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Aidan Grabowski | Holistic Baseball Performance

@grabowski_performance

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• Pro Ball Player | @gc.wind
• Performance • Mindset • Faith
• Documenting the Journey | #BeGreat
• Instructor | @biosportathletics

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The true superpower that changed my baseball career was when I began to pray on deck.

Before that, I felt the weight of the world every time I stepped to the plate because too much of my identity was wrapped up in baseball.

When I began to put the Lord first, I found a peace in the box that I couldn’t create on my own. The results followed, but more importantly I stopped carrying every at-bat like it defined me.

Matthew 6:33-
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

This verse changed the way I approached the game because I stopped looking to baseball for something only God could give me.

#BeGreat by @grabowski_performance

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a month ago

Austin Hedges found freedom when baseball stopped being his foundation.

When your foundation is in the Lord, you are free from the chains of expectations and results.

Proverbs 21:31: “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests in the Lord.”

@austinhedges18

#BeGreat by @grabowski_performance

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a month ago

This past year has been an absolute roller coaster. Reflecting back on all the ups and downs, I am extremely grateful that I just kept going. I would not trade my journey and all of the adversity for anything, the obstacle is the way.

John 13:7
“Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

#BeGreat by @grabowski_performance

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2 months ago

Are you making the most of what God has already placed in front of you, or are you too focused on what you wish you had?

This is a question I’ve been asking myself lately, and I think it’s something we can all reflect on regardless of where we’re at in life.

As a young baseball instructor, I had this idea in my mind of how quickly my schedule would fill up, and things haven’t necessarily happened as fast as I originally imagined. Of course I want to continue growing and have the opportunity to work with more athletes, but I’ve realized that if my energy goes towards the opportunities I don’t have, I’m taking my focus away from the ones God has already placed in front of me.

That’s why the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25 has really stuck with me. Two of the servants went to work with what they were given, while the third buried his out of fear.

I think there’s an important lesson in that because we can spend so much time wishing we had more that we forget about our responsibility to make the most of what we already have.

For me, that means pouring everything I’ve got into the athletes I have the opportunity to work with right now. Whether that’s two kids or twenty, each one deserves my best effort, and I don’t want my desire to grow to ever take away from that.

I think it’s important to have goals and continue working toward bigger things, but I also believe we have to learn to be faithful with what’s already been entrusted to us.

“You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much.” - Matthew 25:21

Passage: Matthew 25:14–30

#BeGreat by @grabowski_performance

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7 hours ago

What if the biggest adjustment you need to make at the plate is actually just simplifying your approach?

I love what Jackson Holliday says here because I think it’s something every hitter can learn from, regardless of what level you’re playing at.

As you move up in this game, the pitching only gets better, and I think it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing you need to do more to compete. You start worrying about your mechanics, trying to cover every pitch, and thinking about things that take your attention away from what you’re actually trying to accomplish.

Something I’ve learned throughout my career is that the more challenging the game gets, the more important it becomes to have a simple approach that you can fully commit to.

For me, that’s being on time for the heater and ready to do damage on a pitch in MY zone. I can spend hours working on my swing, studying pitchers, and making adjustments, but when I step into the box, I want my mind focused on as little as possible so I can see the baseball and react.

There’s a time and place to think about all the little details of hitting, but that time is not when you’re trying to compete against a pitcher.

What does “Keep it Simple” mean to you and your game?

#BeGreat #BaseballDevelopment by @grabowski_performance

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a day ago

Baseball has a funny way of always giving you another opportunity.

One year ago, Chase DeLauter dropped the first fly ball hit to him in his MLB career during the postseason. Fast forward one year, and he’s going 3-for-4 with a home run, double, and single on that same stage.

I think there’s a lesson here that goes way beyond baseball.

We’re all going to make mistakes. We’re going to have moments we wish we could go back and change. But the more time we spend thinking about what already happened, the less we’re focused on what’s right in front of us.

I love what Philippians 3:13–14 reminds us:

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize.”

Whether it’s baseball or life, I think it’s important to remember that moving forward doesn’t mean ignoring what happened. It means learning from it without allowing it to determine what happens next.

You can’t go back and change the past, but you can make the most of the opportunities still in front of you.

Your past doesn’t define your future.

#BeGreat #OctoberBaseball by @grabowski_performance

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2 days ago

Your first few steps will make or break a stolen base. Here’s a drill I use to make mine more explosive.

The Half-Kneeling Lateral Sprint Start is one of my favorite drills for developing a better jump on the bases.

When you’re stealing a base, how quickly you can get moving is just as important as how fast you can run. If you’re wasting time getting out of your stance, the higher chance you will get thrown out.

Here’s why I like this drill:

1. Develop Explosive Lateral Power
Starting from a half-kneeling position takes away your ability to build momentum. You have to generate force from a dead stop and use it to get your body moving toward second base.
The question is, how quickly can you apply force into the ground and get moving?

2. Improve Your Acceleration Angles
When you take off to steal a base, you want to drive out of your stance rather than immediately standing straight up.
This drill helps you develop the proper shin and body angles to project yourself in the direction you’re trying to go.

3. Eliminate Wasted Movement
Every unnecessary movement costs you time.
Whether it’s an extra step, popping straight up, or taking too long to get your feet moving, those little things can be the difference between safe and out.
Starting from your knee forces you to focus on making that first movement as efficient and explosive as possible.

I stole 45 bases in my first Pro season, and one thing I’ve learned is that stealing bases is about a lot more than being fast. How quickly you get moving can and will make all the difference.

Try this: Pair a half-kneeling lateral sprint start with a regular base-stealing start. Focus on carrying that same explosiveness into your jump.

#BeGreat #BaseballDevelopment by @grabowski_performance

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2 days ago

How do you stay ready for an opportunity when you have no idea when it’s coming?

Petey Halpin sat the first four games of the series before getting his first career playoff start. When his number was finally called, he delivered two doubles.

It’s easy to let frustration change your attitude when you’re not getting the opportunities you think you’ve earned. Don’t get so caught up in wondering when your opportunity will come that you lose focus on your process and preparation in the meantime.

Romans 12:12 - “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

I love how this verse reminds us to remain hopeful, patient, and faithful regardless of our circumstances.

Because sometimes the biggest challenge isn’t what you do when the opportunity arrives. It’s how you handle everything leading up to it.

#BeGreat #OctoberBaseball by @grabowski_performance

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3 days ago

What if your past success is what’s holding you back?

During my 11-game hit streak, I slowly started focusing more on keeping the streak alive than on the things that actually made me successful at the plate.

I was so focused on getting that one hit that I lost sight of my approach and the process that gave me the best chance of succeeding.

Isaiah 43:18–19 reminds us:
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!”

I think we often apply this verse to our failures, but how often do we think about letting go of our successes?

There’s nothing wrong with celebrating what you’ve accomplished, but I learned that carrying those accomplishments into the next opportunity can become a distraction.

The 11 games behind me had nothing to do with the pitch in front of me.

Learn from the past and be grateful for it, but don’t let it take you away from what’s right in front of you.

#BeGreat by @grabowski_performance

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4 days ago

What if the best way to improve your individual performance is to stop focusing on it so much?

I think one of the easiest ways to put unnecessary pressure on yourself is to make everything about your own success.

When you start measuring your success by how much you’re helping the team win, your focus changes. Sometimes that means getting a hit, but other times it’s moving a runner, working a walk, or making a play defensively.

I’ve found that the more you buy into winning as a team, the more freedom you have to just go out and play.

Play for something bigger than yourself.

#BeGreat by @grabowski_performance

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5 days ago

The key is learning how to use the information every at-bat gives you.

Here are 4 questions I ask myself after every AB:
1. Did I get a good pitch to hit?
2. Was I on time?
3. Did I hit the ball hard?
4. Where did I make contact on the baseball?

For me, I’m looking to get a good pitch to hit, be on time, and make hard contact on the inner half of the baseball.

If I do those things and still get out, I can live with that. I executed what I wanted to do at the plate, and the result isn’t always going to reflect that.

If I didn’t, I can use those questions to figure out what I need to do better in my next at-bat. Maybe I chased a pitch out of the zone or was late on the heater. That doesn’t mean I need to go change my entire swing.

You can hit a ball 105 mph right at somebody or get jammed and find a hole. That’s why the result doesn’t always tell you if you executed your at-bat.

One of the biggest things I’ve learned throughout my career is how important it is to take the emotion out of the result, evaluate what actually happened, and use that information to make an adjustment.

#BeGreat #Hitting #BaseballDevelopment by @grabowski_performance

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6 days ago

Trea Turner took 350 swings trying to fix his slump. What he did the next day might surprise you.

After taking roughly 1,000 swings over the previous few days, Turner decided to skip his normal pregame work and didn’t swing a bat until he stepped into the box. He took just 7 swings the entire day and went 4-for-5.

There is absolutely a point of diminishing returns when it comes to training. I’m a huge believer in putting in the work, but at some point more reps aren’t going to make you a better hitter.

I think we can get so caught up in trying to fix our swing that we forget to trust the work we’ve already put in.

Quality over quantity. Take high-intent reps and trust your swing.

#BeGreat #BaseballDevelopment by @grabowski_performance

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7 days ago