Velo University

A lot goes into a good changeup...

Here's how we worked with Chris Dimitrakakis on his changeup in his bullpen sessions at VeloU.

Overhead strength isn't just a nice-to-have for pitchers, it's a requirement.

Luke is back for the summer as a VeloU Black Label athlete, and one of the first areas we're rebuilding is his overhead strength and stability. While we made progress during the offseason, maintaining those qualities throughout a long season can be challenging.

That's why we're starting with overhead isometrics paired with yoga push-ups to improve shoulder strength, stability, and control through a full range of motion. Before you can throw harder, recover better, or handle more workload, you need the foundation to support it.

For pitchers, the arm spends a significant amount of time in overhead positions. Building strength and control there is one of the key pieces to staying healthy and performing at a high level throughout the year.

The first pitch changes everything.

Get ahead 0-1 and hitters are batting around .220. Fall behind 1-0 and that number jumps to roughly .280. That's a 60-point swing from a single pitch.

The goal of the first pitch isn't to be perfect. It's to gain control of the at-bat.
Establish a location. Test a weakness. Get information. Force the hitter to react to you instead of reacting to him.

The best pitchers aren't guessing. They're using the first pitch to build the rest of the at-bat.

Win pitch one, and your odds of winning the at-bat go up dramatically.

Why do we post so much about St. John's Baseball?

Since 2022, we've worked directly with the St. John's program to support player development through individualized strength and conditioning. Every year, we evaluate the entire roster, identify what each athlete needs most, and build training plans around their specific strengths, weaknesses, and workload demands.

The biggest reason for their success isn't anything we've done. It's the buy-in from the players and coaches.

Their commitment to development, accountability, and constantly finding ways to improve has helped build one of the top programs in college baseball.

We're proud to play a small role in what they've built and grateful for the trust they've placed in us over the years.

Good luck to the Johnnies as they head to Tuscaloosa for the Super Regional this weekend.

Roll Johnnies 🔴⚪️