Baseball development is not a sprint – it's a marathon. At Driveline, our data always demonstrate that players who work on at least 12 months of training experience changing life-changing improvements, these short plans simply cannot be provided. That's why a whole year is important and what you can expect along the way.
Why 12 months?
The baseball development cycle follows a timeline for natural biology and skills acquisition that cannot be rushed:
- Physical development: Building a 20% strength/force difference between high school and college players requires multiple training cycles
- Skill Mastery: Technical changes require time to introduce, improve and transfer to the game situation
- Complete baseball calendar: A full year is consistent with the natural baseball season (off season, pre-season, season, transition)
- Data support results: Our metrics show exponential improvement rather than linear improvement when players commit to more than 12 months
Your 12-month journey in Driveline
January-March: Assessment and Basics
- Comprehensive assessment to identify limiting factors
- Establish baseline indicators and development priorities
- Introduce basic technical changes
- Initial Physical Adaptation Stage
- Expected results: A clear understanding of development needs; initial comfort and technical adjustments; baseline body improvement
April-June: Primary Development
- Accelerated physical development
- Improvement and strengthening of technological changes
- Introducing more complex training variables
- Continuous testing and program adjustment
- Expected results: Significant physical changes; improving the technical level of the training environment; measurable progress of key indicators
July-September: Integration and transfer to competition
- Simulation competitive game conditions
- New skills and abilities for stress testing
- Pre-competition preparation
- Expected results: Technology changes become automatic; physical improvements that translate into performance indicators; strengthen confidence in the competitive environment
October-December: Performance and re-evaluation
- Seasonal maintenance strategy
- Performance monitoring during competition
- Mid-season adjustment
- Cycle end assessment and future planning
- Expected results: Game stable performance improvements; self-monitoring and adjustment; clear path to continuous development
The power of commitment
Travis Bazzana, the first Major League Baseball draft pick in 2024, embodies the power of change for long-term development. His drivetrain journey was not measured in weeks or months, but in years – contacted for the first time through Australian baseball training at the age of 13. As a teenager, he participated in our Bat Speed Program for 2-3 years a week, literally looking at his powerline bat until the “grip is absolutely ruined” in pursuit of improvement.
After a freshman, this dedication eventually reached a decisive career decision: abandoning the famous Cape Cod Alliance (traditionally considered the basic exposure of elite prospects) instead of training on Driveline. While other top prospects are seeking fast validation and visibility, Bazzana makes a bold choice to invest in his development: “I think playing games will build my floor, but training will build my ceiling. Why would I keep playing to be a third round? I want to be high on that.”
This is not a quick fix and requires months of system work. The initial swing reconstruction alone took 5-6 weeks, followed by continuous improvements, and his bat speed increased by 8-10 mph while improving his contact quality. Through years of consistent training and regular assessment cycles, Bazana transformed from a steady outlook to an ever-growing home run leader in Oregon, ultimately the overall choice for the Guardians of Cleveland.
As Bazzana himself explained: “Not only do you get better in your training every day. It’s about it being a long-term vision and knowing it’s a process, but you believe in it.” His journey embodies why meaningful development requires not only a commitment to training, but also a commitment to the full development schedule that produces truly great results.
