Should I Train, Play, Or Both in The Off-Season?

By Isaiah Trevino – 

Oftentimes, especially through the summer and fall (and even some of the winter), athletes are stuck between playing travel ball and focusing on actual training. While playing and facing live batters or pitchers can help you prepare for your spring high school season, there isn’t a substitute for actual training. On the other side of that, it is hard to replicate game-like scenarios and feelings during training sessions, though not impossible. There are absolutely pros and cons to both, and there are a few things to consider when deciding what to do for the summer, fall, and winter. 

If you are at the stage of your career where you need development more than anything — whether it is at the plate, on the mound, or in the field — I believe it is more beneficial to train than to play all (or most) of the summer and fall. I know that playing baseball, especially travel ball, is the more glamorous thing to do. However, if it is not the most beneficial to your development and career at the time, you should reconsider what you decide to do. There’s nothing wrong with maybe playing part-time in the summer or fall just to get some game reps in. If you can do both, that is often the answer for many people. 

If playing ball is all you do and you never train, it will be very difficult to keep getting better just by playing the game. In my experience, I didn’t play too much in the off-season, as I spent most of my time training. If I had to do it again, though, I would try to play a little more while still getting close to the amount of training I did during the off-season. I truly feel like I grew a lot from it. If you are already well-developed for your age and are trying to get your name out there for college or professional scouts, playing in the summertime could be a great idea. 

There’s not one answer that will fit everybody, as each person is on their own development path and will have different needs at different times in their career. For example, if you are going into your senior year of high school and you are throwing 82-84 mph, you probably have no business going to a University of Texas prospect camp. Instead, you should be training to gain 4-6 mph before the start of your senior year. Now, if you’re 91-93 mph and, for some reason, you don’t yet have a place to play in college, then going to a prospect camp could be a good idea. 

Like most things here at The Ranch, even this is not a one-size-fits-all answer. At some point, you’ll need to train more; at another time, you may need to play more. Whatever stage you are in right now, stay in the moment and be 100% engaged in whatever you’re doing. 

Right now, we are about a month into fall, and I’m sure a lot of you have already made your decisions about how much you are playing or training. After reading this, I hope you feel you made the right decision, or maybe you realize you need to adjust for this year or possibly the next. There are good things and not-so-good things in both options; just be sure to weigh them accordingly and hyper-personalize what’s best for you.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Important TBR Updates

• Fall/Winter Elite Pitchers Bootcamps. These are a great opportunity to get prepared for the spring season. Dates include:
  Nov. 22-24 (Sat-Mon)
  Dec. 28-30 (Sun-Wed)
  Jan. 17-19 (Sat-Mon) Martin Luther King Day Weekend
  Feb. 14-16 (Sat-Mon) President’s Day Weekend
  To register or learn more CLICK HERE

• Attention Catchers!  You’re invited to join us for our 7th Annual Elite Catcher’s Bootcamp – This year’s event will be held on December 12-14th.  Early Bird $500 Savings until October 31st. Space is limited.  To learn more and register visit www.TexasBaseballRanch.com/catcher

• Our Alumni/Advanced Pitching Camp is taking place January 3 & 4, 2026.  Early Bird Savings available until October 31st.  Spots going fast.  CLICK HERE to secure your spot.
  

• Coach Wolforth is hosting a special 90 minute webinar – “The Velocity Code: 3 Secrets to Improving Velocity and Staying Healthy” on Thursdays at 7pm CST.  If you’d like to attend the next webinar, CLICK HERE to register.

• Updated link! Coach Wolforth is also hosting another webinar – “The 4 Pitching Pitfalls that Sabotage Velocity, Arm Health & Long-Term Success” Mondays at 7 pm. CST. CLICK HERE to register.

• Attention Houston area athletes – Join us for our Fall classes! Classes are held Monday & Wednesday and will run monthly through January.  Spots are limited. Registrations for November now being accepted. CLICK HERE to download the registration form or call to reserve your spot. If you have any questions email info@texasbaseballranch.comor call (936) 588-6762. Can’t attend twice a week?  Not a problem.  We have a once a week option. Give us a call.

Tagged as: Baseball, baseball instruction, baseball pitching, baseball training, Isaiah Trevino, off season, perspective, Texas Baseball Ranch, The Ranch