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Matt Antonelli

@MattAAntonelli • 3,673 subscribers

Head Coach @Gordon_Baseball • Former MLB Player • Owner of @antonelliBSB • 1st Round Draft Pick

Shorts

Middle infielders: I’m a believer in taking the throw from in-front of the bag on a stolen-base attempt. The main reason why: Catchers aren’t always going to put the ball on the bag. A common miss is arm side, causing the throw to tail towards first base. When you're in-front, you have freedom to move toward a bad throw without the runner sliding underneath or into you. You can catch it, make the tag, and potentially keep a bad throw from getting into center field. If you straddle the bag, your range can become limited once the runner starts sliding in. In order to do this, you must LET THE BALL TRAVEL Don't reach out, catch it early, and then bring your glove back to the runner. You're wasting valuable time. Let the ball travel over the bag and make a quick tag. If he's out → quick tag If he's safe → tag and HOLD IT. Give him a chance to come off the bag. Get in-front Let the ball travel Catch it late Tag quickly

Middle infielders: I’m a believer in taking the throw from in-front of the bag on a stolen-base attempt. The main reason why: Catchers aren’t always going to put the ball on the bag. A common miss is arm side, causing the throw to tail towards first base. When you're in-front, you have freedom to move toward a bad throw without the runner sliding underneath or into you. You can catch it, make the tag, and potentially keep a bad throw from getting into center field. If you straddle the bag, your range can become limited once the runner starts sliding in. In order to do this, you must LET THE BALL TRAVEL Don't reach out, catch it early, and then bring your glove back to the runner. You're wasting valuable time. Let the ball travel over the bag and make a quick tag. If he's out → quick tag If he's safe → tag and HOLD IT. Give him a chance to come off the bag. Get in-front Let the ball travel Catch it late Tag quickly

104,057 views

Hitters: BE ON GO! Think: YES. YES. NO. Anticipate getting YOUR pitch in YOUR zone. You’re not waiting to decide whether you should swing. You’re preparing to swing until the baseball tells you NOT TO. The TAKE is the decision. Yes - I’m hitting Yes - I’m hitting No - that’s not my pitch Too many hitters operate: No. No. Maybe… And then they're late when the pitch they wanted actually shows up. Be ready to hit. Hunt your pitch. Let the ball stop you. Be on GO!

Hitters: BE ON GO! Think: YES. YES. NO. Anticipate getting YOUR pitch in YOUR zone. You’re not waiting to decide whether you should swing. You’re preparing to swing until the baseball tells you NOT TO. The TAKE is the decision. Yes - I’m hitting Yes - I’m hitting No - that’s not my pitch Too many hitters operate: No. No. Maybe… And then they're late when the pitch they wanted actually shows up. Be ready to hit. Hunt your pitch. Let the ball stop you. Be on GO!

72,092 views

I watched every 3-2 take by Bryce Harper in 2025. Here’s what it revealed: 1️⃣ Yes, Yes, No Approach - he is swinging until the ball tells him “no”. His barrel starts to turn on almost 100% of his takes. You will see these type of “active takes” with pretty much every high level hitter 2️⃣ He Can Stop Late - because his barrel turns rearward and creates depth, it allows him shut down or abort his swing as late as possible. This gives him a longer time to identify pitch speed, shape, and location

I watched every 3-2 take by Bryce Harper in 2025. Here’s what it revealed: 1️⃣ Yes, Yes, No Approach - he is swinging until the ball tells him “no”. His barrel starts to turn on almost 100% of his takes. You will see these type of “active takes” with pretty much every high level hitter 2️⃣ He Can Stop Late - because his barrel turns rearward and creates depth, it allows him shut down or abort his swing as late as possible. This gives him a longer time to identify pitch speed, shape, and location

345,215 views

Loading to hit isn't just "getting your weight back." It's preparing the body to turn. A few things I look for: ✅Back pocket toward the pitcher. ✅The hips coil slightly closed. For a RHH, think about the hips closing slightly to the right of the pitcher. You’ll often see the belly button / belt buckle and rear knee turn toward the catcher. Think: screw into the ground. Don’t just sway back. Good hitters look CONNECTED to the ground. Poor hitters often look like they’re skimming across the surface or hitting in ice skates. ✅Rear elbow behind the top hand. For a RHH, the right elbow works back behind you, toward the spine. You should feel the rear side of your back engage. ✅The knob of the bat points towards the catcher. ✅The front shoulder rolls in as the torso slightly coils. A great load isn’t a passive move backward. Think more around and less back.

Loading to hit isn't just "getting your weight back." It's preparing the body to turn. A few things I look for: ✅Back pocket toward the pitcher. ✅The hips coil slightly closed. For a RHH, think about the hips closing slightly to the right of the pitcher. You’ll often see the belly button / belt buckle and rear knee turn toward the catcher. Think: screw into the ground. Don’t just sway back. Good hitters look CONNECTED to the ground. Poor hitters often look like they’re skimming across the surface or hitting in ice skates. ✅Rear elbow behind the top hand. For a RHH, the right elbow works back behind you, toward the spine. You should feel the rear side of your back engage. ✅The knob of the bat points towards the catcher. ✅The front shoulder rolls in as the torso slightly coils. A great load isn’t a passive move backward. Think more around and less back.

58,658 views

Posture matters Hold your angles throughout the swing: ✅Butt behind your heels ✅Chest over the plate Get INTO good posture and STAY THERE as you rotate. Your posture helps determine how your barrel works. Stay in posture → barrel can stay through the hitting zone. Come out of posture → barrel comes out of the hitting zone. It isn't about rotating as fast as possible. It’s how fast can you rotate while maintaining great posture and staying over the plate. Turn fast. Hold your angles. Keep the barrel working through the zone.

Posture matters Hold your angles throughout the swing: ✅Butt behind your heels ✅Chest over the plate Get INTO good posture and STAY THERE as you rotate. Your posture helps determine how your barrel works. Stay in posture → barrel can stay through the hitting zone. Come out of posture → barrel comes out of the hitting zone. It isn't about rotating as fast as possible. It’s how fast can you rotate while maintaining great posture and staying over the plate. Turn fast. Hold your angles. Keep the barrel working through the zone.

27,648 views

Each hitter naturally has a bat path that is unique to them. Some are flatter, while others are more vertical. A flatter path will usually handle pitches that are higher in the zone or farther away better, while a more vertical path will typically handle pitches that are lower in the zone or farther inside better. Hitters can train beyond their natural path tendencies by learning how to adjust their body and barrel to handle pitches in different locations. This has to be trained. You can’t just tell hitters to cover the entire zone and expect it to show up in games. Hitters need reps learning how to move their body differently to handle different locations. Higher / Away = Flatter Path Lower / In = More Vertical Path

Each hitter naturally has a bat path that is unique to them. Some are flatter, while others are more vertical. A flatter path will usually handle pitches that are higher in the zone or farther away better, while a more vertical path will typically handle pitches that are lower in the zone or farther inside better. Hitters can train beyond their natural path tendencies by learning how to adjust their body and barrel to handle pitches in different locations. This has to be trained. You can’t just tell hitters to cover the entire zone and expect it to show up in games. Hitters need reps learning how to move their body differently to handle different locations. Higher / Away = Flatter Path Lower / In = More Vertical Path

10,151 views

Luis Arráez has some of the best bat to ball skills in the game. Here is a look at how he makes pitch height adjustments. The higher the pitch, the flatter the shoulders and barrel. The lower the pitch, the more he stays over the plate with his torso. If you struggle with the low pitch, think about “sticking your nose on it”.

Luis Arráez has some of the best bat to ball skills in the game. Here is a look at how he makes pitch height adjustments. The higher the pitch, the flatter the shoulders and barrel. The lower the pitch, the more he stays over the plate with his torso. If you struggle with the low pitch, think about “sticking your nose on it”.

30,558 views

Shohei Ohtani’s head and eye discipline through contact

Shohei Ohtani’s head and eye discipline through contact

21,192 views

Slow and controlled body during the stride, then a fast and explosive turn

Slow and controlled body during the stride, then a fast and explosive turn

17,495 views

Using our drop drill to work on our right to left, left to target footwork

Using our drop drill to work on our right to left, left to target footwork

15,284 views

Videos

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Today I went through every 3-2 pitch Juan Soto saw in the 2025 season. Three things stuck out: 1️⃣ He Doesn’t Expand - he has some of the best strike zone awareness of anyone in the game. When he gets to two strikes, he does not chase or expand the zone. Most players start swinging at pitcher’s pitches. He makes pitchers execute a quality pitch to get him out. 2️⃣ He Competes! -he takes great pride in being a tough out. He battles. He doesn’t give in. He finds a way to get on base. 3️⃣ His Approach - because he’s so willing to use the entire field, his two strike approach does not need to change much. He gets a long look at each pitch because he’s willing to hit the fastball to the opposite field and pull the breaking ball.

Today I went through every 3-2 pitch Juan Soto saw in the 2025 season. Three things stuck out: 1️⃣ He Doesn’t Expand - he has some of the best strike zone awareness of anyone in the game. When he gets to two strikes, he does not chase or expand the zone. Most players start swinging at pitcher’s pitches. He makes pitchers execute a quality pitch to get him out. 2️⃣ He Competes! -he takes great pride in being a tough out. He battles. He doesn’t give in. He finds a way to get on base. 3️⃣ His Approach - because he’s so willing to use the entire field, his two strike approach does not need to change much. He gets a long look at each pitch because he’s willing to hit the fastball to the opposite field and pull the breaking ball.

198,547 views • 8 months ago

My goal with 2 strikes is to increase the probability that the ball is put in play. A simple 2-strike approach that gives you a chance against multiple pitch speeds: Take the pitcher’s fastest pitch and think about hitting it deeper on a line to the opposite-field gap. You now have the ability to pull anything slower than the fastball. Fastball → deep, opposite-field gap. Off-speed → out front, pull it. One simple approach covers multiple pitch speeds With 2 strikes, the goal is simple: Give yourself the best chance to put the ball in play.

My goal with 2 strikes is to increase the probability that the ball is put in play. A simple 2-strike approach that gives you a chance against multiple pitch speeds: Take the pitcher’s fastest pitch and think about hitting it deeper on a line to the opposite-field gap. You now have the ability to pull anything slower than the fastball. Fastball → deep, opposite-field gap. Off-speed → out front, pull it. One simple approach covers multiple pitch speeds With 2 strikes, the goal is simple: Give yourself the best chance to put the ball in play.

23,440 views • 1 month ago

INFIELDER TIPS: Work from the ground up. Field the ball out front by reaching out, then softening your elbows. A simple rule: You should always be able to see the ball AND your glove in the same view. After the catch, bring the ball back to the center of your chest with your elbows out. That puts you in a strong position to transition and throw with a repeatable arm stroke. And don’t become a two-hand robot. Practice using one hand, especially on balls outside the framework of your body. Your glove hand needs freedom to work.

INFIELDER TIPS: Work from the ground up. Field the ball out front by reaching out, then softening your elbows. A simple rule: You should always be able to see the ball AND your glove in the same view. After the catch, bring the ball back to the center of your chest with your elbows out. That puts you in a strong position to transition and throw with a repeatable arm stroke. And don’t become a two-hand robot. Practice using one hand, especially on balls outside the framework of your body. Your glove hand needs freedom to work.

17,925 views • 1 month ago

Behind the scenes look at one of our infield warmups

Behind the scenes look at one of our infield warmups

80,924 views • 7 months ago

Hitting isn’t a beauty contest. Social media and highlights show perfect swings, but success isn’t always pretty. Sometimes you just need to find a way to get the barrel to the ball. Battle. Compete. Fight off pitches. Muscle the ball through a hole. Do whatever it takes to get the job done. It doesn’t always matter what it looks like, it only matters that it works.

Hitting isn’t a beauty contest. Social media and highlights show perfect swings, but success isn’t always pretty. Sometimes you just need to find a way to get the barrel to the ball. Battle. Compete. Fight off pitches. Muscle the ball through a hole. Do whatever it takes to get the job done. It doesn’t always matter what it looks like, it only matters that it works.

70,098 views • 8 months ago

Aaron Judge was the best hitter in baseball last year. He still had bad at bats. Chases. Strikeouts looking. Whiffs on fastballs right down the middle. The difference? He doesn’t let one bad at-bat become two. Elite hitters don’t avoid failure, they recover from it faster than everyone else. Here are some tips that have worked for our hitters: 1️⃣ Reset Step out. Breathe. Slow the game down. One breath in. One breath out. Flush it. 2️⃣ Refocus Pick a focal point. The logo on your bat. The foul pole. Focus on it. Take a deep breath. Get back to the present. 3️⃣ Visualize See your best swing. Drive a double in to the gap in your mind. Everything happens twice. Once in your mind, once on the field. 4️⃣ Prepare Confidence isn’t magic. It’s built in practice. Trust your training. 5️⃣ Believe You have to believe you’re one swing away, because you are. Do the work. Have a system for when you aren’t feeling your best. Prepare relentlessly. Baseball is a game of failure. The players who go the furthest aren’t the ones who never struggle. They’re the ones who bounce back the fastest.

45,054 views • 8 months ago

Today I went through every putout by Nolan Arenado in the 2025 season. Two things stuck out: 1️⃣ The use of one hand (almost every ball was fielded one handed) 2️⃣ The ability to throw on the run from multiple arm angles

Today I went through every putout by Nolan Arenado in the 2025 season. Two things stuck out: 1️⃣ The use of one hand (almost every ball was fielded one handed) 2️⃣ The ability to throw on the run from multiple arm angles

40,632 views • 8 months ago

A lot of infielders are scared of the short hop. Great infielders create it! Here are some keys to playing the short hop: 1️⃣ Move your feet The closer your glove is to the ball, the less that can go wrong. Move your feet to catch the ball as close to the ground as possible 2️⃣ Play from the ground up Playing under the ball softens our hands and allows us to play through it 3️⃣ Practice away from the field To get really good at fielding (or anything) you need to put in hours and hours of practice. There is not enough team practice time to get in the reps you need to play at a high level. You must take what you learned at practice and work on it at your house. The garage, basement, driveway, or backyard. Reps build trust. 4️⃣ Someone is always working It’s a big world. If you aren’t consistently sharpening your game, someone else is.

A lot of infielders are scared of the short hop. Great infielders create it! Here are some keys to playing the short hop: 1️⃣ Move your feet The closer your glove is to the ball, the less that can go wrong. Move your feet to catch the ball as close to the ground as possible 2️⃣ Play from the ground up Playing under the ball softens our hands and allows us to play through it 3️⃣ Practice away from the field To get really good at fielding (or anything) you need to put in hours and hours of practice. There is not enough team practice time to get in the reps you need to play at a high level. You must take what you learned at practice and work on it at your house. The garage, basement, driveway, or backyard. Reps build trust. 4️⃣ Someone is always working It’s a big world. If you aren’t consistently sharpening your game, someone else is.

34,801 views • 8 months ago

Learn to brace on your right leg so you can time your left foot up with the catch. This will give you rhythm and help you gain distance and direction towards your target

Learn to brace on your right leg so you can time your left foot up with the catch. This will give you rhythm and help you gain distance and direction towards your target

26,083 views • 8 months ago

A behind the scenes look at an offensive talk to our hitters

A behind the scenes look at an offensive talk to our hitters

24,338 views • 7 months ago

If you want to be an accurate thrower in games… Make every practice throw matter. Aim small. Miss small. Pick a target. Hit the bullseye. If it wouldn’t be acceptable in a game, it’s unacceptable in practice. Accuracy isn’t turned on under the lights. It’s trained in the reps no one watches. Be intentional. Every throw.

If you want to be an accurate thrower in games… Make every practice throw matter. Aim small. Miss small. Pick a target. Hit the bullseye. If it wouldn’t be acceptable in a game, it’s unacceptable in practice. Accuracy isn’t turned on under the lights. It’s trained in the reps no one watches. Be intentional. Every throw.

20,052 views • 8 months ago

Second base footwork around the bag: ✅Left foot on the bag ✅Right foot to the ball ✅Left shoulder on first base

Second base footwork around the bag: ✅Left foot on the bag ✅Right foot to the ball ✅Left shoulder on first base

18,763 views • 9 months ago

I watched every Mookie Betts assist from the 2025 season. Here’s why one of the game’s best right fielders was able to transition to shortstop: 1️⃣ He’s an Elite Athlete Mookie isn’t just a great baseball player. He’s a rare mover. He has great balance, body control, quickness, and coordination. Those traits translate across positions. 2️⃣ He has a Team First Mentality He left a Gold Glove position to help his team and their roster. The shift allowed the Dodgers to put their best offensive and defensive players in the lineup, strengthening the overall team. 3️⃣ Growth Mindset and Risk Taker He was willing to be uncomfortable. He was willing to struggle. On the biggest stage, under the brightest lights, he was ok learning to play infield again. It didn’t come easy and the transition wasn’t immediate. He initially struggled with his throwing accuracy, but through hard, daily work, he improved. 4️⃣ Work Ethic He didn’t “try” to play shortstop. He was “all in” on the change. He attacked it from the moment they made the decision. He worked tirelessly on his footwork, angles, and throws. He made daily refinements that compounded over time.

I watched every Mookie Betts assist from the 2025 season. Here’s why one of the game’s best right fielders was able to transition to shortstop: 1️⃣ He’s an Elite Athlete Mookie isn’t just a great baseball player. He’s a rare mover. He has great balance, body control, quickness, and coordination. Those traits translate across positions. 2️⃣ He has a Team First Mentality He left a Gold Glove position to help his team and their roster. The shift allowed the Dodgers to put their best offensive and defensive players in the lineup, strengthening the overall team. 3️⃣ Growth Mindset and Risk Taker He was willing to be uncomfortable. He was willing to struggle. On the biggest stage, under the brightest lights, he was ok learning to play infield again. It didn’t come easy and the transition wasn’t immediate. He initially struggled with his throwing accuracy, but through hard, daily work, he improved. 4️⃣ Work Ethic He didn’t “try” to play shortstop. He was “all in” on the change. He attacked it from the moment they made the decision. He worked tirelessly on his footwork, angles, and throws. He made daily refinements that compounded over time.

11,520 views • 8 months ago

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