The 8 Best Baseball Exercises for Hitting Power

Strength training is one of the fundamental aspects of improving your hitting power in baseball. Having a natural swing and raw strength is the basis, but proper strength training for hitting power will make a huge difference!

Approximately 1% percent of senior high school boys playing will eventually be picked by an MLB team, and 50% of those picked are pitchers.

So, if you have dreams of playing professional baseball and want to stand-out as a hitter, you are going to need some power!

The Best Baseball Power Hitting Exercises

However, it takes time to build up the kind of hitting power that most pros have.

Choosing the right strength training exercises for baseball hitting power will make this process much quicker! Here are the best baseball exercising for hitting:

Trap-Bar Deadlift

The trap bar deadlift is a great way to build core strength and a powerful hip turn.

The core is one of the key parts of your body that works during the swinging motion of a baseball hit, and most exercises for hitting a baseball will focus on core strength.

When you strengthen the core, it makes you swing stronger and more solid.

The trap bar deadlift is a better alternative to the conventional deadlift for most athletes because it is safer and easier to learn. If you are a baseball player, you don’t want to risk a back injury doing strength training.

Along with the trap-bar deadlift, another great deadlift variation for baseball players is the snatch grip deadlift, but this is a more advanced variation.

Rotational Push-Up

When you hit a baseball, your legs, core, and upper body are all involved in the motion.

The rotational push-up is a great exercise to build up the strength of your upper body and core. With a stronger and more robust upper body, you will be able to add more power and speed to your swing.

To perform the rotational push-up, get into the position of the regular push-up.

Place your palms flat on the surface positioned at shoulder-width apart. Make sure your back is straight and your toes are positioned on the floor in such a way as to balance your body.

Now, lower your body to the floor. Next, as you are raising the body, lift one of your arms from the ground and rotate it towards the sky. This should also rotate your torso at the same time.

Alternate between the two arms. Start slowly by performing only as many rotational push-ups as you can easily manage. Gradually build up your stamina and add more sets over time.

Another excellent option for upper body strength is the DB floor press, which is also considerably easier on your shoulders than the barbell bench press or other bench press variations.

Pull-Up

Shoulder muscles are a vital set of muscles used in hitting a baseball, and a great way to strengthen your shoulder muscles is by performing pull ups.

Apart from your shoulders, pull-ups also help increase the strength of your back and core muscles. Overall, this helps you improve the strength of a variety of your upper body muscles.

For more shoulder exercises, you can check out my article on the best shoulder exercises at home.

Squat and Press

Squats are an excellent way of building up lower body strength and power. There are tons of squat variations, such as jump squats, goblet squats, back squats, and front squats.

For baseball players, one of the best strength training exercises for hitting power is the squat and press. This exercise combines the movements of a dumbbell or kettlebell front squat, and an overhead press.

Here is a video so you can see how they are done:

Kettlebell Swing

Although there are tons of great kettlebell exercises, the king of them is the kettlebell swing. The kettlebell swing is also one of the best exercises for hitting power in baseball.

The kettlebell swing is a pure “power” movement that is incredible for developing hip and glute power.

If you would like a more intense version, check out this banded kettlebell swing variation:

Prowler Sled Push

The prowler sled push is by far one of the best exercises for hitting power in baseball since it is probably the best exercise for developing a more powerful body overall. You simply add as much weight as you want on the prowler sled, and push it!

Here is a video of the heaviest weight I’ve ever pushed on a prowler sled:

Medicine Ball Smash

There are a lot of great medicine ball exercises for baseball players.

According to a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research concluded that,

“These data indicate that performing a 12-week medicine ball training program in addition to a step-wise periodized resistance training program with bat swings provided greater sport-specific training improvements in torso rotational and  sequential hip-torso-arm rotational strength for high school baseball players.”

In my opinion, the single best medicine ball exercise for baseball players is the medicine ball smash. The medicine ball smash is great for helping baseball players develop powerful shoulders and a powerful reaction in the hips.

The lateral medicine ball throw is another great option as well, but there’s something rewarding about smashing a medicine ball into the ground which makes it that much better. Here is an example:

Another great option is the medicine ball reverse burpee. This is an amazing medicine ball exercise for core strength and explosiveness for baseball players:

If you are interested in buying medicine balls for home use, I suggest you buy AmazonBasics medicine balls. There are other companies that also produce quality medicine balls, but they are generally more expensive. These medicine balls are affordable compared to others, and will last you a long time:

Last update on 2023-12-01 / I earn a commission if you make a purchase at no additional cost to you. / Thank you for your support!

Jacob’s Ladder Exercise

The Jacob’s Ladder exercise is definitely one of the best cardio workouts for baseball players since it is also great strength training for hitting power. The Jacob’s Ladder is great for developing the shoulder muscles, as well as core strength.

If you want to work on your cardiovascular endurance and baseball hitting power at the same time, the Jacob’s Ladder is the best option for you! Here is a video of me using the Jacob’s Ladder:

Kettlebell Turkish Get-Ups

Along with being one of the best kettlebell exercises for abs, kettlebell turkish get-ups are one of the best exercises for baseball hitting strength.

According to a study published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies,

“The results suggest the importance of training both phases of the TGU to gain the most benefit from the exercise and highlights the asymmetric nature of the exercise, which may be particularly relevant for athletes engaged in activities with rotational demands.”

You don’t need to use a lot of weight with this exercise, but if you do kettlebell turkish get-ups often, you will certainly see your hitting power improve!

Concluding Thoughts – Best Baseball Hitting Strength Training Exercises

Doing these baseball exercises for hitting will certainly help you increase your hitting strength. Along with using one of the best baseball bats, like one of the best bbcor bats, doing weight training is going to make some of the biggest differences in your hitting power.

Use these effective exercises, and I am confident you will see the improvements you want to see!

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