This episode of The PBSCCS Podcast is a group discussion on Spring Training. This is Part One of the interview.

Speakers:
-Logan Jones (Chicago White Sox)
-Grace Cullen (Tampa Bay Rays)

Questions/topics covered in this episode:
-Daily responsibilities during Spring Training for the strength and conditioning coach
-Intake testing and assessment during Spring Training
-Programming and individualization for players upon arrival

Quotes:
-"Upon arrival, on the Major League or Minor League side doesn't matter, most organizations have some form of intake" (3:07) - Logan Jones
-"I think the most important piece of this puzzle is closing the feedback loop with the player" (12:24) - Logan Jones
-They're obviously here to play baseball. It's our job as strength and conditioning professionals to help them prior to going out and make them stay on the field" (15:10) - Grace Cullen
-"I think the biggest thing we work on is the running progression. I feel like we do a really good job as a department in making sure we're not just having guys jump into really high yardage weeks or really high intensities" (17:06) - Grace Cullen

If you would like to learn more from the guests on this episode, you can follow them on social media:

Instagram:
@logan_jones95 - Logan Jones
@coachgracecullen - Grace Cullen

Alexa Garcia, the Lead Florida Complex Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Houston Astros. Now entering her fifth season in professional baseball, Alexa has specialized in elite athlete development, a touch of rehabilitation, and long-term performance optimization. 

Prior to her current role, she served two seasons as the Rehabilitation Strength & Conditioning Coordinator with the Astros, was the Director of Strength & Conditioning at Barry University, where she helped lead multiple programs to NCAA national championships, and also spent time as a strength coach in the Baltimore Orioles organization.

Alexa holds a Master’s degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sports Performance from Louisiana Tech University, is a CSCS with RSCC distinction, and is a Colombian native, which allows her to bridge the communication gap with Spanish-speaking athletes.

Recognized as the 2021 MiLB Strength Coach of the Year, and most recently named the Strength Coach for Team Colombia for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, Alexa is known for blending high-level strength & conditioning principles with traditional baseball “feel,” and for her passion in mentoring the next generation of coaches.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Collaboration and autonomy in programming
-Working in rehab and her new role
-Advice for others on how to find success
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"Rehab taught me a lot of patience" (7:12)
-"I genuinely feel like you'll always love this job if you love the game of baseball" (15:48)
-"I think in this profession network, network, network is number one" (17:24)

If you would like to learn more from Alexa, you can connect with her on social media:

Instagram:
@alexaa_garciaa

Alexa Garcia, the Lead Florida Complex Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Houston Astros. Now entering her fifth season in professional baseball, Alexa has specialized in elite athlete development, a touch of rehabilitation, and long-term performance optimization. 

Prior to her current role, she served two seasons as the Rehabilitation Strength & Conditioning Coordinator with the Astros, was the Director of Strength & Conditioning at Barry University, where she helped lead multiple programs to NCAA national championships, and also spent time as a strength coach in the Baltimore Orioles organization.

Alexa holds a Master’s degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sports Performance from Louisiana Tech University, is a CSCS with RSCC distinction, and is a Colombian native, which allows her to bridge the communication gap with Spanish-speaking athletes.

Recognized as the 2021 MiLB Strength Coach of the Year, and most recently named the Strength Coach for Team Colombia for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, Alexa is known for blending high-level strength & conditioning principles with traditional baseball “feel,” and for her passion in mentoring the next generation of coaches.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Her journey to her current role
-Valuable lessons in leadership
-Her best baseball story

Quotes:
-"I love strength and conditioning. I love baseball. But I also love leadership and helping develop the people around me" (6:36)
-"One thing that I will always keep neat and clean is my LinkedIn" (17:59)
-"I really pride myself when it comes to leadership on preparing those underneath or learning from me" (20:05)

If you would like to learn more from Alexa, you can connect with her on social media:

Instagram:
@alexaa_garciaa

Steven Thayer enters his fifth season in the Athletics organization and third year with AAA Las Vegas as sport performance coach. He spent 2023 in High A Lansing and 2022 in Low A Stockton in the same role. Prior to joining the Athletics organization, he served as sport performance coach in the DSL with the Giants in 2021. Before his time in professional baseball, he oversaw strength and conditioning programs for multiple varsity sports at Mater Dei High School. Additionally, he spent time as an assistant strength coach for Michigan State basketball and volleyball teams and as an intern with Cal football and Apple Wellness. A native of San Ramon, CA, he is a graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and has a master’s degree in kinesiology from Michigan State University. He holds nine certifications in the strength and conditioning field.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Breaking up the monotony of a long season
-Defining success and advice for others
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"Every day is different, but we're doing the same thing every day. So any kind of change or adjustment goes a long way I think" (1:57)
-"We are in the business of people. We are in the business of relationships just as much as we are in the training business" (9:47)
-"I encourage people to ask questions. Ask a lot of questions" (16:43)

Steven Thayer enters his fifth season in the Athletics organization and third year with AAA Las Vegas as sport performance coach. He spent 2023 in High A Lansing and 2022 in Low A Stockton in the same role. Prior to joining the Athletics organization, he served as sport performance coach in the DSL with the Giants in 2021. Before his time in professional baseball, he oversaw strength and conditioning programs for multiple varsity sports at Mater Dei High School. Additionally, he spent time as an assistant strength coach for Michigan State basketball and volleyball teams and as an intern with Cal football and Apple Wellness. A native of San Ramon, CA, he is a graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and has a master’s degree in kinesiology from Michigan State University. He holds nine certifications in the strength and conditioning field.

Topics covered in this episode:
-His journey (including working in the DR and corporate wellness with Apple)
-His best professional baseball story
-Current trends in the field
-Working in AAA Pacific Coast League

Quotes:
-"Baseball's my first love" (6:30)
-"A lot of the foundational stuff is the same. Everybody needs to squat, hinge, lunge, push, pull" (8:05)
-"It starts with the rapport. It starts with that getting to know the guy, getting to know that you care about them" (35:48)

Campbell Quirk is a Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coach in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. He has been with the organization for four seasons, having worked two in Low-A and two in High-A. He was named the 2025 MiLB Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year in the Midwest League. Campbell is also a former college baseball player. 

Topics covered in this episode:
-His journey and best professional baseball story
-Being named the Midwest League SCOTY and finding success
-Advice for others
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"I think, overall, Minor League Baseball has done a great job making sure the facilities are kept above par" (14:29)
-"Showing the athlete you care is crucial because at the end of the day it's their journey" (18:57)
-"The best day of my life was becoming a dad and having to learn how to look after someone else" (27:56)

If you would like to learn more from Campbell, you can connect with him on social media:

Instagram:
@quirky26

Luis Cervantes was born in Mexico City, Mexico and was raised in Montrose, CO. He graduated in 2016 from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs with a Bachelors in Sports Training and Conditioning. After spending 3 seasons with the Colorado Rockies, Cervantes accepted an opportunity with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021. Prior to his career with Minor League Baseball, Cervantes was with the United States Airforce Academy and a few private training facilities. Luis currently resides in Mesa, AZ.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Effectively coaching athletes of different ages and cultural backgrounds
-Working the Arizona Fall League
-Finding success
-Advice for others
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"You're dealing with kids who don't know what it means to be an adult yet, so you're showing them more than just strength and conditioning X's and O's. You're trying to teach them how to be just an adult and a good human being" (5:26)
-"Maybe you know your X's and O's, but if people don't like you it's gonna be really hard to convince them to do things" (13:17)
-"I do use audio a lot, that's like a hack right there. Just put on some audio and listen to it right before you go to bed or when I'm walking the dog" (19:22)

If you would like to learn more from Luis, you can connect with him on LinkedIn!

Luis Cervantes was born in Mexico City, Mexico and was raised in Montrose, CO. He graduated in 2016 from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs with a Bachelors in Sports Training and Conditioning. After spending 3 seasons with the Colorado Rockies, Cervantes accepted an opportunity with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021. Prior to his career with Minor League Baseball, Cervantes was with the United States Airforce Academy and a few private training facilities. Luis currently resides in Mesa, AZ.

Topics covered in this episode:
-The importance of being a good father and husband
-Being a 2x ACL Champion
-Similarities and differences between working in different organizations
-Emotional intelligence and soft skills

Quotes:
-"You grind during the season, but then you earn that offseason where you have a little bit more relaxing time with your family" (6:21)
-"I think that's something you need to teach: teaching how to win" (13:21)
-"You have to have the soft skills and emotional intelligence to know your audience and what you're gonna talk about" (25:38)

If you would like to learn more from Luis, you can connect with him on LinkedIn!

Jake Kistaitis is a strength and conditioning coach in the Oakland A's organization. Jake has been with the organization since 2022, where he has worked multiple levels from the DR up to AA. Prior to joining the A's, Jake spent time in 2020 with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. Jake is a former college baseball player who grew up in the Omaha, Nebraska area. He was named the Texas League Strength Coach of the Year this season.

Topics covered in this episode:
-His professional baseball journey (including entering pro ball during the COVID chaos of 2020, time spent coaching in the DR, and working his way to AA)
-His best professional baseball story
-Being named the Texas League Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year
-Advice for others and continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"Trying to pick up as much as I can. Kind of getting overwhelmed, because your first few weeks in pro ball, as you know, it's crazy" (2:49)
-"I would say building relationships is probably the most important because once you have that relationship built with a player, them buying into your program or buying in to you as a human is gonna allow that relationship to move onward and upward because they know that you're in it for them, not for yourself" (16:56)
-"I think every off-season you find something that you're interested in and then you just try and learn as much as you can and then figure out how to utilize that on the day-to-day" (21:35)

If you would like to learn more from Jake, you can follow him on social media:

Instagram:
@jake_kistaitis

And a special thank you to xcelerated recovery for sponsoring this episode! 

Grace is a Minor League Strength & Conditioning Coach with the Tampa Bay Rays, where she works to support athlete performance and development throughout the organization. Before joining the Rays, she served as an Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach at Queens University, working with baseball, men’s and women’s soccer, and men’s tennis. Grace has also spent time in professional baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals as a Player Development Strength & Conditioning Coach and previously interned with the Cleveland Guardians. 

She holds a master’s degree in Applied Kinesiology and Physiology from the University of Florida, and a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Sports Psychology from the University of Evansville.

Topics covered in this episode:
-Working in the college setting vs. professional baseball
-Advice for others and finding success
-Continuing education resources

Quotes:
-"I think this year has really solidified that I want to be in pro ball" (4:33)
-"I think you should definitely experience both of them. For me, I'm obviously really glad that I experienced and went and worked in the college setting. It makes me appreciate being where I'm at a lot more" (10:36)
-"Every day I try and just be really appreciative of the people I get to work with, the athletes I get to work with, and the experience I get to have because it's a really cool job that we have" (23:42)

If you would like to learn more from Grace, you can follow her on social media:

Instagram:
@coachgracecullen