New York Mets reliever and Bishop Gorman alum, Paul Sewald, gives our Nevada prospects some insight on how he is preparing to be ready when baseball is back. He was drafted out of University of San Diego in the 10th round of the 2012 MLB Draft and a has accumulated three years of service with the Mets. In our interview, we dive into a few different areas of his preparation, including his daily routines, bullpen format, workout programs, diet and the use of our TrackMan system to help track his progress as the season approaches.

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With the return of baseball projected to resume in the near future, what have you been doing to make sure you are ready when you get that call?

In order to be ready whenever we get the call, I’ve tried to stay in as close to game shape as possible. That means throwing 2 simulated game type bullpens a week, playing catch 4 other days taking one day off a week. Also, it’s been important to keep working out during this, so I’ve also done a workout 2-3 times a week depending on how I feel and the timing for bullpens. 

How many days a week do have you been throwing?

I’ve been throwing 6 days a week with one day off on Sundays, which is pretty close to a normal MLB schedule.

Could you break down your weekly throwing program? 

I’m a reliever so my throwing program is typically pretty short due to the nature of having to be ready every day during the season, but this time has allowed me to get in some long toss which has been nice. Monday is a light throwing day to 150; Tuesday is a bullpen so it’s limited throws to 120 just enough to get warm to pitch; Wednesday is a short day just to 90 and less than 30 throws total; Thursday has been my day to long toss literally as far as I can possibly throw in about 50-60 total throws; Friday is short again to 90; Saturday is another bullpen day just like Tuesday; and Sunday is my off day.

When you are throwing a bullpen, what are some things you are trying to accomplish during the session?

Bullpens are the most important aspect of my career and I want to make them very strategic and focused. I have 2 different types of pens: working on a specific pitch/mechanic and game-like. If there’s something a pitching coach has seen or want to change, they let me know what they’re looking for, and then I’ll put 90% of my focus on that to try to improve. That could include speeding up my motion, keeping my head pointed to home plate better, or maybe trying to change the shape of a pitch. Now that’s where using a TrackMan is so useful. If I know the numbers of my slider when it’s good, I can try different grips or finger pressures to see if one is better than another using real, instant data to show me. The other type of bullpen is a game like bullpen. In these, I’ll pick a lineup typically from the NL East and pretend that I have to face 4-6 of their best hitters using scouting reports and hot/cold maps to make sure I’m focused on exactly what I would do facing each hitter.

What are your thoughts on the TrackMan System providing you with the instant feedback on pitches as well as the report afterwards?

I just mentioned a little bit, but the TrackMan system can be so useful IF you know what you’re looking for. It’s very important to understand exactly what each number means not only in general but specifically to each player. My numbers are totally different than the next guy, but we can both use a Trackman to tinker with pitches if we know our Vertical Movement or Release angle etc. My advice is to throw a game like bullpen without looking at the information during, and then look at the numbers after to give yourself some guidelines or bases so then when you want to tinker you can understand if a pitch was better or worse. 

What type of training do you do outside of baseball that you find helps you stay prepared and healthy?

I’d say the biggest off the field improvements I’ve made lately have all been to make my body feel better. I understand when you’re 16-22 or so you feel great all the time, but when you get into the minor leagues where you play for 7 months straight it’s important to make sure your body is in the best shape possible. That doesn’t necessarily mean working out in the gym harder. I’ve realized my pliability and my diet have taken my health to a new level. I started doing yoga 2-3 times a week to loosen up and I also started working with a dietician to improve my diet. I’m not saying I don’t have a carb ever, but you’d be surprised how much better you’d feel if you really focused on improving your diet by just 25%. 

Can you break down your game-day routine?

My game day routine as a reliever and with different travel and timing so some of it has to be adjustable but there are some aspects, I make mandatory. First thing I do when I get to the field is get in the hot tub and then go to the gym to go through my activation programs from lower body to my shoulder work routine which all takes about 45-60 minutes. I always make sure I stretch my throwing out to 120 feet to see if I’m able to pitch in the game or not depending on how often I’ve thrown previously. I feel like if I do all that activation and using plyo balls to warm up that will show how good or sometimes bad my arm feels. Then I’ll make sure that I take 5 minutes to listen to some calming music and do my meditation and breathing work to lock myself in to game time

What is some advice you would give to high school prospect who are beginning or currently in the recruiting process?

My most important advice to prospects going through the recruiting process is to do your homework on the school and also to pick the best school for YOU. That means you ask people for honest opinions and facts about the coaches at that school both positive and negative to figure out how much their players improve their based on coaching. The key is to find somewhere you’re going to get better. Don’t choose a school because it will be cool to post on your social media. Focus more so on where you’ll get consistent playing time and coaching that will make you better so you can eventually take that next step to professional baseball. 

Is there any advice you could share with prospects who aspire to get to the Major League level, like yourself?

My #1 thing to tell prospects aspiring to get to the Major League level might come off as rude, but it’s honest and I want people to understand it. You need to get better literally every day to be a Major Leaguer and stay there. Never be satisfied with how good you are because there are so many people better than you and unless you’re the next Mike Trout there always will be. You constantly need to be improving at least one facet of your game every single day. Because I’ve seen it’s the players who not only have great talent but that are always adjusting and improving to take their talent to another level that are the most successful major leaguers. I saw Lamar Jackson after another MVP type game wearing a shirt that said, “Nobody Cares, Work Harder” and I can’t explain it any better than that. What you did yesterday doesn’t matter today; get better today and then get better tomorrow because that’s the mindset you need to really truly be a great baseball player.

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Upperclass Top Prospect Games

An INVITE ONLY event featuring top 2021 prospects from around the state. The event will take place on Tuesday, July 7 - Wednesday, July 8 at UNLV Players will participate in a pro-style workout, followed by simulated game-play. 

The event is limited in the number of participants.  Pitchers will be evaluated/videoed during live game action. Rosters will be organized/built by specific positions to maximize playing time/exposure for each player. If you want to take advantage of this opportunity, please get your registration in as soon as possible, as roster spots are limited, both by total quantity and by position.

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Since 2005, Prep Baseball Report’s mission has been to provide the most credible scouting and event platform to help players and recruiters alike. As baseball has evolved, so have we. 

Prep Baseball Report has recently partnered with global leaders in the baseball technology and analysis space to deliver an unparalleled in-event and post-event experience. Now, at events across the country, players will receive actionable data from their event performance,  captured by industry-leading technologies, so they can elevate their game and get to the next level. Players will now receive actionable, post-event data from our industry-leading partners, including: TrackMan, Blast Motion and Driveline.