stuff Affect Intangibles?

(21:40) The Value of Consistency

(22:45) Combating "Stability Ball Coaching"

(25:20) Finding Success Within Your Style

(26:36) Creating Deception with Command

(27:37) Know Your Body: Confidence & Focus

Jake and Mark sit down with Ian Miller, former MLB outfielder and host of The 9-Hole Podcast. Ian is a professional in every sense of the word, on and off the field. We finally give the game within the game the podcast it deserves, covering topics such as facing adversity, staying level in high pressure scenarios, and the value of hard work over time. What does Ian do to prepare mentally and physically for professional baseball games? How does he apply the lessons he learned playing the game to his life beyond baseball?

(0:00) Intro

(3:40) Ian's Baseball Journey

(7:18) The 9-Hole Mindset

(9:51) On Facing Adversity

(12:54) Channeling a Positive Mentality

(18:16) Some "Light" Reading Material

(18:39) Good.

(19:54) Preparing for High Pressure Scenarios

(23:34) Taking Care of Your Body

(28:25) Control the Controllables

(31:59) Volume X Time = Skill

(33:54) Expect What You Put In

(35:25) Data, Development, and Luck

(43:03) 16 for 16

(49:48) Lessons Beyond Baseball

Jake and Mark sit down with Nate Irving (@natebirving), hitting and game planning coach in the Reds' organization and former UVA catcher. Nate has put his data analytics knowledge to work in several capacities from Virginia to Chattanooga to Venezuela. We talk to Nate about personalization in player development and education, as well as the speed of the game at different levels. What skills help players thrive at every level of baseball? And what's it like being in the organization with budding stars like Elly De La Cruz and Christian Encarnacion-Strand?

(0:00) Intro

(1:35) Nate's Baseball Journey

(4:47) From Playing to Player Development

(7:21) Competitiveness Shines at Every Level

(8:40) Flow State and Mental Acuity in High Leverage Situations

(11:22) Personalization of Player Education

(13:02) The Sweet Spot of Personalization in Player Development

(22:09) The Speed of the Game

(25:00) Making the Game Feel Slow

(30:59) Rapid Fire (questions and curveballs)

(36:08) Closing Thoughts & Venezuela Winter Ball