Patrick Jones Baseball

This week, we’re diving deep into baserunning, a crucial game aspect often overlooked. Our guest, Tyler Packanik, the Recruiting Coordinator at Jacksonville State University, is an expert in baserunning. Beyond his recruiting role, Tyler focuses on infield and baserunning, bringing insight into how to excel in these areas. In this episode, he shares advanced techniques and tips on getting leads to reading pitchers, stealing bases, and more.Episode Highlights:Introducing Tyler Packanik: His background as a recruiting coordinator focused on infield and baserunning at Jacksonville State University.Breaking Down Baserunning: Fundamentals of baserunning, including taking leads, reading pitchers, stealing bases, and running through and around bases.Techniques & Strategy:How to effectively use the vault and creep leads.Knowing when to steal bases and understanding pitcher cues.Tips for maximizing a lead-off without getting picked off.How to round first base and take an aggressive approach to turning doubles into triples.The Mental Game of Baserunning: Developing confidence on the base paths and staying in control under pressure.Pro-Level Insight: How MLB players like Anthony Volpe showcase elite baserunning and why speed isn't the only factor for practical baserunning.Tips for Coaches: Structure baserunning drills in practice, build players' instincts, and emphasize repetition and situational awareness.Key Coaching Techniques: Tyler's approach to coaching all types of runners (green, yellow, red) involves maintaining a "best time every time" mindset and encouraging players to see their foot hit the base for precision.Tyler does an incredible job of breaking down complex techniques and strategies to help you or your team improve. From maintaining momentum at second base to running through first base correctly, Tyler’s insights make this episode a must-listen for anyone serious about elevating their baserunning skills.Follow Tyler Packanik on Twitter: @TPAC5.Enjoy the episode, and get ready to dominate the base paths!Patrick's new course, Swing Decisions: How To Master The Strike Zone

Kyle Wagner is Cumberland Valley's current high school baseball coach in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania. Kyle is a former college and professional baseball player, author, and father. In this episode, Kyle talks about the current landscape of youth baseball, what he's thinking about, and why he decided to get back into coaching. Kyle is an excellent follow on Twitter @gowagskyleCoaching Beyond Xs and Os

This week, we welcome Chris Cates to the podcast. Chris is the Director of Player Development at the University of South Florida. He has had previous coaching stops at Florida State, Central Florida, and Tampa. In this episode, our focus is on developing infielders. Chris talks about his experience as an infielder when he played at the University of Louisville. He also gets into what he looks explicitly for when evaluating infielders, drills, and instincts. The Hitting Chronicle Newsletter: https://www.patrickjonesbaseball.com/THCWebsite: https://patrickjonesbaseball.comFollow me on Social Media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pjonesbaseballTwitter: https://twitter.com/pjonesbaseballFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/pjonesbaseballLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jones-b388a484/

I visited Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, this week and recorded an episode with Matt Rembliak (Associate Head Coach) and Joey Cooper (Assistant Coach) Bowling Green was the 2024 MAC regular season champion. They had a breakout season in 2024, going 24-6 in conference play, and finished with a 33-20 overall record. In this episode, we discuss the current recruiting landscape, including: Players getting their offers pulled. How the new rules impact the type of player Bowling Green will recruit What Bowling Green looks for in a high school player Advice to current high school players Lastly, we discuss player development at Bowling Green and the similarities between the players who have made the biggest jump in on-field performance. College Baseball Recruiting Consultation: This is for high school baseball players interested in college baseball.

There have been massive changes in college baseball over the last 12 months. In this episode, you will learn what those changes are, how they impact the recruiting timeline, what college coaches are looking for, when you should go to camps and showcases, and how college coaches find players. 1-1 PJB Recruiting Consultation: We meet via Zoom, and I can answer any questions you have and evaluate you. If you're a good fit for my recruiting service, we can discuss the next steps.

Patrick Jones @pjonesbaseball sits down with Neal Packanik @nealpackanik to discuss the landscape of travel baseball. Neal is the general manager of Bo Jackson Elite, one of the most respected travel baseball organizations in the Midwest. In this episode, Neal talks about the common mistakes people make in travel baseball, what to look for in a travel baseball team, and the college recruiting process. PJB Recruiting: https://www.patrickjonesbaseball.com/recruiting  The Hitting Chronicle Newsletter: https://www.patrickjonesbaseball.com/THC Website: https://patrickjonesbaseball.com Follow us on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pjonesbaseballTwitter: https://twitter.com/pjonesbaseballFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/pjonesbaseballLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jones-b388a484/

In this episode, Patrick dives into Timing. More importantly, where in their swing are they off-time? We break down the key phases of a swing—gather, forward move, launch position, and contact—to help hitters understand what it means to be ‘on time.’Key Discussion Points: What Does It Mean to Be ‘On Time’?We explore the definition of timing, emphasizing the importance of selecting the precise moment for optimal effect. Whether a hitter has good or sub-optimal mechanics influences when they make contact, ideally in line with their front foot. Three Timing Checkpoints:Release Point: The highest point of the hitter’s gather coincides with the pitcher’s release. This is a crucial moment where rhythm, movement, and mentality play a significant role.Launch Position: The hitter’s front heel should land on the ground when the ball is 2/3rds of the way to home plate. Issues like late upper body load or losing hip load can disrupt timing here.Contact Point: A good contact point with proper mechanics versus dragging or drifting the barrel, leading to sub-optimal performance.Exaggeration Drills for Timing:For hitters who are early: try getting jammed or taking a 50% swing.For those who are late: focus on pulling a home run or aiming to do damage. These drills help adjust timing and mechanics.Perspective on Failure:We discuss the mindset of failing as a hitter. Do you want to fail with fear and anxiety, or with aggression and preparedness? Your approach to failure can influence your path to improvement.Visuals and Drills:Practical drills like machine batting practice with feet spread out and taking 50% swings are highlighted to reinforce proper timing and mechanics. Gradually reintroducing movement while focusing on minimal lower half engagement can lead to better results.Conclusion:The episode wraps up by reinforcing the importance of understanding timing checkpoints—gather, launch, and contact—along with the value of exaggeration in practice, maintaining the right perspective, and using drills to refine a hitter’s timing and mechanics.Hit with us in Cincinnati, Ohio: https://www.patrickjonesbaseball.com/contact The Hitting Chronicle Newsletter: https://www.patrickjonesbaseball.com/THC Website: https://patrickjonesbaseball.com Listen to the Patrick Jones Baseball Podcast iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/patrick-jones-baseball/id1282221540Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7lHQfrNNuqleXaMzgqr1kS?si=34f7ef6c4147456b Follow us on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pjonesbaseballTwitter: https://twitter.com/pjonesbaseballFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/pjonesbaseballLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jones-b388a484/

This week, Patrick Jones, @pjonesbaseball on Twitter, sits down with Ben Clemens, @ben_clemens on Twitter. Ben is a writer at Fangraphs. In this episode, they talk about the biggest winners and losers at the trade deadline, how to analyze players using data, and Ben's writing process. Hit with us in Cincinnati, Ohio: https://www.patrickjonesbaseball.com/contact The Hitting Chronicle Newsletter: https://www.patrickjonesbaseball.com/THC Website: https://patrickjonesbaseball.com Listen to the Patrick Jones Baseball Podcast iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/patrick-jones-baseball/id1282221540Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7lHQfrNNuqleXaMzgqr1kS?si=34f7ef6c4147456b Follow us on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pjonesbaseballTwitter: https://twitter.com/pjonesbaseballFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/pjonesbaseballLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-jones-b388a484/