Baseball season is long and grueling. You need the strength and power to hit and throw hard, but most importantly you need to stay healthy. That’s why in the off-season it’s important to improve both your performance and durability, especially in areas that are commonly prone to injury in baseball players.

Greg Robins, strength coach at Cressey Sports Performance (Hudson, Massachusetts) created the program below. The workouts are geared toward the needs of high school athletes, and inspired by the programs that Robins and the CSP staff use with their pro baseball players, including Corey Kluber, Tim Collins and dozens of major and minor league players.

The program consists of three workouts, which all start with med ball or plyometrics exercises to increase power. Days 1 and 3 primarily are full-body workouts with a lower-body focus, and Day 2 is an upper-body focus. Each workout includes exercises that will increase shoulder mobility and strength—a critical aspect of baseball health.

Upon completion of this program, you will be stronger and better prepared for your baseball season. Your throwing, hitting and fielding skills will improve, and you will be better able to stay at the top of your game throughout the season.

Pro Baseball Strength Program

• This is a snapshot of one week in the overall plan and not an exact replica of what you’d get when training at CSP. But it provides insight into how a baseball player trains.
• Start each workout with a dynamic warm-up and finish with a cooldown.
• Quality is always better than quantity. Focus on good, clean reps rather than lifting heavy.
• Do not overlook the mobility and shoulder work in this program. You might not be lifting heavy weight, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important.

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