The first reason to take an off-season is a big one: health and durability. Despite the ongoing injury epidemic in baseball, many stubbornly continue to ignore the research that clearly demonstrates what a catalyst for injury playing year round is (PMID: 16452269 PMID: 29630388 PMID: 26797699). The simplest way to reduce injury rates: take a break from playing!

The second reason is development. If you have traits: ie genetic talent that allows you to be more successful than your peers “just because”, then yes, you’ll still succeed (at least at the lower levels) playing year round; not because, but in spite of. But for the average talent baseball player, failing to take a dedicated period to develop greater strength, speed, and size, is often a career death sentence

Lastly, there’s a very real positive mental benefit to taking an off-season. Sadly, year round, year after year baseball leads many athletes to burnout. The brain thrives on novelty and adventure, and 10-15 years of year round practices, games and tournaments becomes monotonous. The consequence is many athletes begin to pull back, often in the years they need to push the hardest and persevere from college to Milb, to ultimately MLB.

Put all that together, and what many high school and college athletes need for their breakthrough is not another fall season of games, but a fall focused on raising their strength, power, velo and speed!

-Fenske