DREAM Team Baseball

Discover the essential skills and techniques every beginner baseball player should master in order to excel on the field.

Rapsodo enables the hitter and instructor to really dial in the ins and outs of their swing. Rapsodo’s data driven technology transmits many of the key ingredients to help the hitter be successful such as exit velocity, launch angle, and spin rate. All of these data sets allow the coach to formulate an effective training session in the cage that can be translated to the game. Furthermore, according to Rapsodo, “Our hitting tool lets you know more than just that you hit the back of the cage. Get insight into how each batted ball would perform in a fame, and transform your batting practices into data-driven, interactive hitting sessions” (Rapsodo, 2023).

Rapsodo Pitching is a tool or the coaches to demonstrate what is happening with the player on a pitch-to-pitch basis over an entire session. It enables us to elaborate on consistency based on the release height/angle data, as well as showing a measured approach to determine if our pitches show the same identity, or if they are inconsistent pitch-to-pitch. There are a number of great measurables for the coach to use in the Rapsodo session with the player. These measurables include velocity, spin rate, spin efficiency, break patterns, release point, and tunnelling.

Mastering the craft and art of pitching is no mere stroke of luck or genetic advantage. It demands unwavering commitment, relentless practice, and an unwavering determination to refine each and every pitch. To truly become an exceptional pitcher, one must immerse themselves in the discipline of pitching, honing their skills in what is commonly referred to as a "bullpen" session.

“Control what you can control” (Shannin Hislop). He wasn’t the first to say it, and none of you have ever heard of him, but when I heard those words come out of his mouth in 2010 it changed my life. Before that, my passion for baseball and my desire to be the best clouded my ability to do so. I was in my own way, trying to reinvent the wheel to get the edge, so angry at everything. Then I heard those words, like a switch turning on a light, those words altered my reality on how to have success in the game and how to be a better man.

Measured Hitting Instruction

According to the publication Popular Science, "Hitting a baseball is the hardest skill to pull off in sports" as it is (scientifically speaking) "a unique blend of physics and neuroscience [which] makes the skill astronomically difficult." Now, take the hardest skill in sports and apply that with youth baseball players; it takes time, practice, and understanding of how to break down & teach to a young player what to do to be a good hitter.

At DREAM Team Baseball, we use "old school" hitting fundamental techniques and combine them with "new school" optical technology (with Rapsodo Hitting Technology) including measuring Exit Speed, Total Spin, Spin Access, Launch Angle, and Exit Direction. One may say that gathering this intelligence is going "over the top," but what Rapsodo data does show is what happens when a player makes contact with the ball (which is obviously the result of their bat path and overall hitting mechanics). More than anything, this helps pinpoint simple adjustments that can be made and then see results (when adjustments are made) of better back spin (which produces line drives as opposed to top spin which produces ground balls). This is just one application of using software to get feedback from this type of swing analysis. With all of this intelligence, we can track and make necessary adjustments, but again there's a balance of using the "new school" software with traditional (old school) hitting fundamentals. From a development standpoint, the main question (as instructors) is "why would you guess when you can assess (with measurements)?" DREAM Baseball will incorporate these measurements into hitting fundamentals and (by putting it all together) make every hitting session a learning session and overall produce greater results.

Baseball is a sport that thrives on teamwork, strategy, and precision. At the heart of this dynamic game is the powerful relationship between the pitcher and the catcher. Often referred to as the battery, the pitcher and catcher work in perfect harmony, communicating and executing strategies to outsmart opposing hitters. In this blog post, we delve into the importance of the pitcher-catcher relationship and how it impacts the game of baseball.

In the game of baseball, resilience is an invaluable trait that separates the good from the great. It is the ability to bounce back from failure, overcome challenges, and persevere through adversity. Resilience is not only a key component of success on the diamond but also an essential quality that shapes players' character and influences their lives beyond the game. In this blog post, we will delve into how resilience ties into the game of baseball and why it is a fundamental attribute for players aiming for greatness.

As a part of our continuous efforts to provide our athletes with top-tier training and development resources, we are thrilled to introduce our new initiative, the "Pitch Lab". Designed with the specific needs of young pitchers in mind, the Pitch Lab offers targeted workouts and in-house training to improve pitch mechanics and enhance performance on the field.

Baseball is a game of skill and strategy that demands a high level of concentration from players. Whether you're a pitcher, batter, or fielder, staying focused can help you to make better decisions, stay more consistent, and ultimately improve your overall performance. We'll explore how staying focused can help improve baseball performance and why it is essential for players to master this skill. The side that isn’t always talked about is how we can improve these important traits off the field while staying focused is a key element in achieving success, whether it is in life or in sports like baseball. Being able to maintain concentration for extended periods of time can help you perform better, increase productivity, and achieve your goals faster. In this blog, we'll explore some effective ways to improve staying focused and why it is essential for both life and baseball players.