Elite Baseball Development Podcast

Eric Cressey and Christian Wonders sit down to discuss what scientific research says about throwing curveballs in youth populations, how and when curveballs should be integrated into a youth pitcher's development, and how pitchers can learn to develop a successful breaking ball starting at a young age.

Reliever for the NY Yankees Adam Ottavino sheds light on why he chose to attend Northeastern University, how he has developed his nasty pitching arsenal, how the tribulations of his 2017 season led to the creation of his lab in Manhattan and propelled him to a successful 2018, what his throwing routine is and how throwing with conviction transformed his catch play, and what his mental approach is to remain level headed through a big league season.

Former MLB pitcher and current Mental Skills Coordinator for the Chicago Cubs, Bob Tewksbury, talks about his professional baseball career, what led him to become a mental skills coach, ending the stigma around mental skills coaching and overcoming the reluctance players have towards discussing mental skills, the importance of self awareness and building a system to govern your mentality, and how parents and coaches can be more cognizant of the psychological environment they are fostering for their kids.

Utility man with the Cleveland Indians, Ryan Flaherty, talks about his decision to attend Vanderbilt, his early college struggles and how he became a utility player, the versatility a utility player adds to a MLB lineup, the details of his preparation in order to be ready to play any position on any given night, and his thoughts on being a manager after his playing days.

Chicago Cubs reliever Steve Cishek reveals why he chose to attend Carson-Newman and the discipline and camaraderie of college baseball that sparked his development, how he manipulates his trunk position to use his lower half in his pitching delivery, his humility and creating an atmosphere that fosters growth, and how he flips this switch To shut the door out of the bullpen.

Gold Glove second baseman, Joe Panik, discusses the challenges and criticism he faced early in his career as a hitter from the Northeast, why he chose to attend St. John’s University, his fundamental focused mindset and how he has used it to build a tool set tailored to his strengths, the culture of the San Francisco Giants, and adjustments he’s made to his training and hitting this off-season in preparation for a successful 2019.