Short YouTube talk by Alex Swenson describing the three key traits college coaches prioritize in high-school hitters: (1) bat speed (raw power), (2) ‘back to ball’ (consistent contact), and (3) swing decisions (pitch recognition and vision). Includes practical training advice (weight room, vision training, aggression in zone) and a cited MLB average bat speed benchmark.
Questions this video answers
72 miles per hour
Chapters
You want to know the three things that college coaches look for in a high school hitter. And it's not all about metrics. And these three tools can make or break your recruiting. Number one, bat speed shows your raw power and ability to do damage. Number two, back to ball. It shows if you can actually make consistent contact. Number three, swing decisions. This shows if you have good vision of seeing the ball come out of the pitcher's hand and recognition of the pitch. Let's dive deeper. The MLB average bat speed, 72 miles an hour. Faster bat equals harder contact. Equals more hits. You want to have faster bat speed. Build muscle. Get in the weight room. All right? You want to have better contact. Hit smaller objects in your training or train yourself to hit tougher pitches in the cage. But here's the secret. Most miss is your swing decision. Great hitters know when to go, and they also know when to hold. And they have great vision. They train their vision. Most high school hitters don't train and look for where the ball's coming out of that window or that funnel. Is the ball popping out of the hand or it's not. And then also just too passive. All right? You have to be aggressive in the strike zone. Train like a college and professional hitter. Look for those pitches. Have a vision. Train your vision and be aggressive. Good luck.