The "Pillars" of Championship Hitting

I have always thought that if the principles of the Championship hitting system were employed in the MLB, the most talented hitters / offensive players on earth would enjoy tremendous success.  The 2026 world series was the closest thing in modern history to seeing an MLB team (or teams) employ anything even close to the Championship Hitting system.  Both the Brewers and Rays were two very good models of how these principles could lead to success at the highest level of baseball.   

Philosophically Championship Hitting is based on creating runs through volume, being a tough out with 2 strikes and getting as many runners to 2^nd base without sacrificing an out as possible.

All 3 facets of the philosophy play a role in complementing the others and independently each is a weapon, but together they create a formidable system.

Each game is different and although the games share similar characteristics for how runs are scored, each game is unique in the way that it plays out as it is highly dependent on a multitude of variables. The pitcher is the biggest variable to the way the game plays out, but the catcher, the umpire strike zone, the opposition defense, the field conditions / weather and physical condition of the players all play large roles in the way the system plays out on any given day.

PILLAR 1:   Runs through volume:

In the championship hitting philosophy the focus is on reaching base by any means necessary and every way that can occur is highly valued! (except catcher’s interference) Hitters occupying the bases force the pitcher into the stretch and create a range of mental decisions the opposition has to consider.  

In the Championship Hitting system, hitting is simply 1 tool to reach base, not THE ONLY tool to reach base. Strike zone discipline, hustle, & fearlessness are all equally important tools in the championship hitting arsenal.  

Strike zone discipline is at the top of the list of important skills for system execution.  Understanding which pitches are balls and which are strikes create higher exit velo because hitters are able to set a plan and set their timing more effectively.  Strike zone discipline also reduces the amount of balls swung at thus increasing walks and reducing “chase rate”.

Walks are a HIGHLY valued tool in the arsenal because they require at least 4 pitches to occur, frustrate the pitcher, and eventually force some form of bullpen activity (even if it’s just a guy getting hot that never comes in).  Having a well thought out at bat plan, mastering the daily strike zone and having swing adjustability are all skills that help create walks.  Every single one of these skills can be practiced on a daily basis and within the championship hitting system, we build batting practice rounds and drills into our daily work to strengthen these tools. 

Hustle is a non negotiable within the system.  Hustling hitters create hustle doubles, hustling hitters also capitalize on opponent errors and can sometimes force a surprised defender to make an errant throw.  Since all athletes can hustle and therefor create “speed pressure”, this is a strong focus within our system. 

Courage and fearlessness are traits DEMANDED of our hitters within the system.    1^st, hitters cannot be afraid to hit in any count & they can NEVER be afraid to strikeout.  2^nd, hitters are trained to never fear velocity or opponent pitching because we train against overspeed velocity and elite spin regularly. When utilize the pitching machine, we  train against pitches that are above the limits of a human pitcher.  Although that would seem counter intuitive, training overspeed rounds teaches hitters how to calm their mind in the face of extreme adversity, how to vary their load time and get loaded earlier than normal, and how to properly eliminate wasted movement from their setup and swing. Lastly, if the hitter is going to get plunked in a non dangerous area, they have to have the courage to wear the HBP.  More rally’s start by HBPs than can be imagined!

Pillar 2:  Being a Tough out

With pitch counts dictating pitcher usage, seeing multiple pitches is a major part of the Championship strategy.

The 1^st part of seeing multiple pitches and being a tough out is hitting with an at bat plan.  Hitting with a well defined plan keeps players from swinging at pitches they do not want to hit and helps drive pitch counts up through deliberate takes!  Hitters in the Championship Hitting system are taught how to adjust approaches through the course of the game by utilizing strike zone data, pitch sequencing data, and pitch movement profile information.  When a pitcher understands that a hitter will not chase, they are forced to throw more hittable pitches and they are forced with the reality that the hitter is not going to get themselves out. To assist our hitters, we work on our attack plan against hypothetical pitchers in the batting cages during BP and during the games we live track pitches in our dugout so we can disseminate up to date data on the day's strikezone as well as the tendencies of the opposing pitcher.

Strikeouts are a baseball reality and strikeouts are viewed as helpful only if they resulted in seeing 3 pitches after arriving at a 2 strike count.  Within the championship hitting system, this is called being a 2k Warrior!  Although a 2K warrior wound up striking out, the 2k warrior forced the pitcher to throw a minimum of 5 pitches (typically more).  This mindset is crafted and perfected by working on specific 2k approach techniques and 2k approach rounds in practice on a daily basis.   With our 2k approach, we would hope to be able to secure a hit or work a walk, but in being a pesky toughout, is a minimum requirement within the system. 

Pillar 3:  Getting runners to 2^nd base without sacrificing outs

The least risky way to getting a runner to 2^nd base without sacrificing an out is to HIT A DOUBLE!  This is easier said than done, but to maximize chances, hitters in the championship hitting philosophy are encouraged to define the pitch and location they hit the best and to set their sights on attacking that pitch/location in a 0K count. Hitters in the system are particularly selective in 0 strike counts as they have 3 strike to reach base and to truly maximize their power, hitters are trained how to set their timing for a specific zone and are celebrated for taking strike 1 outside of the hitters particular “dream zone”.   Hitters understand that it is okay to take strike one so long as it was a pitch or location they were not looking for.  By doing this, pitch counts are also organically inflated. 

Hustle doubles are the 2^nd least risky way to get to 2^nd base without sacrificing an out.  Hitters who come out of the box at full speed on hits to the outfield are able to exploit lackadaisical outfield play or slight bobbles / miscues in the field.

Lastly, stolen bases and dirt ball reads are an important aspect of the championship hitting philosophy.  Whether the baserunner does a vault steal, delay steal, traditional steal or dirt ball read makes little difference, the only important thing is that the baserunner figures out a way to get to 2^nd base.  When teams are known for aggressive baserunning, hitters on those teams get better pitches to hit and more fastballs to attack and the defense and pitching staff are constantly on edge.  Hit and runs are also a reliable weapon in this system and should be practiced regularly. 

When the baserunner eventually does reach 2^nd, the proclivity for the defense to pay attention to the runner at 2^nd opens up even more holes for the hitters creating more base hits for the offense. 

Summary:

To create hitters that are able to employ the tools of the system, batting practice must be deliberate and aspects of the system must be worked on in all phases of batting practice.

Every round that is taken within the system has either a count variable, a speed variable, or an execution variable the hitter is working on mastering.  Live BP for the majority of rounds is an ABOSLUTE MUST as this is the only reliable way to work on timing the load in the most game like way.  Hitters are encouraged to take balls in BP and BP pitchers must be high quality and able to throw multiple days in a row with preferably multiple arm slots and various pitches.  Simply working on throwing better BP is the easiest skill a coach can work on immediately to make their team a better hitting team!