Newsletter 3/100: Juco Pitching Development

Making the most of a low budget situation.

If you’ve played JUCO baseball, you know it’s a grind. Bus rides are brutal, fields are barely playable at times, and food? Let’s just say you’ll be eating a lot of whatever is cheap and available. But here’s the thing—JUCO baseball is one of the most fun, scrappy, and competitive environments in the game. It’s also a place where players can make massive jumps in their development if they know how to take advantage of the resources they do have.

Maximizing Development as a JUCO Coach

If you’re coaching in JUCO, you already know you don’t have the budget, facilities, or staff that bigger programs do. That means you have to be hyper-focused on the things that actually make your players better. It’s easy to get caught up in wasting time on things that don’t move the needle, but the best JUCO coaches know how to keep it simple.

1. Prioritize What Matters
   Forget running players into the ground with endless PFPs or unnecessary drills. Your focus should be on three key things: gaining velocity, throwing strikes, and getting stronger. If your guys are doing those three things consistently, you’re setting them up for success at the next level.

2. Maximize Every Resource
   You might not have fancy technology, but you can still track progress. Walk around during catch play with a pocket radar and make sure guys are sticking to their throwing plan. Get creative with weight room setups. Organize everything so there’s no wasted time. If it helps your players get better, it’s worth doing.

3. Keep it Simple
   When resources are limited, the basics win. The more complicated you make development, the more likely you are to waste time on things that don’t matter. Your players need structure, and it’s your job to provide it.

Giving Players a Clear Plan

JUCO players are young, raw, and need direction. The best way to develop them? Give them clear, individual plans and hold them accountable.

• Weekly Plan: Every player should have a structured weekly schedule that includes throwing work, lifting, recovery, and skill work.

• 3 Daily Focus Points: Instead of overwhelming players with information, give them just three things to focus on every day based on their needs.

• 3 Team-Wide Goals: Set clear team goals like: dominate the strike zone, take care of your arm, and win the mental game. Keep it simple, repeat it often, and build a culture around these principles.

What Players Need to Do to Succeed

JUCO players don’t have the luxury of relying on a strength coach, nutritionist, or unlimited meal plan. That means you have to take ownership of your development. The players who figure this out are the ones who make big jumps and get to the next level.

1. Learn to Cook & Eat Smart

   • Get a rice cooker for cheap, easy carbs.

   • Eat as much fruit as possible—it’s an easy way to get in quality nutrients.

   • Get comfortable eating chicken for protein. It’s affordable, easy to cook, and gets the job done.

   • Never be in a caloric deficit. You won’t get stronger, throw harder, or perform your best if you aren’t eating enough.

2. Prioritize Strength & Track Progress

   • Aim for at least three strength-based lifts per week. Sometimes team lifts aren’t great—find a way to get stronger regardless. If you have to lift in the morning and be tired at your team lifts, fine. But get stronger.

   • Track everything. Write down every weight you lift, and weigh yourself daily. If you aren’t tracking progress, you have no idea if you’re improving.

   • Set clear goals for getting stronger. If you aren’t pushing yourself in the weight room, you’re falling behind.

3. Buy Into a Developmental Mindset

   • The best thing you can do for your team is to get better individually.

   • Focus on what you need to do every day to improve. Whether it’s refining mechanics, increasing velocity, or getting stronger, own your development.

   • The guys who treat JUCO as a developmental goldmine instead of a stepping stone are the ones who make it out and succeed at higher levels.

The Bottom Line

JUCO baseball isn’t easy, but it’s an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to develop, to grind, and to separate yourself from the pack. The difference between the guys who make it out and the ones who don’t? A commitment to the things that actually matter.

Coaches—give your players a clear plan and prioritize what moves the needle. Players—take responsibility for your own development, eat enough, lift heavy, and track everything.

You don’t need a million-dollar facility to get better. You just need the right mindset and a willingness to put in the work.

That’s how you win in JUCO. And that’s how you move on to bigger things.