et’s talk about a trap I see a lot of players (and parents) falling into lately.
Everyone’s chasing the ceiling. They want to throw harder. Hit the ball farther. Run faster. All good things. But there’s a catch…
We’re building prospects, not ballplayers.
Here’s what I mean:
Your ceiling is made up of physical tools—arm strength, bat speed, exit velo, 60 times. Think tools a scout would drool over.
Your floor? That’s how well you play the game. Pre-pitch routine. Communication. Knowing where to be on a cutoff. Hitting behind a runner. Taking care of the baseball.
Your ceiling gets you noticed.
Your floor gets you recruited, drafted, or in the lineup.
But right now, at the higher levels at least, we’ve got too many guys with a big ceiling and a floor that’s in the basement. They can hit 95 off a tee but forget to back up a base or hit a cutoff.
And trust me, when the game speeds up in high school, college, pro, that stuff matters a lot!
So what do you do?
Here are 3 things to level up your floor; starting today:
- Pre-pitch on every play
Get in the habit of expecting the ball every single pitch. Feet moving. Eyes locked in. You’d be shocked how many outs you start making just by being ready. - Dominate the details
Hit the right cutoff. Move the runner. Know where the bunt goes. These are the things that separate guys who win games from guys who ride the bench. - Talk more
Communication isn’t optional. It’s a skill. Good players are loud and clear, and it makes everyone around them better.
At Paradigm, we’re committed to developing both your floor and your ceiling.
We’re not just in the cages or the weight room; we’re out on the field with a lot of the players we work with. And because of that, we see the real gaps. We see what happens when players throw 90 but can’t play catch. Or mash BP but can’t hit in the game.
We’re here to build complete ballplayers. Because at the end of the day, that’s who helps teams win, and who sticks around the longest.
See you at the field,
Joey
