How to Get Better at Baseball
1. Learn to Hit the Outside Pitch
It's no secret that pitchers want to pitch on the outside portion of the plate. Therefore, hitters must spend time learning to hit the outside pitch during batting practice and drills. Place the ball on a tee, deeper in the zone, and work on driving it up the middle or hitting it to the opposite field. Mastering the ability to hit the outside pitch will vastly improve your batting average, no matter what level of baseball you play.
2. Put the Work into Your Footwork
Enhancing your footwork is a quick way to improve at baseball. While many only think of footwork as a skill for defenders, being light on your feet is essential for all aspects of the game. Benefits include running the bases, getting out of the box, improving your range, and many other aspects of the game. The best way to improve your footwork is through agility drills. Baseball players' most common agility drills are ladder, cone, and box drills. The beautiful thing about enhancing your footwork is that it does not take much space or equipment to put in the repetitions. Improve your footwork, and you'll improve your game.
3. Watch the Game
Our beloved game is rooted in intuition. Therefore, the more you watch baseball, the more prepared you will be to play it. Go to a Major League or minor league game and watch the players at your position(s). What are they doing in between pitches? How are they preparing for each pitch? Watch the way they move. Watch how they interact with the play even when the ball is not hit at them. Beyond watching, critically think about why they are doing the things they do. Professional players have often played baseball their entire lives, so most of what they do is second nature. Use them as a visual resource and try to absorb as much as possible from them. Doing this will better prepare you for your own opportunities.
4. Be Aggressive
Playing station-to-station baseball makes you an easy opponent. Instead, find areas in the game where you can disrupt the natural flow. Watch your opponent. Does the catcher throw a lolly pop back to the pitcher? Do the middle infielders put their heads down and kick dirt after each pitch? Has the hitter rounded the base too far after their single into the outfield? Take chances to apply pressure on your opponent. While not endorsing reckless play, we advise you to break the norms. Play without bias and treat every instance as another opportunity to steal an out or take an extra base. Make this a habit because it doesn't take natural gifts to play baseball with an aggressive nature. We promise you'll become a better baseball player for it.
5. Patience at the Plate
One of the keys to hitting is pitch selection. Every veteran baseball player can barrel-up pitches in the zone. Being able to do so against live pitching can be a whole different story. To become a better hitter and all-around baseball player, use the count in your favor. Just because a pitch may be a strike doesn't mean you must swing at it. If you do not have two strikes and the pitcher makes a good pitch, it's OK to let that pitch go. Swinging at a pitcher's pitch early in the count is a shortcut back to the dugout.
6. Practice Makes Perfect
As the adage goes, it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert. Apply the same line of thinking to your game. The more you practice, the better you will become. Identify your weaknesses and work on them until they become strengths. There is not a single professional baseball player who has not put in an exorbitant amount of time into their game. Hit, hit, and hit some more, then get out of the cage and work on more elements of your game. Take ground balls. Catch popups. Play catch. While we would all love a shortcut to success, the fact of the matter is that you have to put in the work to become the player you want to be.
7. Hone Your Fundamentals
We understand fundamentals aren't exciting and won't make the highlight reel. But it's essential to acknowledge their impact on the game. A timely bunt can change the outcome of a game. Beyond that, not fielding that same bunt can blow a game wide open. While fundamentals, especially during practice, may seem tedious, take the initiative to refine these skills, and you will undoubtedly improve your game.
8. Invest Time in Stretching
Baseball demands so much from our bodies. One moment, you are ranging to your backhand to field a ground ball, and the next, you are sliding to avoid the tag. Frequently stretching all of your muscles will keep your body limber and your mind free. Take ten minutes a day to stretch your legs, torso, back, arms, and neck. You will be amazed at how your body (and game) will react.