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

Jake and Mark sit down with Kyle Sylvester, hitting coach and infield coordinator from Eastern Connecticut State University. Kyle also oversees player development and assists with recruiting and game day scouting. We dive into the way that data is used for hitters at the D-III level, with a particular emphasis on how coaches can and should effectively communicate complex data insights to their players. How important is load timing when facing different types of pitchers? Is it always a good thing to optimize for exit velocity?

(0:00) Intro

(2:10) Kyle's Background

(3:42) The Evolution of Analytics in Hitting

(6:26) Just Swing Harder?

(10:10) Making Adjustments: Load Timing

(18:07) Communicating Complex Data Insights

(29:19) Balancing Analytics with Traditional Coaching Methods

(32:09) A Return to Contact?

(36:11) Type 1, 2, and 3 Hitters

(42:00) The Mental Side of the Game

Jake and Mark go pitch by pitch to build the best possible arsenal in the game today. We also tackle questions about the sweet spot of combining advanced metrics with a results-oriented approach in determining which pitches are the most elite. Who throws the best heater, sinker, and sweeper? What is the Magnus Effect? And how many aces are on this list?

(0:00) Into

(1:59) 4-Seam Fastball

(12:12) 2-Seam Fastball/Sinker

(20:14) Slider

(28:16) Sweeper

(32:17) Cutter

(36:58) Curveball

(44:00) Splitter

(51:48) Changeup

(54:32) Retrospective Analysis

Jake and Mark are keeping it simple today: umps and elbows. Why are some people ready for robo-umps, and what's the case against them? What's behind the rising epidemic of elbow injuries for pitchers? On today's episode, we take a deep dive into these controversial topics, covering new MLB rule changes and how to make the game as enjoyable and exciting as ever going forward.

(0:00) Intro

(1:08) Umps

(7:24) Robo Umps

(8:59) Challenging Balls & Strikes

(13:20) Finding a Middle Ground

(20:24) Elbows - Velo, Pitch Clock, Sticky Stuff

(24:53) Glasnow Blames Sticky Stuff

(29:55) Verlander's Take on Elbows

(35:00) 100 MPH - Enough Bang For Buck?

Jake and Mark sit down with Joseph Guzman from Empowerment Sports Group to discuss everything from the MLB Draft to international scouting and development to the way teams and agents use data for talent evaluation. Joseph has amassed a wealth of expertise on a variety of topics, and we dig into lots of exciting areas. What do different MLB teams look for in the draft process, and how does that differ for domestic vs. international talent? How does the simple availability of data affect decision making in the front office?

(0:00) Intro

(2:08) Joseph's Baseball Career

(6:21) International Development & Signing

(10:50) What Metrics Do MLB Teams Value?

(12:42) Data, Feel, and Sample Sizes

(15:47) MLB Draft Decisions

(23:49) Advanced Analytics, Raw Tools, and Intangibles

(30:00) Advice to Young Players

(32:33) A Return to Contact?

Jake and Mark sit down with Jose Ledesma, a 24-year-old RHP coming off the biggest workload of his career in Independent League Baseball. Jose transitioned to the mound late in his career, and we discuss how he has seen success mixing pitches in the vertical and horizontal planes to keep hitters off balance. What pitches did Jose add to his arsenal to stay ahead of the competition? How do Jose and other players/coaches utilize data in their decision processes in the off-season and in games?

(0:00) Intro

(1:36) Jose's Path to the Pros

(4:23) Building an Arsenal in Both Planes

(8:24) Feel & Eye Test vs. Technology & Analytics

(13:35) Release Point, Tunneling, & Break Plots

(19:38) Mixing Planes In Games

(22:01) How Players/Coaches Use Data

(23:52) Adapting the Philosophy to the Player

(29:23) Command vs. Stuff

(34:32) The Mental Game