Why you need 250 at-bats per year (and how to get there)

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a three-part series that will challenge what you know about being and staying on track to compete at the collegiate and/professional baseball levels.

I was fortunate enough to fulfill my childhood dream of playing professional baseball with the Chicago Cubs. As a child, I had a lot of faith in God as well as in the people leading me through the process.

Do you dream of playing collegiate and/or professional baseball? What must happen in order for this to happen? Whose leading you?

I am a proven and gifted professional hitting coach. It is my life calling. To some it may seem like I am bragging, but for others, my skill set is what they need, when they need it.

People often ask me, “What was it like playing collegiate and professional baseball?” How does it feel to have trained Jason Heyward, Andruw Jones and Peter Alonso?” “What’s your favorite hitting drill?”

Here is a question they never ask me, “What are the top things I must do this year to be and stay on the right track to becoming a collegiate and/or professional hitter? In case you are wondering, here is my answer:

1. You must get 250 at-bats per year.
2. You must get 84,000 reps per year.
3. You must be led by a professional (not a facilitator or advisor).

In the first blog of this series, I will address getting 250 at-bats per year. August is the start of the first phase of development for my hitters. It ends October 31. This is when my hitters try new things to determine what works and what doesn’t work.

Next, we hit the second phase—November through January—to build habits around what works.

I have been coaching professionally for 21 years, working with more than 30 clients who are considered “the ticket” as a Major Leaguer. So listen when I tell you that the secret to being and staying on the right track to becoming a collegiate and/or professional hitter, you need 250 at-bats per year.

How to do it
The game plan is simple: You can get the at-bats you need in games this fall, in the spring 2020 season and during summer 2020. You can also get them during live pitching sessions at an indoor or outdoor practice with an actual pitcher throwing from a mound. I consider facing at least five pitches, regardless of the outcome of the at-bat. This could work for you:

Fall 2019 (August through October)
30-100 at-bats indoors or outdoors in practice and/or games against a live pitcher

Winter 2019-20 (November through January)
50-100 at-bats indoors or outdoors in practice and/or games against a live pitcher

Spring 2020 (February through April)
50-100 at-bats indoors or outdoors in practice and/or games against a live pitcher

Summer 2020 (May through July)
50-100 at-bats indoors or outdoors in practice and/or games against a live pitcher

Anything over 400 at-bats per year until you reach the professional level is overdoing it.

For you video gamers, the at-bats on your favorite baseball video game could also count toward your development. For me, the jury is still out on this. Playing baseball video games the night before always seemed to help my instincts going into the next day’s game. Let me give it some more thought.

If you are ready, let’s assess your swing in our next Hitting Combine.

Remember: Intelligence tops being smart.

For more information, visit www.diamonddirectors.com today. Also, check out our Digital Magazine.

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C.J. Stewart has built a reputation as one of the leading professional hitting instructors in the country. He is a former professional baseball player in the Chicago Cubs organization and has also served as an area scout for the Cincinnati Reds. As founder and CEO of Diamond Directors Player Development, C.J. has more than 12 years of player development experience and has built an impressive list of clients, including some of the top young prospects in baseball today. If your desire is to change your game for the better, C.J. Stewart has a proven system of development and track record of success that can work for you.