Episode 102 of The Layback Podcast bridges into new territories of the baseball world with Jake Mintz of Yahoo Sports - the "unlikable" half of Cespedes Family BBQ / Baseball Bar-B-Cast. Mintz shares his journey from a baseball-obsessed middle schooler, to a struggling college baseball player, only find stardom as a prominent voice and pen in baseball media. He discusses he and his partner-in-crime,Jordan Shusterman's rise in baseball media through logging hours on the road, commitment to the craft and building relationships. Mintz emphasizes the balance between entertainment and insight in sports journalism and explores the trends shaping the future of baseball, including the introduction of ABS technology and the democratization of information in player development.

Right handed pitcher Chris Domke joins the 101st episode of The Layback Podcast shares his journey as a baseball player, detailing his experiences from high school to Youngstown State University, and now at Ohio State University. He discusses the challenges he faced with the transition to college baseball, experiencing injury, and the mental aspects of recovery and performance. Chris emphasizes the importance of a strong support system and the positive culture within the Ohio State baseball team as they prepare for the upcoming season. His story is one of resilience, growth, and determination to succeed both on and off the field.

The 100th episode of The Layback Podcast welcomes Brice Crider, the High Performance Coordinator at Driveline Baseball. The former collegiate pitcher, turned javelin thrower discusses the evolution of the high performance training industry, emphasizing the importance of integrating various training methods and the role of feedback loops in decision making. He explores the balance between general and specific training, the significance of movement variability, and the application of the Lindy Principle in training practices. Brice also highlights the importance of understanding axial loading for throwers and the need for progressive overload in athlete development. The conversation concludes with insights on the future of high performance training and the democratization of sports science for all athletes.

Episode 99 of The Layback Podcast welcomes Chloe Walker as she shares her journey from a high school student looking for something to do, to her current role as the Director of Pitching Development and Baseball Operations at Gardner Webb University. Chloe shares her passion for baseball analytics and massive personal growth she has experienced thus far in her short career. She discusses the importance of data interpretation in player development, the challenges of overcoming skepticism towards analytics, and the balance between team success and individual player development. Chloe also reflects on her transition from professional baseball (New York Mets / Baltimore Orioles organizations) to college coaching, the baseline needs of building an analytics department on a budget, and the significance of curiosity and problem-solving in the field. The conversation concludes with insights into the differences between pro and college baseball, and a light-hearted moment about her beloved shelter dog, Lucy.

Denton Sagerman, Assistant Coach for the University of Indiana Hoosiers baseball program, steps in for episode 98 of The Layback Podcast. His unique role on staff includes heading up player development, assisting the pitching staff, overseeing the catchers, and working deeply on scouting and analytics. Given Sagerman's background in aerospace engineering, naturally the conversation goes a mile deep on pitch design, arsenal creation, and ball flight. Later in the show, conversation spans into the rehab and development realms, discussing the individual characteristics and needs that must to be considered in throwing programs. Capping things off, Sagerman outlines IU's high hopes for the upcoming 2026 season addresses the departure of Dustin Glant and recent hire of Matt Myers.

Layback host, Adam Moreau, runs through a few points from the Nextbase presentation at the 2025 Wake Forest Player Development Seminar that needed some special attention. Two specific topics got the most love in the episode - the supposed second valgus load of the elbow, or ghost torque, and the lower moment of inertia (MOI) ball for spin development and training. These two topics are both novel and unique, thus they deserved their own dedicated time.

The Layback Podcast (episode 96) once again welcomes back Josh Hejka for a part 2 of discussing insights and takeaways from the 2025 Wake Forest Player Development Seminar. This year's topics included a significant focus on biomechanics, feedback loops, problem definition, decision-making criteria, and performance data. Hejka and host, Adam Moreau, provide look back at the first half of the seminar and provide a comprehensive overview of the modern player development strategies discussed at the seminar, while offering some banter and opinions along the way.

The Layback Podcast (episode 95) welcomes back Josh Hejka to discuss insights and takeaways from the 2025 Wake Forest Player Development Seminar. This year's topics included a significant focus on biomechanics, feedback loops, problem definition, decision-making criteria, and performance data. Hejka and host, Adam Moreau, provide look back at the first half of the seminar and provide a comprehensive overview of the modern player development strategies discussed at the seminar, while offering some banter and opinions along the way.

The Layback Podcast presents a panel discussion including Layback alumni and pro pitchers Josh Hejka (free agent), Aiden May (Marlins), and Dawson Netz (Cubs), as well as Wake Forest Friday night arm, Blake Morningstar. The conversation positions players with the power, as they share with coaches/professionals in the industry about what data means to them, how they want to be approached, and how they can be empowered in the development process. The guys discuss the application and adoption of FlexPro Grip, a device aimed at reducing UCL injuries in baseball players. The panel discusses the importance of player experiences, the role of data in training, and the necessity of building trust between players and coaches. They emphasize individualized training approaches while balancing the need for a global understanding of player development. The panel also highlights the significance of collaboration in the development process and the importance of making information accessible to players for their growth and success.

Anthony Casciola, founder of Casciola Performance and "the labrum isn't real" movement, joins The Layback Podcast for episode 93. The conversation delves into the critical aspects of athlete recovery post-surgery, emphasizing the importance of confidence and communication between athletes and their support teams. It highlights the challenges in measuring an athlete's confidence, going beyond what we can objectively track and addresses the necessity for open dialogue to ensure a successful recovery process. Of course, we talked about Casciola's love for memes as well.