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Jun 14

I think the thing that most parents get wrong is how they try to set up their kid’s sampling period.
A sampling period is the time when an athlete is trying out a variety of different sports to see what they enjoy and might eventually want to focus on.
Parents, you shouldn’t blindly enroll your kid in as many travel sports as possible just so they don’t “fall behind.” Maybe choose one travel sport per year — and let them play as many rec sports as they want.
Doing a thousand things won’t help them get good at a few. It’ll help them get good at none.
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Jun 13

Today we’re looking at Jackson Chourio’s swing. Jackson is an outfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Chourio has a swing that is well designed to attack pitchers up in the zone. He has a relatively low attack angle of 7° and a relatively low vertical bat path of -26°.
His upper half is beautiful—one of the better upper halves I’ve seen. Notice how he turns the barrel to be parallel with his lead arm while his arm is still bent. This allows him to adjust using extension if necessary, which he does beautifully in this video.
The one thing I might recommend he do a little differently is potentially slow down the speed at which he moves forward. This can be one of the most effective adjustments for dealing with off-speed pitches.
Overall, slowing down helps you see the ball better with your visual system. Other than that, there’s a lot to like here. Wishing him the best of luck in his young career!
Jackson Chourio – 2025 Season Stats (as of June 12, 2025)
• Batting Average: .256
• On-Base Percentage (OBP): .310
• Slugging Percentage (SLG): .418
• OPS: .728
• Home Runs: 9
• RBIs: 32
• Strikeout Rate: 20.7%
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Jun 12

@realporterpotty got the call up to the show!
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Great dude.
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Great Story.
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Ignite Online Training OG Since 2017
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Congratulations Logan!
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Jun 11

Today we are looking at Cal Raleigh—specifically, his right-handed swing. Yesterday, we looked at his left-handed swing.
A lot of the same excellent qualities we see in his left-handed swing are also present in his right-handed swing:
Vision ✅
Forward move ✅
Rotation ✅
Angles ✅
Upper body pattern ✅
In his right-handed swing, he seems to be working with a slightly flatter attack angle and leaning back a bit less. Baseball Savant lists a 16° attack angle, but the video version of the swing appears closer to 10° or 11°.
That said, an important factor to consider is the point of contact. You can also see he has an 11° pull-side direction, which essentially means he’s hitting the ball well out in front. When you hit the ball farther out front, your attack angle increases. When you hit it deeper, the angle tends to be lower.
I wonder if the reason we’re seeing a 16° attack angle is because he’s swinging and making contact so far out front?
Cal Raleigh Career Averages (through 2024)
• Batting Average: .221
• On-Base Percentage (OBP): .292
• Slugging Percentage (SLG): .456
• OPS: .748
• Home Runs per Season: 25
• RBIs per Season: 72
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Jun 11

Congrats to long time Ignite/Cadets Athlete @masonduval on a beast of a senior year! ...
Jun 11

Today we are looking at Cal Raleigh.
There’s a lot to like in his swing.
His vision looks great, his forward move looks great, his rotation looks great, the angles of his shoulders look great, and his upper body pattern looks great as well.
The one thing I would say Raleigh could adjust is to maybe not lean back quite so much while he’s rotating. You’ll notice that his attack angle is 18°. This typically happens when an athlete leans back in their swing, as you see him do in this video.
When this occurs, we first ask the question: is this a problem? Because swinging up quite a bit is only an issue if you’re also swinging and missing at a high clip.
If someone swings up at an 18° angle but doesn’t swing and miss often, we say let it ride. But swinging up that much can often lead to more whiffs. If that’s happening, the athlete either needs a swing thought that helps them feel like they’re swinging down, or they need to lean back less in their swing.
Cal Raleigh Career Averages (as of June 2025):
• Batting Average: .220
• On-Base Percentage (OBP): .284
• Slugging Percentage (SLG): .460
• Home Runs per Season (avg.): ~28
• Strikeout Rate: ~29%
• Walk Rate: ~9%
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Jun 10

Austin Riley is the third baseman for the Atlanta Braves and has been one of the more complete right-handed hitters in baseball over the last four seasons.
One aspect of his swing that stands out is his forward move. He begins with his weight on his back foot and shifts it forward while simultaneously bringing his hands back. This creates a stretch across his body and sets him up to swing directly at the baseball with minimal wasted movement. When his front foot lands, his hands are positioned behind his shoulder, and his head is slightly behind his belly button.
As he begins his turn, his head remains still while his hips fire through, pulling his chest and then his hands in a well-sequenced rotation.
Starting from this “hands back, weight forward” position allows him to get the barrel behind the ball early, and he stays through the ball extremely well.
Career Stats:
• Batting average: ~.273 (815 hits in ~2,990 AB)
• Home runs: 164
• RBIs: 464
• Runs scored: 461
Accolades
• World Series champion: 2021
• Silver Slugger Awards: 2021 & 2023 (3B)
• All-Star selections: 2022, 2023
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Jo Adell is a young outfielder for the Angels, currently in his sixth MLB season. However, he has only played one full season—last year.
Adell possesses exceptional power at the plate, supported by impressive exit velocity numbers. This is due in part to his ability to separate his hip rotation from his chest rotation. That separation creates a stretch across the body, which he then uses to pull his chest and shoulders through the swing. This stretch and contraction sequence is a key way players generate force, as it directs the energy from the rotation into the point of contact.
While Adell has struggled with strikeouts and inconsistency at the plate, he clearly has MLB-level power thanks to how well-sequenced his rotational mechanics are.
Career Stats:
- 364 Games
- 246 Hits
- 49 Homeruns
- 157 RBI
- 24 SB
Career slash line: .213/.273/.392 (.665 OPS)
Accolades
• 2017: Drafted 10th overall (1st round) by the Angels
• 2020 Debut: MLB debut on August 4, 2020; first two home runs came in a single game on August 29
• 2023 Minor League Record: Homered in six consecutive games for Salt Lake Bees
• Longest Minor/Major HR: On June 20, 2023, launched a 514-ft homer—the longest since Statcast began in 2015
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Here is an excerpt from Coach Pigeon’s breakdown of James Wood’s swing.
to watch the whole video go to our YouTube page! You can find the link in our link tree.
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A common misconception is that when you’re playing the highest level of baseball or softball, you need to make a swing that can handle every pitch in the zone. When really, your swing needs to match your approach.
If you’re looking for the ball middle-in, you should be making a swing that pulls the ball. If you’re looking for the ball middle-out, then you should be making a swing that is designed to drive the ball the other way. If you’re looking for the ball down, you should be making a swing that tries to lift the ball. If you’re looking for the ball middle-up, you need to be making a swing that feels like you’re trying to get on top of the baseball.
If the pitch is not in your desired location, don’t swing. Pretty simple situation.
That said, with two strikes, that can change a little bit—and it’s important that you think about the best way to go about that. Ideally, you would set your base approach to what you expect, with your secondary approach designed around your strength.
Let me know if you want it tightened for social media or formatted for instructional material.
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Jordan Walker is a young corner outfielder for the Cardinals and a former top prospect. He does a good job spraying the ball to all parts of the field, not just pulling it.
In his swing, he keeps his head back well as he rotates. This allows him to get his barrel behind the ball early and swing through it. If his head were to move forward during the swing, he would be much more likely to swing down at the baseball instead of attacking it directly from behind.
One thing Walker doesn’t do very well in this particular swing is create separation between the rotation of his hips and that of his chest and shoulders. His hips and shoulders begin rotating at about the same time. This prevents him from creating a stretch, reducing the force behind his swing. If he could separate his hips from his chest more and allow his core to pull his shoulders through the turn, he would generate significantly more force and likely hit the ball harder more consistently.
Career Stats
• Ave: .247
• OPS: .707
• HR: 24
• RBI: 94
Career Highlights & Accolades
• 2021: Named Cardinals Minor League Co-Player of the Year alongside Juan Yepez.
• 2022: Selected for the All-Star Futures Game and played in the Arizona Fall League.
• 2023: Tied MLB record for longest hitting streak (12 games) to begin a career by a player under 21.
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James Wood is a rising young star for the Nationals, acquired in the Juan Soto trade back in 2022.
At 6’7”, Wood is one of the tallest hitters in Major League Baseball. Due to his height, it’s especially important for him to create a steep bat angle in order to reach pitches lower in the strike zone. He does an excellent job of keeping his hands up at chest level throughout his swing, resisting the urge to drop them in order to get the barrel down to low pitches.
Instead, Wood drops the barrel below his hands, allowing him to get on plane with the baseball and tap into the incredible power he generates during his turn and swing. He’s able to create leverage and lift the ball without letting his hands drop beneath it. This helps him avoid popping up on high pitches while still being able to drive pitches into the air that are down at his knees.
Career Stats:
- Games Played: 138
- Batting Average: .274
- Home Runs: 25
- Stolen Bases: 23
- OPS: .855
Accolades:
- 2023: Selected for the All-Star Futures Game
- 2024: Ranked #1 overall prospect by Baseball America midseason
- April 25, 2025: Recorded first career walk-off hit against the New York Mets
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Audrey’s 10-pitch home run battle!
The Yorktown girls softball team unfortunately ended their season last night against a tough Madison High School squad—but I wanted to highlight an amazing at-bat by one of our longtime athletes, Audrey Pocrass.
She battled through 10 pitches and launched a home run. What a way to finish the year!
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Today we’re looking at Julio Rodríguez.
In his swing, there really isn’t anything to nitpick. He moves forward really well, he rotates really well, and he keeps his head on the ball. He sets angles effectively and generally does an excellent job of keeping his hands high.
Although, on this particular swing, he does drop them a little bit, which creates a small loop in his swing rather than setting a smooth plane.
If you’re a hitter looking for an example to follow, he is definitely one I would try to mimic.
Julio Rodríguez – Career Averages (as of June 1, 2025):
• Batting Average: .279
• On-Base Percentage (OBP): .337
• Slugging Percentage (SLG): .487
• OPS: .824
• Home Runs (per 162 games): 29
• RBIs (per 162 games): 94
• Stolen Bases (per 162 games): 31
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Today we are looking at Jake Burger’s swing.
Let’s start with the positives. I really like the way his arms and wrists work. He does a great job of getting his back to align with his shoulders by the time he gets halfway through his swing.
He also does a great job of maintaining his gaze on the pitch.
I’m not a huge fan of his rotation. Honestly, he should reach out to us—I think we could really help him. Instead of allowing his pelvis to stretch away from his rib cage—creating an elastic recoil that aids in how fast he turns his upper body—he starts turning his chest before there’s enough stretch to propel his bat and turn into the ball.
When an athlete does this very well, they will almost always set the low point of their swing back behind them, or at least even with their back hip. It’s possible that this swing is an adjustment, but it seems pretty clear that in this case, his turn did not grab his bat, and as a result, the low point of his swing is right before contact.
Jake Burger – Career Averages (as of June 1, 2025):
• Batting Average: .234
• On-Base Percentage (OBP): .300
• Slugging Percentage (SLG): .474
• OPS: .774
• Home Runs (per 162 games): 34
• RBIs (per 162 games): 89
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May 31

Today we are looking at Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s swing.
When it comes to attack angle—which is how up or down you are swinging right before contact—Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has one of the flattest swings in baseball among elite-level performers. He swings up at just a 1° angle.
That’s pretty darn flat.
You can also see that his swing path tilt is 26°, which is also relatively flat.
Vladdy is a really good hitter.
I have two thoughts about his metrics:
1. It’s definitely possible that getting on plane is less important than what almost everyone in the hitting community thinks. A 1° upward swing is almost never on plane—unless the pitch is about a foot above the top of the strike zone.
2. This swing profile works much better for pitches up in the zone with high velocity and spin. Balls in that part of the zone come in flatter and usually require a flatter attack angle and a flatter vertical bat angle (swing path tilt). It’s possible that Vladdy is making a conscious decision to attack high pitches more effectively, since that’s where most four-seam fastballs in the big leagues are being thrown.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – Career Averages (2019–2024):
• Batting Average: .279
• On-Base Percentage (OBP): .356
• Slugging Percentage (SLG): .487
• Home Runs (per 162 games): 31
• RBIs (per 162 games): 96
• OPS: .843
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May 29

Today we’re looking at Kyle Schwarber’s swing.
The biggest thing that jumps out to me about Schwarber is how well he focuses his vision on the baseball.
Frankly, I’m not a huge fan of the way he rotates.
He has a ton of rollover at the end of his swing because his rotation stops very early.
That said, there are a number of Schwarber swings you can find online where this doesn’t occur.
When you roll over early, it causes your swing to go to the pull side very quickly—which can sometimes lead to more foul balls than you’d like.
Kyle Schwarber Career Stats (as of May 2025):
• Batting Average: .226
• Home Runs: 259
• RBIs: 593
• OPS: .827
• On-Base Percentage: .343
• Slugging Percentage: .484
• All-Star Selections: 2
• Postseason HRs: 20+ (known for clutch power)
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May 28

Juan Soto, a former World Series champion with the Nationals in 2019, has been one of the best hitters in baseball over the past five years. Soto possesses excellent plate discipline due to his exceptional ability to track and decipher pitches. One reason he excels in this area is his incredibly high bat speed. With this elevated bat speed, he not only hits the ball extremely hard but can also afford to let the ball travel deeper into the zone than most hitters. His swing is initiated by his hips, which start his turn and allow him to launch the bat through the zone quickly. This powerful hip rotation creates a whip-like effect through his core and into the bat, enabling him to generate elite bat speed without over-swinging. This early and aggressive hip turn not only produces raw power but also keeps his barrel in the zone longer, allowing him to drive pitches to all fields.
Complementing his hip action is Soto’s elite core control, which allows him to maintain posture and balance even while unleashing significant rotational force. His core acts as both a stabilizer and a power conduit, linking the drive from his lower body to the precision of his upper body. This connection enables him to make mid-swing adjustments, staying on breaking balls and off-speed pitches while still delivering excellent contact.
Career Statistics
• Batting Average: .282
• Hits: 979
• Home Runs: 209
• Runs Batted In (RBIs): 617
• Runs Scored: 689
• Walks: 769 (in 936 games)
• On-Base Percentage (OBP): .421
• Slugging Percentage (SLG): .524
Career Accolades
• World Series Champion
• 4× MLB All-Star: 2021–2024
• 5× Silver Slugger Award: 2020–2024
• 3× All-MLB First Team: 2020, 2021, 2024
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May 27

They were looking at Oneil Cruz’s swing.
He has one of the most powerful swings in baseball. What jumps out to me the most is the fact that his swing is biased toward the pull side. So many athletes are pushed to avoid pulling the ball, so it’s great to see data showing that isn’t the right approach for all hitters.
What does it mean to have your sweet spot going toward the pull side longer?
Well, that usually means your butt is turning fewer degrees per second early in the swing—so it can turn more degrees per second later in the swing.
Whereas with an opposite-field swing direction, the opposite is true. You usually have more degrees per second of barrel turn early in the swing. This creates a circular shape almost immediately back behind home plate.
Regardless of your swing direction, you should mimic the way Cruz snaps his shoulders back to his pelvis—he is excellent at this.
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May 26

Today we’re looking at Freddie Freeman’s swing.
Pay close attention to where Freeman’s nose is pointing—it’s always at the ball in just about every single swing you can find of his. He tracks the ball with his eyes and head exceptionally well.
This is, by far, the most important thing in hitting. If you do this at an elite level, you can make almost any other mistake and still be a functional hitter.
There are a lot of other things Freeman does well, too. Although it’s not pictured here, he has a solid, controlled forward move. He rotates his pelvis and rib cage effectively, and he tilts his shoulders well to match pitch height.
The biggest thing I think he could improve on is that his hands tend to drop quite a bit. That said, he’s so good at everything else that this “mistake” has almost zero effect.
For us, this is why we address the upper half last—and only when it’s necessary. You can find many examples like Freeman who do so many things well but have an upper half that’s imperfect. He’s such a great hitter with such exceptional visual skills that they often override everything else.
Freddie Freeman Career Stats (as of May 2025):
• Batting Average: .300
• Home Runs: 326
• RBIs: 1,137
• Hits: 2,157
• OPS: .892
• MVP Awards: 1 (2020 NL MVP)
• All-Star Selections: 7
• Gold Gloves: 1
• Silver Sluggers: 3
• World Series Champion: 2
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As a baseball or softball player, you do not have to be a finished product in order to compete. Many times, athletes worry about the things they cannot currently do. Instead, when it comes time to play, you need to lean into what you can do.
Of course, we always want to continue working on the things we’re not good at. But you can still play the sport at a high level, even when some things aren’t working perfectly.
It’s very important to learn how to play your game and bring value to the team in your own way. If you continue to work hard, you will eventually become a more finished product—but it’s okay if you’re not there today.

As a baseball or softball player, you do not have to be a finished product in order to compete. Many times, athletes worry about the things they cannot currently do. Instead, when it comes time to play, you need to lean into what you can do.
Of course, we always want to continue working on the things we’re not good at. But you can still play the sport at a high level, even when some things aren’t working perfectly.
It’s very important to learn how to play your game and bring value to the team in your own way. If you continue to work hard, you will eventually become a more finished product—but it’s okay if you’re not there today.
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One thing that’s really important to understand is what is developmentally appropriate for young athletes in their swing. It’s definitely a good idea to get the center of the body and the legs working the way they should for athletes below the age of seventh grade. It’s also fine to do upper-body drills to reinforce proper swing mechanics. However, many young athletes are not yet strong enough to make these moves functionally in their swing. So, when it comes to evaluating swings, make sure your expectations are set properly—otherwise, young athletes will feel like their swing is broken all the time. That’s not good for any athlete.

One thing that’s really important to understand is what is developmentally appropriate for young athletes in their swing. It’s definitely a good idea to get the center of the body and the legs working the way they should for athletes below the age of seventh grade. It’s also fine to do upper-body drills to reinforce proper swing mechanics. However, many young athletes are not yet strong enough to make these moves functionally in their swing. So, when it comes to evaluating swings, make sure your expectations are set properly—otherwise, young athletes will feel like their swing is broken all the time. That’s not good for any athlete. ...
Sometimes, when it comes to thinking about your swing, less is more. When it’s time to compete, you can’t be out there thinking about how you’re trying to move all the time—you just have to compete.
When it’s time to practice your swing, you can think about it all day if you’d like. But when it comes time to play, you just need to play.

Sometimes, when it comes to thinking about your swing, less is more. When it’s time to compete, you can’t be out there thinking about how you’re trying to move all the time—you just have to compete.
When it’s time to practice your swing, you can think about it all day if you’d like. But when it comes time to play, you just need to play.
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Being coachable is good. Being so coachable that you change your swing every two days is bad. Believe in what you do—if you don’t, you’ll fall for whatever someone else tells you to do.

Being coachable is good. Being so coachable that you change your swing every two days is bad. Believe in what you do—if you don’t, you’ll fall for whatever someone else tells you to do. ...
Baseball, like all sports, teaches valuable life lessons to players. It teaches them how to struggle with adversity, communicate with teammates, and deal with failure. Here’s what David Jacobson has to say about the kinds of lessons people learn from playing sports.

Baseball, like all sports, teaches valuable life lessons to players. It teaches them how to struggle with adversity, communicate with teammates, and deal with failure. Here’s what David Jacobson has to say about the kinds of lessons people learn from playing sports. ...
When the only tool you have is a hammer, everything begins to look quite a bit like a nail. Many times, the reason an athlete has a bad game has nothing to do with their swing. But oftentimes, the only solution a coach has is to change the athlete’s swing—though that’s often not the right solution.
There are tons of reasons you could have a bad game that are unrelated to your swing. A coach should try to exhaust as many of those options as possible before resorting to swing changes. Unfortunately, many simple things—like adjusting your swing’s aiming point or doing basic visual training exercises—are under-taught and largely unknown by most baseball coaches. As a result, changing the swing is often the only tool in the coach’s toolbox.
That’s okay—this isn’t the coach’s full-time job. But as a player, you need to understand that changing your swing every week is never going to be helpful.

When the only tool you have is a hammer, everything begins to look quite a bit like a nail. Many times, the reason an athlete has a bad game has nothing to do with their swing. But oftentimes, the only solution a coach has is to change the athlete’s swing—though that’s often not the right solution.
There are tons of reasons you could have a bad game that are unrelated to your swing. A coach should try to exhaust as many of those options as possible before resorting to swing changes. Unfortunately, many simple things—like adjusting your swing’s aiming point or doing basic visual training exercises—are under-taught and largely unknown by most baseball coaches. As a result, changing the swing is often the only tool in the coach’s toolbox.
That’s okay—this isn’t the coach’s full-time job. But as a player, you need to understand that changing your swing every week is never going to be helpful.
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A lot of people swear by taking the first pitch. Here’s why that’s probably not your best strategy.

A lot of people swear by taking the first pitch. Here’s why that’s probably not your best strategy. ...
The swing up/swing down debate is not nuanced enough. We really need to be thinking about where the athlete is now and where they’re trying to get to.
Also, for older athletes—how well do they rotate?
If they rotate at an elite level, they may need to think “swing down” in order to achieve an attack angle that is functional. Elite-level rotation usually causes the athlete to swing up quite a bit, so that often needs to be managed.

The swing up/swing down debate is not nuanced enough. We really need to be thinking about where the athlete is now and where they’re trying to get to.
Also, for older athletes—how well do they rotate?
If they rotate at an elite level, they may need to think “swing down” in order to achieve an attack angle that is functional. Elite-level rotation usually causes the athlete to swing up quite a bit, so that often needs to be managed.
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