Strikeouts, Analytics, and the Lost Art of Baseball Fundamentals

There was a time when the Major Leagues were the gold standard of baseball. You watched the pros, and you learned. Pitchers worked hitters like chess pieces. Managers played the long game with instinct and guts. Fundamentals weren’t optional — they were expected. Baseball IQ wasn’t a buzzword, it was the fabric of the sport.

But look around today. Players miss cutoffs, loaf on routine plays, and strike out with no approach at the plate. Pitchers bounce sliders two feet in front of the plate, and hitters swing anyway. Announcers go wild over another K as if that’s the highlight of the game. What happened to intelligence, execution, and pride?

Here’s what I tell young players now: if you want to see baseball played the right way, don’t look to the big leagues — look to Division I college baseball. That’s where you’ll still find the fundamentals alive and well. Watch the College World Series in Omaha, and you’ll see hustle, strategy, and players who care about doing the little things right.

Baseball IQ may be vanishing in the pros, but it’s still thriving on college diamonds and in programs that demand accountability. That’s where the next generation should focus their eyes. Because if the fundamentals are ever going to make a comeback, it will start with young players who love the game enough to play it the right way.

Tomorrow's Edition I go deep in this article.