Over the past several years, baseball metrics have become a daily part of our game’s vernacular. Terms such as launch angle, exit velocity, and spin rate have become an integral part of the game. These metrics are undoubtedly significant, but they do not define a player’s ability or projectability on the diamond. Metrics serve different purposes at each stage of the development process.
We all have witnessed players focusing solely on metrics—they need to see results instantly. The challenge we have as teachers of the game is to separate this “now” mentality from the most critical element, which is building core fundamentals that will pave the way to maximum skill development and sustainable success moving forward.
Building core fundamentals is pivotal to success in any field. It is not merely knowing the basics, but identifying strengths and weaknesses and building a system that promotes daily improvement. Here, we will highlight the importance of building sound core fundamentals, engaging in a consistent process, and utilizing metrics as a tool to measure progress, not success.
Building the Process: A Focused, Disciplined Approach
There are many ways to define process, but for me, it’s the what, how, and why of a team’s daily plan. Coaches can determine the parts of their daily process based on their preferences.
Breaking Down Complexity: Keep it simple. Be clear in teaching how each part of the process connects physically and sequentially.
Hard Work and Perseverance: The process requires a consistent, focused effort and a willingness to learn from failure, be coachable, and understand that progress in baseball is incremental.
Embrace the Process: The process demands commitment, each day is an opportunity to improve from yesterday and prepare for a productive “tomorrow.”
Results of the Process: Believe the process will produce results. Full “buy-in” may be difficult to achieve, but can lead a player to maximize their skills and reach the highest competitive level possible.
Mechanical Adjustments: A player that builds sound core fundamentals understands the “feel” of their actions. Some of these fundamentals may include understanding your swing or pitching delivery and having consistent pre-pitch routines, all of which are a work in progress; players know when it “feels” right, and that can’t be measured with analytics!
Baseball IQ: The more a player plays the game, the more their understanding of the game broadens. The mental part is referred to as “Baseball IQ.” It can often be the difference in a player’s performance and define their competitive level. A player’s ability to make the right decisions under pressure can be the difference between a win and a loss. The higher the competitive level, the faster the game. Baseball IQ cannot be marginalized, is hard to measure, and may not be visible in a box score, but can directly impact the outcome of a game.
Physical Development
Variations in physical maturity throughout a prep career will impact their development, and we know that every player matures physically at different times.
Physical Maturation: Some players may have advanced physical abilities at a younger age, which can obviously provide short-term success, but it does not guarantee future success. Therefore, building core fundamentals and repeatable actions is essential.
Work Ethic: The work ethic of a player will be a difference-maker. Skills without work ethic do not deliver desired results.
Experience: Experience is a crucial aspect of development that cannot be taught, it is gained by “living it.” Whether it’s experiencing failure, dealing with frustration, not giving in when things get tough or embracing the negatives, the successful player learns and adjusts to improve their game. In this arena, critical self-analysis is vital, so taking the time to reflect is key.
Real Results
Throughout my career, the most crucial element for me in evaluating a player was how they play the game. For much of my time in college baseball, metrics were not prevalent, other than a radar gun, so instincts played a big part in determining my evaluation.
In my opinion, there is no better tool than a player’s “actions,” which you can only learn through physically observing a player, from the minute they walk onto the field through the end of the game. Actions speak volumes!
I coached many players at the DI and DII levels that did not fit well into today’s “metrics” standards, and who would be labeled as “average” players. But they had the “it” factor and a true opportunity to develop, they excelled between the lines, and some of those “average” players had very successful careers in professional baseball. These guys I affectionately dub “gamers.”
Each of these players had similar characteristics, but those strengths weren’t necessarily quantifiable. Each of these players were a real pleasure to coach, and their common denominators will explain why:
Practicing with Intent: They approached each practice session with intent and focus. There was a clear purpose of improving specific aspects of their game and maximizing team success.
Focus on “Feel,” not Numbers: Rather than focusing on statistics and numbers, these players focused on “feel” and how they performed on the field. They trusted their instincts and intuition because they put in the daily work needed to build a solid skill foundation and repeat their actions.
Consistency: The activity didn’t matter; it could be weights, practice or the biggest game of the year. Gamers approached each day with consistency, which reflected positively on their development, performance, and reliability.
Respect for the Game: They respected the game and felt privileged to wear the uniform, even though it felt like more of a privilege for us to have them, they carried themselves like it was the other way around. They excelled with discipline and structure and were readily accepting of constructive criticism, responsibility and accountability, both on and off the field.
In conclusion, the biggest factor for maximizing a player’s physical talent, his skill set, and enabling sustained success, is to build and embrace this daily process.
Building core fundamentals and using metrics in player development needs balance. Focusing primarily or solely on metrics can hinder a player’s immediate and long-term development and limit his future competitive level. Engaging in a balanced approach that incorporates both core fundamentals and modern analytics will deliver the best results.
The mental aspect of the game, as mentioned previously, cannot be understated. Learn every day. Become a fan of the game. Think differently.
In the end, I would much rather coach a team stacked with “gamers” over a roster of “showcase players” that have “tooled out” metrics. Make no mistake; there is immense value in metrics, and of course, raw talent. Obviously at the professional level, metric analysis is utilized daily to create lineups, matchups, game strategy, and organizational/draft philosophies. With that said, professional players are superior in their skills and the use of this information is accurate and productive.
If you have access to tech and analytics for your players, use them wisely! We work with our players every day. We know the makeup of every player and the intangibles they bring to the yard every day. These intangibles cannot be measured by any device. We know the pitcher we want on the bump, the hitter at the plate or the defender we want to make a play when the game is on the line. No metric can accurately portray passion, heart, or gut instincts.
Joe Jordano is a Lifetime Member of the ABCA and was the head coach at Mercyhurst University (1987-1997) and the University of Pittsburgh (1997-2018) and collected 871 collegiate wins. From 2019-2022, he was the head coach at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. In that four-year span, his National Black Team compiled a 69-17 record. Currently, Jordano serves as the Head of College Placement/Baseball at IMG.