Did you know that being intelligent is important in baseball? Many people overlook the intelligence that exists in baseball players . For example, they must know batting and fielding strategies. Also, baseball players need to know how to eat healthy and stay strong. Pitchers especially need to be very bright. You have to be very smart to succeed in baseball.

Pitchers have to be one of the most intelligent players on the field. To be successful, they must know pitching mechanics to throw the fastest, most accurate pitches. Pitching mechanics include holding your head and hands still, lifting your leg, striding towards the plate, and releasing the ball as quickly as possible to make the ball go faster. Also, pitchers need to be able to throw multiple pitches to confuse batters. These pitches could include a fastball, a slider, a curveball, a cutter, and a knuckleball. The pitcher might throw a fastball first, then a slider, and finally a knuckleball to a batter. All three of these pitches have different speeds and different movements; therefore, they would greatly confuse the batter. This is also an example of how pitchers have to be able to know when and where to throw different pitches. For example, pitchers must keep fastballs and knuckleballs low to make it more difficult for the batter to hit them. These are examples of what pitchers must be aware of when playing baseball.


Players also have to be intelligent to know how to stay healthy. For example, they must know what diet to follow. Although this may seem unbelievable, what baseball players eat can actually change how good/bad their performance will be in the game. Doesn’t this sound crazy? The frequency and timing of meals can be essential to performance. In their diet, most baseball players have pasta, bread, bagels, fruits, vegetables, and many other foods in this category. This is because the body uses carbohydrates as the main energy source for baseball. In addition to eating a strict, healthy diet, baseball players have to workout and exercise on a regular basis. Red Sox All-Star second baseman Dustin Pedroia follows a workout that includes a daily routine of the rotational row, the weighted neutral-grip pull up, the x pull down, and the squat jump. Lastly, players must meet with experienced trainers and nutritionists to know which workouts and diets to follow. Without them, players could be following workouts and diets that aren’t helping them. Trainers and nutritionists can also tell the players if their physical condition has improved or deteriorated, which is why they meet with them regularly.


A major part of baseball is strategies. There are batting, baserunning, and fielding strategies. These help teams win games and get out of tough situations. Some batting strategies include bunting, having a certain batting stance to get a specific type of hit, and remaining calm. Bunting can be used to get a hit and to advance a runner on base, which is called a sacrifice bunt. To execute a successful bunt, players must know when to indicate that they are bunting so that the defense doesn’t charge in and get the ball too soon. Also, players must know how to aim the bat so the ball doesn’t pop up and result in an easy out. To bunt properly, a player must keep the bat level. Sacrifice bunting isn’t quite as difficult, since the batter can show that they are bunting at any time. This is because the goal is to move the runner, not get a hit. Although sacrifice bunting isn’t as difficult as regular bunting, it still requires intelligence. Picture yourself up at bat, there’s a runner on third, and you need to get him home to win. To make things worse, you’re too nervous to hit, so your coach tells you to bunt, and you aim the bat down the first base line. You make your bat perfectly level and the bunt is perfect. Another thing that requires being quick-witted is baserunning. Like many other things in baseball, the mental skills needed are overlooked. Taking a lead is a huge part of baserunning. It distracts the pitcher and helped players get closer to second base in case of a past ball. However, players have to have good judgement on how big of a lead to take, or they could get thrown out. Fielding strategies can also assist the players in getting out and tricking baserunners. For example, players go into shifts if the hitter is known to hit the ball to the left or right side of the field. Often, as expected, the hitter hits the ball right into the shift and gets out. This saves runs from scoring and takes pressure off the pitcher. Did you ever think that things that look so simple are actually complicated? These are just some strategies and there are many more.

Other people may claim that baseball players
are just athletic and talented. Some might even say that most baseball players are intellectually impaired. This is a horrible misjudgement and it needs to be corrected. People that believe this are wrong because they don’t know how much baseball players need to know and how much they have to think. Pitchers and catchers never stop thinking, and infielders and outfielders always need to be aware of what to do when the ball is hit to them. Pitchers have to know which pitches to throw and when and where to throw them. Imagine a pitcher, waiting to deliver a pitch, sweating like crazy, his heart pounding, trying to decide which pitch to throw and where to throw it, feeling tons of pressure. Without intelligence, the pitcher could not get out of this situation. Catchers have to decide which sign to give the pitcher, and be aware of how far away the baserunners are from the base. Batters and base runners also have to be aware and intelligent to succeed. Batters need to know which pitches to swing at and when not to swing, especially when the count is 3-0. Being smart and having good judgement are critical when batting. Baserunners need to know how far of a lead to take, know their speed, and when to steal.

Did you think that all of these techniques, strategies, and mental skills were required in baseball? Many people don’t realize it, and that needs to be fixed. Successful baseball players are thinking all the time and that is why they succeed.They have to know batting and fielding strategies, healthy diets and workouts. Pitchers need to know pitching strategies and how to throw pitches on top of everything else. So now that you know how smart baseball players actually are, the next time you hear someone say baseball requires no intelligence, tell them the truth. They need to know!