Share
Patrick Jones Baseball
Force Plates for Pitchers | AI in Baseball | Zach Day
Ep. 328
•
Zach Day is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the big leagues and has a background in technology. He is the co-founder of Newt Force, a company that uses force plates to analyze and improve pitching mechanics.
Summary
Zach Day discusses the potential impact of AI in baseball and how it could enhance individualization and speed up data analysis. He reflects on his own pitching career and the changes he would have made with access to the data and technology available today. Zach also shares his thoughts on the decision to sign out of high school and the challenges of transitioning out of professional sports. He highlights the importance of education and proactive career planning for athletes. The conversation then shifts to the use of force plates in pitching analysis and training. Zach explains how force plates can provide valuable insights into ground forces and lower body mechanics. He discusses the benefits of using med balls to improve lower-half efficiency and the differences between elite pitchers and average pitchers in terms of force generation and timing. Zach also mentions the potential expansion of Newt Force into the hitting realm and the company's focus on empowering coaches.
Key Takeaways:
- AI has the potential to enhance individualization and speed up data analysis in baseball.
- Access to data and technology could have helped Zach Day improve his secondary pitches and prevent injuries during his pitching career.
- The decision to sign out of high school and pursue a professional baseball career is complex and depends on various factors.
- Transitioning out of professional sports can be challenging, and athletes need to plan for their next chapter in life.
- Force plates can provide valuable insights into ground forces and lower body mechanics in pitching.
- Med ball drills can help improve lower half efficiency and braking in pitching mechanics.
- Elite pitchers excel in force generation, timing, and efficient energy transfer from the lower body to the upper body.
- Newt Force is focused on empowering coaches and providing them with valuable information to enhance training and performance.
Timestamps:
[2:31] AI's Role in the Future of Baseball
[4:37] Improving Pitching Through Technology
[8:08] High School Baseball Journey
[9:12] The Tough Choice of Going Pro or Going to College in Baseball
[12:36]Transitioning from Baseball to the Real World
[14:29] Learning from TrackMan and The Journey of Transforming Baseball with Data
[17:04] Exploring Force Plates in Pitching
[21:17] The Game-Changing Discoveries from Newt Force
[23:52] Enhancing Pitching with Med Ball Drills
[26:15] Decoding the Secrets of Elite Pitchers
[28:34] Insights into How Weight Impacts Performance
[31:32] Exploring the Future of Newt Force
Follow Zach Day on Twitter: @ZachDay54
Check Out Patrick's Stuff:
• 📬 Patrick's Weekly Recruiting Newsletter – Get insights on college recruiting, player spotlights, and advice for parents and coaches. Subscribe at https://www.patrickjonesbaseball.com/recruit
• ⚾ Need Help with College Recruiting? – We help serious baseball players get recruited. Book a 1-on-1 consult at https://www.patrickjonesbaseball.com/recruiting
More episodes
View all episodes
How Does JUCO Compare to D1? | Jonathan Estes
33:02|In this episode, I sit down with Jonathan Estes, assistant coach at Weatherford College, one of the top junior college baseball programs in the country. Jonathan grew up in a town of 648 people in Arkansas, graduated in a class of 50, and worked his way through multiple small college stops before joining Weatherford this year. We dig into:How he structures batting practice to challenge hittersWhat he's looking for when he shows up to watch a high school playerHow fine the line really is between a junior college freshman and a Division I freshman. The sliding scale for pitching recruitsWhy making a JUCO roster isn't the same as playingWhat usually separates guys who succeed after transferring to a D1 from guys who struggleWe wrap up with the most important advice he'd give any high school player going through the recruiting process right now: Love the game.Follow Jonathan Estes and Weatherford baseball on X:Jonathan Estes: @estesthethirdWeatherford baseball: @WCoyoteBaseballConnect with Patrick Jones Baseball:On X: @pjonesbaseball📬 Sign up for the Recruiting Times, my weekly baseball recruiting newsletter – Get insights on college recruiting, player spotlights, and advice for parents and coaches.https://www.patrickjonesbaseball.com/blog⚾ Need help with college recruiting? – We help serious baseball players get recruited. Book a 1-on-1 consult.https://www.patrickjonesbaseball.com/recruitingFastball or Cutter? How to Classify a Pitch | Dr. Adam Maloof of Princeton
40:52|In this week's podcast, I sit down again with Dr. Adam Maloof, Princeton professor of Geosciences and athletics fellow for the baseball team.This time he’s tackling one of the most overlooked problems in baseball analytics: pitch classification.If you’ve ever looked at a scouting report and thought, “This guy doesn’t throw seven pitches,” you’re not alone. Dr. Maloof explains why existing pitch tagging data from popular systems (TrackMan, Synergy, and MLB’s StatCast) are often inconsistent, inaccurate, and difficult to use for data analysis.Together, we discuss:Why MLB’s pitch classifier is trained on what pitchers call their own pitches (and why that’s a problem for hitters and analysts)How Dr. Maloof analyzed nearly 5 million college pitches using a “blank slate” approach inspired by geologyThe “color wheel” analogy: why pitches within a category (fastballs, breaking balls, changeups) exist on a continuous spectrum with no natural boundariesHow Princeton’s staff uses reclassified data for scouting, pitch design, and pitching machine programmingPitch tunneling: what it is, how they measure it, and how they’re teaching it to pitchersThe role of arm slot, biometrics, and what’s next for this researchRead Dr. Maloof's article on pitch tagging: How to Classify a Pitchhttps://medium.com/sabr-tooth-tigers/how-to-classify-a-pitch-a4805ce35082Connect with Patrick Jones Baseball:On X: @pjonesbaseball📬 Sign up for the Recruiting Times, my weekly baseball recruiting newsletter – Get insights on college recruiting, player spotlights, and advice for parents and coaches.https://www.patrickjonesbaseball.com/blog⚾ Need help with college recruiting? – We help serious baseball players get recruited. Book a 1-on-1 consult.https://www.patrickjonesbaseball.com/recruitingTravel Ball vs. High School
25:59|In this conversation, Nathan Collier and I sit down to talk about travel ball and high school baseball, and how both play a role in getting players recruited. We dig into what makes each one valuable — like how high school coaches can really vouch for a player's character and how competitive they are, while travel ball helps kids get seen by more coaches. We also talk about how youth baseball is changing, what college coaches are actually looking for, and why picking the right team can make a big difference in how a player grows and develops.Connect with Patrick Jones Baseball:On X: @pjonesbaseball📬 Sign up for the Recruiting Times, my weekly baseball recruiting newsletter – Get insights on college recruiting, player spotlights, and advice for parents and coaches.https://www.patrickjonesbaseball.com/blog⚾ Need help with college recruiting? – We help serious baseball players get recruited. Book a 1-on-1 consult.https://www.patrickjonesbaseball.com/recruitingBe Process-Driven, Not Outcome-Driven
32:01|This week, I sit down again with Nathan Collier, Recruiting Service Operations Director here at Patrick Jones Baseball. Together, we discuss the importance of mindset and process orientation in baseball, particularly during the in-season period. We explore common challenges players face, such as the "I'm Screwed Syndrome," and we talk about the need for players to adopt a process-driven mindset rather than a results-driven one. We also discuss the impact of social media on young athletes, the role of parents, and the significance of having both an approach and a plan at the plate. Connect with Patrick Jones Baseball:On X: @pjonesbaseball📬 Sign up for the Recruiting Times, my weekly baseball recruiting newsletter – Get insights on college recruiting, player spotlights, and advice for parents and coaches.https://www.patrickjonesbaseball.com/blog⚾ Need help with college recruiting? – We help serious baseball players get recruited. Book a 1-on-1 consult.https://www.patrickjonesbaseball.com/recruitingSchool Ball Has Started: Here's What Aspiring College Players Should Focus On Now
34:39|In this episode, I'm joined again by Nathan Collier, a former sports journalist and our Recruiting Service Operations Director here at Patrick Jones Baseball. Nathan and I chat about what high school players should be doing to continue the recruiting outreach process to college coaches now that school seasons are starting across the country.I explain how I think players can handle pressure during games and why success has to be defined by more than just stats in a box score. I also share practical advice on using social media the right way to create exposure that can help you get recruited. We also get into the role family support plays in the process and some of the most common mistakes I see players and parents make.Connect with Patrick Jones Baseball:On X: @pjonesbaseball📬 Sign up for the Recruiting Times, my weekly baseball recruiting newsletter – Get insights on college recruiting, player spotlights, and advice for parents and coaches.https://www.patrickjonesbaseball.com/blog⚾ Need help with college recruiting? – We help serious baseball players get recruited. Book a 1-on-1 consult.https://www.patrickjonesbaseball.com/recruitingThe Mental Game Is the Game | Ryan Gipson
40:45|In this episode, I sit down with Ryan Gipson, Oregon State Assistant Coach, who coaches hitting for the Beaver program.Ryan takes us through his journey playing baseball as a teen, redshirting at a JUCO, then playing two years at Oregon State before getting into coaching. Ryan shares what he likes to see from prospective recruits, why having a clear identity at the plate matters, and the "1-for-1" approach he advocates with his hitters. We also talk about how hitting mechanics have evolved over time and the role of summer baseball for his players.Follow Ryan on X:Ryan Gipson: @GipsonOSUOregon State Baseball: @BeaverBaseballConnect with Patrick Jones Baseball:On X: @pjonesbaseball📬 Sign up for the Recruiting Times, my weekly baseball recruiting newsletter – Get insights on college recruiting, player spotlights, and advice for parents and coaches.https://www.patrickjonesbaseball.com/blog⚾ Need help with college recruiting? – We help serious baseball players get recruited. Book a 1-on-1 consult.https://www.patrickjonesbaseball.com/recruitingThe Mindset of a Major League Hitter | Curtis Granderson
33:29|This week we welcome 16-year MLB pro Curtis Granderson to the podcast. Curtis does a great job breaking down what worked for him as a hitter, his approach at the plate, routines, and some of the key lessons he learned as a hitter during his career. He also reflects on his time playing college baseball at the University of Illinois Chicago.In addition to his accomplished playing career, Curtis is a wonderful ambassador for the game. If you'd like to learn more about his work giving back to the game, I highly recommend checking out the Chicago Baseball & Educational Academy: https://www.cbeauic.org/.Follow Curtis Granderson on X: @cgrand3Chicago Baseball & Educational Academy: https://www.cbeauic.org/Chicago Baseball & Educational Academy on X: @CBEA_UICConnect with Patrick Jones BaseballFollow on X: @pjonesbaseball📬 Sign up for the Recruiting Times, my weekly baseball recruiting newsletter – Get insights on college recruiting, player spotlights, and advice for parents and coaches.https://www.skool.com/patrickjonesbaseball⚾ Need help with college recruiting? – We help serious baseball players get recruited. Book a 1-on-1 consult.https://www.patrickjonesbaseball.com/recruitingBaseball Nutrition for Strength and Performance | Nick Lemke
37:19|In this episode, I sit down with Nick Lemke, a registered dietitian who specializes in nutrition for baseball players. We talk about why nutrition plays such a critical role in athletic performance, with a specific focus on muscle gain and healthy weight management.We cover practical topics like tracking food intake, how often players should be eating, pre-workout nutrition, meal planning, hydration, and the role supplements can (and can’t) play. We also discuss how stress impacts both nutrition and on-field performance.Nick shares why consistency matters more than perfection and explains how players can better understand their individual nutritional needs to perform at their best.Connect with Nick Lemke, RDFollow on X: @nicklemkerdNick's Linktree: https://clutchperformancenutrition.fit/linktreeConnect with Patrick Jones BaseballFollow on X: @pjonesbaseball📬 Sign up for the Recruiting Times, my weekly baseball recruiting newsletter – Get insights on college recruiting, player spotlights, and advice for parents and coaches.https://www.skool.com/patrickjonesbaseball⚾ Need help with college recruiting? – We help serious baseball players get recruited. Book a 1-on-1 consult.https://www.patrickjonesbaseball.com/recruitingSeparation is in the Preparation | Giuseppe Papaccio: Associate Head Coach, Seton Hall
39:21|In this episode, I sit down with Giuseppe Papaccio, Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator for Seton Hall University.Giuseppe is one of the most disciplined coaches I've come across. We got into his daily routines, how he defines success as a coach, and why the mental game matters just as much as mechanics. Giuseppe shares how his time in professional baseball shaped the way he teaches hitters today, and we talked through the balance between swing work and mindset that every great hitter needs.We also dug into how recruiting is changing in college baseball and what players should understand about that shift. Throughout the conversation, one theme kept coming up: preparation, mental strength, and a commitment to continuous learning, and that's true whether you’re coaching, developing hitters, or working to play at the next level.On X:Giuseppe Papaccio: @gpapaccio2Patrick Jones Baseball: @pjonesbaseball📬 Sign up for the Recruiting Times, my weekly baseball recruiting newsletter – Get insights on college recruiting, player spotlights, and advice for parents and coaches.⚾ Need Help with College Recruiting? – We help serious baseball players get recruited. Book a 1-on-1 consult.