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In today's episode we have the honor of interviewing the Co-Owner of Armoured Heat, Ben Holmes. 

Ben Wetzler is a left-handed pitcher whose career has been defined by grit, adaptability, and a relentless love for the game. A standout at Clackamas High School, he posted a 12–0 record with a microscopic 0.33 ERA, earning Oregon’s 6A Player of the Year honors. At Oregon State University, he cemented his place in program history—becoming the school’s all-time wins leader, earning First-Team All-American recognition, and guiding the Beavers to multiple deep postseason runs.

Drafted three times—first in the 15th round by Cleveland in 2010, then the 5th round by the Phillies in 2013, and finally the 9th round by the Miami Marlins after returning for his senior year—Ben’s professional journey has taken him through the Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and Chicago White Sox organizations, as well as independent and international leagues, including the Mexican League with Veracruz and Durango, the Dominican Winter League, and the Venezuelan Winter League.

Throughout his career he's faced many obstacles, setbacks, and hardships but has continued to persevere through it all. 

Far from slowing down, Ben is obsessed with player development—both his own and that of the next generation. He’s committed to pushing his craft, studying the finer details of pitching, and squeezing every ounce of potential out of his career. His mission is simple: play this game at the highest level, for as long as humanly possible, while inspiring others to chase their baseball dreams—and guiding them in a way that helps them build the tools, mindset, and habits to be as successful as possible in their own careers.

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In today’s episode we have our colleague Dylan Silver, the Strength and Conditioning Coach at AOP, joining us to talk about a key component of creating a development plan, periodization. Coach Silver gives us insight on what periodization is, the importance of it when customizing an athlete’s training program, and how It affects the development process. 

What we discuss:

0:00 Intro

1:06 What is periodization?

2:23 Why is periodization important?

3:20 How does periodization lead to progress?

4:52 Don’t work on everything at the same time

7:39 Off-season vs season training

8:32 You can’t run before you crawl

10:54 Focusing on others = self-sabotage

13:06 Training plan for the year

15:41 Comparison is the thief of joy

17:21 Consequences of not doing proper periodization

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In today’s episode we shine light on the mistakes we commonly see parents make that can be detrimental to a player’s development and his baseball career. Based on our experience we’ve witnessed how these decisions can lead to overuse, injury, and prevent progress. As parents we want the best for our kids and we want to bring awareness so that players can reach their full potential.

What we discuss: 

0:00 Intro

1:39 Rushing development

5:26 Overlooking overuse + underfueling

6:28 Downfall of desperation

10:33 Focusing on the wrong things

12:47 Closed-minded parents

15:11 Becoming competitive

19:32 Recommendations

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On today’s episode we have the Colorado Rockies Closer, Victor Vodnik, joining us to share a little bit of his journey getting to the show. Victor shares his experiences getting scouted, playing for the Braves organization, and how he overcame setbacks and adversity leading to getting called up.

What we discuss:

0:00 Intro

2:45 What was the process like leading up to trade?

4:48 Development while being with the Braves

6:22 Who from the Braves helped you the most to prepare for the big leagues?

8:50 Victor Vodnik’s Backstory

13:13 When did you realize you were special?

16:48 How do you handle pressure?

18:22 How was it off the field leading up to the draft?

21:34 Did you ever doubt yourself?

25:03 What drives you to continue to work hard?

27:07 How has AOP helped you to reach your goals?

33:15 How did it feel to get called up?

36:28 When did it hit you that you’re a big leaguer?

37:12 What’s been your favorite part about being a big leaguer?

38:22 How different is it playing for the bigs?

39:36 Spring Training 2024 

45:06 What clicked on opening day?

47:05 Victor Vodnik vs Teoscar Hernandez

52:01 Learning from every situation

52:53 What are you going to do different this year?

56:04 What can AOP provide for players that were in your shoes?

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On today’s episode we have Cal State San Bernardino Head Coach, Mike Nadeau, joining us to share insights on the recruiting process and its challenges, his experience in building a culture, and what it’s like to play for a Division 2 school like CSUSB.

What We Discuss:

0:00 Intro

1:32 Finding talent & building a culture 

5:11 NorthWest Baseball vs SoCal

6:05 Overcoming financial challenges when recruiting

8:27 Selling during recruitment

13:06 Being real with players

14:45 Love baseball & trust the process 

15:27 Dealing with players wanting to go D1/NIL

16:31 Players following the money

18:13 Freshman vs Senior opportunities

22:26 New ruling on JC eligibility

27:24 Personality of a player affects the culture

32:40 Spotting Red Flags In Recruits

35:53 Finding what areas work best for Recruiting

37:29 Pros & Cons of D1 + D2

40:33 Best part of going D2

42:03 Players that are built different

46:34 You either have it or you don’t

47:28 How some parents ruin baseball

50:23 Advice to get to college baseball

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On today’s episode we have AA Texas Rangers UTL player, Cody Freeman, 2019 4th round pick out of high school. Cody Freeman gives us some insight on what qualities he believes helped him get drafted and how his work ethic, strong mindset, his faith in God and having the support of his brother, Tyler Freeman, and family has propelled him to be where he is today. Cody shares what his experience has been like since getting drafted from high school and what advice he would give young athletes whose dream is to become a professional.

What We Discuss:

0:00 Intro

1:03 What separated you from those who didn’t get drafted?

1:57 Impact of Tyler Freeman and family on your career

6:48 Process of getting drafted

10:33 4th Rounder

12:01 What adjustments happened after being drafted?

13:44 The only American position player

14:52 What do you love about playing with latinos?

16:44 Putting on a good show 

17:37 The Cody Flair

18:37 Same person on and off the field

19:55 Supportive teammates 

21:43 Who do you call when you’re in a slump?

23:18 Describe the minor leagues experience

24:54 Did you buy anything cool with your signing bonus?

27:04 How did it feel to make that much money?

28:30 Focus on your purpose, not the money

29:23 What’s your favorite part of being a pro?

30:43 What would you tell 13-yr-old Cody?

32:56 The beauty of the journey

33:41 What advice would you give young players?

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On today’s episode we have Alex Carrillo, recently signed with the New York Mets, sharing his journey and everything it took to make it back to affiliate and straight to AAA. In his testimony he shares the highs and lows, mistakes that he made, lessons learned and the changes that shifted his career path and led him to where he is today. 

What We Discuss:

0:00 Intro

1:56 Cancun Experience (8 ERA)

3:00 Released By The Rangers

5:30 What Led To Finding AOP

7:27 Mindset During Hard Times

9:06 First Step Of Development At AOP

11:33 Process From mid 80s to mid 90s

13:02 Playing In Mexico

14:47 Handling Failures

16:51 ”Be Where Your Feet Are”

18:04 The Highs And Lows

19:33 Trusting The Process & God

21:21 Off The Field Habits Matter

24:56 Habit Changes That Made All The Difference

27:30 Support System

29:29 Progress At AOP

32:30 Fred The Guru

39:20 Winter Ball In Venezuela

44:27 What Would You Have Done Differently?

45:12 Advise For Players Looking To Play Pro

46:32 AOP Cares

48:35 What Would You Say To Players In Your Shoes?

49:19 What would You Say To The Old Alex?

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Kicking off the new year with some words of wisdom about life and being an elite athlete (high school and up). In today’s episode we discuss how your decisions, distractions, “energy vampires,” and surroundings can determine the future of your career. One key point we touch on is the importance and the positive impact of having a mentor and a support system.

What We Discuss:

0:00 Introduction (Baseball Jesus Christ)

1:23 Your decisions & becoming elite  

2:08 Mentors & your circle

4:50 Bad role models & influences

5:51 Train with elite guys to become elite

11:05 Unsupportive family

16:10 Communicate

17:01 Energy vampires (partying, girls, etc.)

21:24 Priorities come first

22:58 Distractions push everything back

26:15 Lose focus = get left behind

27:46 Giving 100% energy 

29:27 1 wrong decision can end it all

31:51 Wrong crowd/friends

35:33 Having a good support system

39:40 One moment can determine your career

40:40 Find people that genuinely care about you



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In The Mind Of SEC Coach Isaiah Paige - What Coaches Look For In Players & Coaching Experience

Today, we have SEC Coach Isaiah Paige, Missouri Pitching Development Coordinator, bringing us a lot of insight on the recruiting process. Isaiah shares his experience as a player at the D1 level  and coaching professionally and now at a D1. He talks about what scouts look for in players and the shift in the recruiting process with the new NCAA roster changes. He also gives some wisdom on what players should focus on while trying to get recruited.

What We Discuss:

0:00 Introduction

05:48 Orioles Fundamentals Coach experience

12:09 Transition from player to coach

16:28 From Pro to D1 coach

18:50 Behind the scenes as an SEC coach

26:25 Finding the mold when recruiting pitchers

34:48 NCAA D1 Roster changes

36:00 Why you shouldn’t specialize too early

38:42 When would it be okay to specialize?

41:42 What scouts look for in position players

43:22 Learn the game

45:28 Are showcases important?

46:30 Invest on development

49:44 Turn offs when recruiting

52:50 Uncommon things scouts look for

54:36 What would you do different as a player?

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In this episode we have Dylan Silver, The AOP Strength and Conditioning Performance Coordinator, joining us in the conversation about the hindering mistakes we see a lot of pitchers make throughout their career. We go over the importance of habits, assessments, programming, recovery, and finding what works for you!