Basile, R., Otto, R. M., & Sygand, J. W. (2007). The relationship between physical and physiological performance measures and baseball performance measures. ACSM Annual Meeting New Orleans, Presentation Number, 1448.

"Improvement in a baseball player’s strength, power, speed, and specific baseball skills are believed to improve overall baseball performance. However, studies to determine a relationship between a player’s physical attributes and baseball success throughout a competitive season are lacking".

The purpose of this study was to determine if physical and physiological measures could predict baseball performance, that is, if such measures were related to baseball success. Position players on a Division I baseball team (N = 14) volunteered to participate. Baseball performance measures were gathered at the conclusion of a 59-game season using measures of on-base percentage, runs batted-in, and runs scored. Physical/physiological measures were obtained during the last two weeks of the season and included lean body mass, body-fat percent, squat press, vertical jump, 30/60-yard sprint, bat velocity, and batted ball velocity.

There were no significant correlations between any physical/ physiological variables and indices of baseball performance. Some moderate correlations were found between some of the physical/physiological variables.

Implication. Baseball performance is influenced by factors (e.g., skill level, hand-eye coordination, psychological outlook, etc), and not by physical/physiological variables.

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