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Your Swing. Your Results.
Jul 18

Today we’re looking at Jesús Sánchez’s swing. Honestly, I love a lot of the things that he’s doing.
In the swing, it seems like he has decent command of his forward move. He keeps his head on the ball, he rotates his pelvis and rib cage well, and his bat stays in the path of the pitch for a long time.
I mean, honestly, it’s not too bad at all.
The only thing I would say is that it seems like he goes forward a little bit faster than I would necessarily like.
In this particular swing, it seems like when he lifts his leg, he goes backward a little bit. This can often be problematic because when you go backward during your loading phase, you have to redirect back forward in order to actually make your swing happen. Often, what happens is hitters start the redirect too late, which forces them to rush their swing—throwing off their sequence and their vision.
If I were to give him any recommendation, I would just say: try to lift the leg up rather than back at the beginning part of the swing. That should allow him to move forward more slowly and, as a result, see the pitch better and stay in sequence more consistently.
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Jesús Sánchez – Career MLB Stats (through 2024 season):
AVG .234 | HR 51 | RBI 162 | OBP .296 | SLG .413 | OPS .709
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Jul 17

Yandy Díaz is a corner infielder for the Rays who has primarily played first base over the past three years. He’s been a consistently productive bat for the Rays since 2021, when he began receiving regular playing time.
What we’ll highlight in his swing today is his lead leg block. He has a good stride forward and maintains strong body positioning as he moves. Once his foot hits the ground, his forward momentum stops completely, allowing him to rotate his body toward the baseball. His front leg locks out to halt any further forward movement and prevent him from over-rotating, ensuring his turn stays directed at the ball.
Forward movement is vitally important in hitting, but as pitchers improve, it’s equally important to be able to stop that movement and turn in the right direction.
Career Batting (Through 2025 season)
• Games Played: 843
• At‑bats: 3,080
• Hits: 887
• Home Runs: 89
• Runs Batted In: 394
• Batting Average : .288
• On‑Base Percentage: .369
• Slugging %: .435
• On‑Base Plus Slugging: .805
Accolades:
• AL All-Star
• Silver Slugger Award at first base (2023)
• Finished 6th in AL MVP voting (2023)
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Jul 16

Ceddanne Rafaela is primarily an outfielder for the Red Sox. He’s currently having a breakout season with Boston, showcasing both power and speed at the plate. His power stems from his ability to turn his hips quickly and fully. One indicator of how far his hips are turning is that his back foot comes off the ground. This foot pop allows his hips to rotate without resistance and complete the turn. While the foot coming off the ground isn’t necessary on every swing, the full hip rotation is — and many hitters are able to achieve a deeper turn when their back foot lifts the way Rafaela’s does.
MLB Career Stats
• Batting Average: .254 (240 hits in 944 AB)
• Home Runs: 31
• Runs Batted In: 128
• Stolen Bases: 35
• On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS): .709
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Jul 15

Find out why learning how to make a proper inside step is essential for all infielders. Coach Scooter breaks it down. ...
Jul 13

Today we’re looking at Ketel Marte’s swing.
If you compare the 3D model of his swing to the live game version, you’ll notice they don’t look exactly the same. The live game swing we’re analyzing here is clearly an adjustment — it looks like he started his rotation a little later than ideal, and then shoots his hands out to go get the pitch.
Take a look at the 3D model — notice the depth he creates behind him — and then compare that to the live swing. In the game clip, there’s not much barrel depth. I love comparisons like this because they illustrate the nuance required to be a great hitter.
Should you try to get depth in your swing? Yes — you should be able to create depth — but are you going to use it every single time? Definitely not.
The reality is, you want to build your swing with enough stretch to create options. That way, you can adapt to different pitch types and locations. Some pitches will get on you fast, or ride in on the inside part of the plate, and you’ll have to go out and get it with your hands — in those cases, you won’t see much barrel depth.
Other times, you’ll need to reach back and pivot the barrel deep to drive the ball the other way. There are two main reasons a hitter would want to create stretch:
1. It gives them the ability to attack pitches deep, using the elasticity of their muscles and fascia to accelerate the barrel quickly, close to the catcher.
2. It allows the trunk to drive through the baseball. Without this stretch, hitters tend to become overly hands dominant.
Ideally, your hands should catch a free ride from your trunk at the beginning of the swing — but that doesn’t always happen. And in Marte’s game swing here, you can see that’s exactly what’s going on.
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📊 Ketel Marte Career Stats (as of July 13, 2025):
• Career BA: .281
• HR: 118
• RBI: 499
• OPS: .800
• Hits: 1,156
• OBP: .344
• SLG: .456
• Notable: 2023 NLCS MVP, 2022 All-Star
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Jul 12

Cody Bellinger went off tonight. 3 home runs. Vintage Belli swing on full display—fluid, powerful, and timed up perfectly.
Sometimes all it takes is one game to remind everyone who you are.
#CodyBellinger #MLB #HomeRun #SwingBreakdown #HittingMechanics #BaseballSwing #IgniteBaseball
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Jul 11

Today we’re looking at Lars Nootbaar’s swing.
From the time he begins moving forward to the end of his swing, I love what he’s got going on.
The thing that concerns me is the amount of backward sway at the beginning of his loading pattern. Many hitters and coaches think they need that in order to be powerful. That’s wrong. Even if it made you 5% more powerful, it’s not worth the 40% decrease in consistency.
When you move backward in your load, your ability to be on time and in sequence depends on your ability to redirect that move into forward momentum and rotation. That’s hard to do—and not many have done it successfully.
Lars, come see us. We got you.
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Career Stats (as of July 2025):
• AVG: .239
• HR: 38
• RBI: 130
• OPS: .723
• OBP: .335
• SLG: .388
• Games Played: 343
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Jul 10

Anthony Santander is a Blue Jays outfielder and former Orioles slugger. Santander is a switch hitter; however, here we’re just looking at his left-handed swing.
One thing he does very well is angle his body so that his turn drives the swing upward through contact. He drifts his hips forward in his stride while keeping his head back. When he does this, he’s able to get the barrel behind the ball early and turn through contact, driving his swing up and over his shoulder at the finish. This angle helped him become an All-Star and Silver Slugger in 2024 and has made him one of the better power hitters over the past three seasons.
Career MLB Statistics
• Games Played: 796
• Batting Average: .242
• Home Runs: 161
• Runs Batted In (RBIs): 453
• On-Base + Slugging (OPS): .764
Accolades
• AL All-Star (2024)
• AL Outfield Silver Slugger Award (2024)
• 40+ Home Run Season (2024)
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Today we’re looking at Luis Arraez’s swing.
Arraez is one of the best contact hitters in baseball.
His barrel path is excellent. He tilts his body to the height of the baseball extremely well. His visual system is almost always locked on the ball. The only thing he doesn’t do at an extremely elite level is rotate.
It’s always an interesting conundrum with guys like him. If he created more stretch across his core, it would likely drive up his slugging percentage—but he might not hit for quite as high an average, because the increased speed makes adjusting mid-swing a little more difficult. Overall, I think his OPS would likely improve, which would make him more valuable from a runs-produced perspective.
That said, it’s always hard to know what the right play is. If he learned to turn faster, would his visual/vestibular system be able to handle it? Not sure—but most likely yes.
From a pure numbers perspective, it does make sense to have your average be a little bit lower if your overall OPS is significantly higher.
That said, the overall psychological impact of having someone that just runs out base hit after base hit after base hit on your team is significant and can really lift up the spirits of everyone. I think that this is something that is hard to quantify, but it’s definitely a real thing. When it comes to this quality, Arraez might be my number one draft pick.
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⚾ Luis Arraez – Career Stats (through July 7, 2025)
• 2025 Season: .292 AVG · 4 HR · 34 RBI · 4 SB · .725 OPS
• Career Totals: .319 AVG · 32 HR · 281 RBI · .782 OPS (2,967 AB)
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Today we’re looking at Corbin Carroll’s swing.
Carroll is one of the most exciting young outfielders in baseball. He combines elite foot speed with strong zone discipline and the ability to hit for both average and power. His rookie season put him firmly on the map as a future star, and he continues to build on that promise with well-rounded offensive production.
The thing that jumps out to me about his swing is how vertical his setup is. You can see this by how tall he stands in the beginning phase of his stride. This spine angle allows him to have a vertical swing tilt that is relatively flat, around ‑25°. This is a swing tilt that usually works well for pitches that are up in the zone, but down in the zone, it typically won’t work quite as well.
The three things that Carroll does pretty well are the three essential things of hitting: he’s able to keep his visual system locked in on the pitch, he moves his pelvis forward during his stride phase, and he rotates pretty well—although, if I’m being honest, I think he has some room for growth in this area.
Obviously, Carroll has had a great start to his career. But players can always move better and improve their outcomes. I would be interested to see how things would change if he got a little bit more vertical swing tilt and rotated with a little bit more elasticity.
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⚾ Corbin Carroll – Career Stats (through July 6, 2025)
• 2025 Season: .247 AVG · 20 HR · 44 RBI · 10 SB · .331 OBP · .887 OPS
• Career Totals: .256 AVG · 71 HR · 208 RBI · 101 SB · .338 OBP · .824 OPS (1,553 AB)
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Cincinnati Reds’ young star shortstop Elly De La Cruz is one of the most exciting players in baseball, due in part to the incredible power in his swing. His hip and shoulder separation creates maximum torque, allowing him to drive the bat through the zone with tremendous speed. De La Cruz is also incredibly fast and possesses a rocket for an arm. His ability to move his body efficiently and explosively at his size enables him to produce some of the hardest-hit balls in Statcast history.
MLB Career Stats
• Batting average: .257
• Hits: 345
• Home runs: 56
• RBI: 180
• Stolen bases: 124
Accolades
• MLB All-Star (2024)
• Led NL in stolen bases (2024)
• Finalist: 2024 NL Hank Aaron Award
• Historic 20+ HR & 60+ SB by a shortstop (first ever)
• Multiple Minor League Player Of The Year and prospect awards
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Manny Machado’s swing is a blend of raw power and elite body control, driven by his ability to stay connected and balanced throughout the move. He starts his stride forward early and slow, giving him control over when he needs to get his foot down in time. One of the key elements in his swing is the way he maintains posture and tilt as he rotates—allowing him to keep his barrel in the zone for a long time and drive the ball to all fields. Machado generates excellent torque through his lower half by separating his hips from his upper body early in the move, and then unleashing that coil with explosive bat speed. Despite the power, his head stays quiet and back, helping him make consistent, high-quality contact.
MLB Stats
-Games: 1,819
-AB: 7,130
-Hits: 1,994
-Home Runs: 355
-RBI: 1,096
-Runs: 1,043
-SB: 107
-BA/.OBP/SLG/OPS: .280/.339/.488/.826
-Career WAR: approx. 60.2
Career Highlights & Accolades
-Six-time All-Star: (2013, 2015, 2016, 2018 in AL; 2021, 2022, 2025 in NL)
-Gold Glove: 2× AL Gold Glove (2013, 2015)
-Platinum Glove: 2013 AL
-Silver Slugger: 2× (NL 2020, 2024)
-All‑MLB Team: First Team (2020, 2022); Second Team (2024)
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Pete Alonso, the Mets’ power-hitting first baseman, has a swing built for generating elite exit velocity and consistent home run power. Alonso starts with a slightly open stance and uses a controlled leg kick to move his hips forward and keep his head back. As he strides forward, he maintains excellent posture and balance, allowing his hips to fire and create separation from his upper body. His bat stays in the zone a long time, and he finishes with a high follow-through to maximize lift and carry.
Career Stats:
• Games Played: 902
• Batting Average: .253
• Hits: 871
• Home Runs: 244
• RBIs: 651
Accolades & Awards
• NL Rookie of the Year (2019): unanimous pick; set rookie record with 53 HR 
• 4× All‑Star: 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024
• MLB Home Run Derby Champion:
• MLB Home Run Leader: 2019
• All‑MLB First Team: 2019
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Coach Scooter breaks it down.
Every great infielder is built on three fundamentals: speed & footwork, throwing, and glove work. Mastering these skills means being ready for any play, any time.
In this video, Coach Scooter walks through the details that separate average infielders from elite defenders.
Want to level up your infield game? DM us or visit ignitebaseball.org to book a session with Coach Scooter.
#InfieldWork #CoachScooter #BaseballTraining #GloveWork #Footwork #Throwing #FundamentalsFirst #IgniteBaseball
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Jun 29

Ryan McMahon is a third baseman for the Rockies. He’s one of the premier fielding third basemen in the league and a consistently productive hitter in Colorado.
His swing here is an example of how the hips create separation from the chest during the turn. If a hitter can keep their chest closed as they begin to open their hips toward the pitcher, the core can then pull the shoulders and hands through much faster, generating very high bat speed. McMahon has consistently ranked in the 80th percentile in max exit velocity in MLB since 2021. More stretch and separation lead to harder contact.
MLB Career Stats
• Batting Average: .241
• Home Runs: 136
• Runs Batted In (RBI): 442
Accolades & Awards
• MLB All-Star (2024)
• Gold Glove Finalist: Finalist at third base every year since 2021
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Jun 27

Wilson Contreras is a catcher for the Cardinals and formerly the Cubs. He has been a consistent offensive contributor throughout his career and, at times, has been in the conversation as one of the best hitting catchers in baseball.
In this swing, Contreras does an excellent job using his front leg as an anchor point to rotate around. He plants his front foot and heel firmly into the ground, and as he rotates, his front knee begins to lock out. This action prevents him from over-rotating and helps direct the force of his turn toward the baseball rather than spinning off toward third base. When a hitter generates a powerful turn, it’s crucial to channel that force efficiently. Contreras accomplishes this by using his front leg to block and redirect the energy of his rotation into the swing.
Major League Career
• Batting Average: .257
• Hits: 898
• Home Runs: 162
• Runs Batted In: 518
• Stolen Bases: 35
• On‑Base Plus Slugging (OPS): .809
Accolades & Awards
• 2016 World Series Champion with the Cubs
• 3× MLB All-Star: 2018, 2019, and 2022
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Jun 27

@rsjbaseball out here doing his thing!
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Keep grinding man!
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Jun 27

Luis Robert is an outfielder for the White Sox and a true five-tool player at his best. He has been inconsistent at times throughout his career and has struggled with injuries, but his potential has always been extremely high.
In this swing, Robert is caught off balance by the pitch but is still able to make solid contact by keeping his bat in the zone as long as possible. He doesn’t rotate as fully as he normally would due to his timing being off, but his extension through the ball keeps his barrel on the ball’s path.
Career Batting Stats
• Plate Appearances (PA): 2,045
• Batting Average (AVG): .257
• Home Runs (HR): 96
• Runs Batted In (RBI): 277
• Stolen Bases (SB): 91
• On-Base + Slugging (OPS): .764
Awards & Accolades
• 2020 AL Gold Glove (Center Field)
• 2020 AL Rookie of the Month (August)
• 2023 AL Silver Slugger
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Jun 26

Addison Barger is a 25-year-old third baseman and corner outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays. Through 54 games this season, he has been a highly productive hitter for a Jays club vying for a playoff spot. Barger excels at keeping his head back as he strides forward; his long forward movement comes without lunging, which helps him maintain a solid 10-degree attack angle, keeping him on plane with the pitch. Combined with an explosive, well-sequenced turn, this approach is fueling Barger’s breakout campaign.
Career Stats:
2 seasons (2024-2025)
Games (G): 123
At-Bats (AB): 386
Runs (R): 45
Hits (H): 88
Doubles (2B): 27
Home Runs (HR): 15
Runs Batted In (RBI): 52
Batting Average (AVG): .228
On-Base % (OBP): .286
Slugging (SLG): .415
On-Base+Slugging (OPS): .701
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Jun 24

“This probably changed my career.”
@realporterpotty wasn’t even thinking about pro baseball. He just wanted to start for a college team.
After being told he wouldn’t play, he made a choice — take the leap or sit the bench.
He trained every day over winter break. Sent video after video. Broke down his swing. Built it back up.
By spring, the same coach who once benched him was asking:
“Is someone gonna get this kid out?”
That’s what happens when you commit to real development. The work pays off. The swing transforms. The opportunities come.
🔥 Want help building your own breakout moment?
DM us “TRAIN” to get started.
#ignitebaseball #hittingdevelopment #collegebaseball #trainwithpurpose #swingspeed #baseballgrind
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Does “knob to the ball” really work? Sometimes is the short answer. When a player’s rotation is already good, it is a good cue for many. If rotation isn’t happening at an elite level then “knob to the ball” is likely to cause more problems than solutions.

Does “knob to the ball” really work? Sometimes is the short answer. When a player’s rotation is already good, it is a good cue for many. If rotation isn’t happening at an elite level then “knob to the ball” is likely to cause more problems than solutions. ...
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. ...
