The Freshman Foundation® Podcast

FFP88: Are pitchers chasing the wrong thing?


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⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Introduction

02:15 – “The job of a pitcher is to get outs”
06:30 – Velocity vs command: what actually matters
10:45 – The turning point in Scott’s professional career
15:30 – Why chasing feelings leads to inconsistency
19:40 – Building a repeatable cue under pressure
24:10 – ADHD, anxiety, and self-awareness on the mound
29:20 – Why pitchers need hobbies outside of baseball
33:45 – The case for multi-sport development
39:30 – Travel ball culture and burnout
44:50 – When should athletes specialize?
48:30 – Why football might be the ideal second sport
53:00 – Scott’s advice for every young pitcher: build your process

🧠 SHOW NOTES

In Episode 89, I sit down with Scott Shuman, Head Pitching Coach at RPP Baseball, to explore a simple but powerful message for pitchers:

Don’t chase feelings. Build your process.

Scott shares how his early success as a hard-throwing prospect eventually exposed a gap in his development — he had velocity, but he didn’t yet have a plan.

That changed when he learned to simplify his approach, attach cues to feelings, and build a repeatable mental process he could rely on when pressure increased.

We discuss:

  • Why analytics without command can be misleading
  • How pitchers can build self-awareness under stress
  • Why bullpen success doesn’t always translate to games
  • The mental cost of year-round baseball
  • Why hobbies and multi-sport play support long-term growth
  • If you’ve ever watched a pitcher spiral after one bad inning — or wondered why confidence feels fragile in big moments — this episode will give you a practical framework for building something more stable than emotion.

    🤝 CONNECT WITH SCOTT SHUMAN

    @RPP_Baseball

    @ShumanPerformance

    💬 CONNECT WITH MICHAEL HUBER

    ⚾ Spring Training for the Mind

    A free mental preparation guide for baseball families who want to build confidence before the pressure shows up.

    👉 https://tinyurl.com/HuberSpringTraining

    📩 Free mental performance insights for athletes, parents, and coaches:

    👉 https://michaelvhuber.com/newsletter

    🌐 Website:

    👉 https://www.michaelvhuber.com

    🤝 CONNECT WITH MICHAEL HUBER

    ⚾ Spring Training for the Mind

    👉 https://tinyurl.com/HuberSpringTraining

    📩 Free mental performance insights for athletes, parents, and coaches:
    👉 https://michaelvhuber.com/newsletter

    🌐 Website:
    👉 https://www.michaelvhuber.com

    📷 Instagram:

    @michaelvhuber

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    The Freshman Foundation® PodcastBy Michael Huber