20+ years in professional baseball
Rick Strickland
Pro hitting coach with 20+ years in professional baseball. I find the one thing standing between a hitter and more barrels, train it, and retest it.
I don't do lessons. I develop a few hitters. · TrainRight Academy, Hitzert Court, Fenton, MO, USA · Baseball
Starting Price
$97.00
Lessons
2
Followers
1
Credentials
Highlights
- Worked with Pete Crow-Armstrong in the Cubs system
- Rebuilt Cedric Mullins' swing from the ground up (covered by MLB.com)
- Big leaguers I've trained: Andrew Benintendi, Cedric Mullins, Tommy Pham, Carson Kelly, Matt Vierling, Matt Adams, Brian Anderson, Matt Reynolds
- Builds every plan on the 4B framework: Body, Ball, Bat, Brain
- Every hitter is retested against his own baseline
- Pirates alumni in the big leagues include Devin Williams, Jake Odorizzi, Chad Green, and Jake Brentz.
Teaching Philosophy
You got to get the bat to the right spot, at the right time, at the right angle, to catch a barrel. That's the whole job. Most hitters are one thing away from doing it more often. My job is to find that one thing. Not five things. One. We train it, then we retest it against your own baseline, so you see the change instead of taking my word for it. Good hitters get their information from the pitch. So I don't just look at mechanics. I look at rhythm, timing, and when a hitter picks up the ball, because that's where most swings are won or lost. Data informs the work. It never replaces watching the hitter.
About the coach
I was drafted by the New York Yankees after playing at Austin Peay, and I've spent more than 20 years in professional baseball since. I've been a hitting coach in the Chicago Cubs system (2022-2025) and with the Norfolk Tides (Orioles, 2026), a hitting consultant for the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers, and a scout for the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Mets. I've coached big leaguers like Pete Crow-Armstrong.
In 1996 I founded the St. Louis Pirates, a college development program that has helped hundreds of players earn college scholarships. Alongside it, I've trained big leaguers one-on-one in St. Louis, including Andrew Benintendi, Cedric Mullins, Tommy Pham, Carson Kelly, and Matt Vierling.
Today I work with a small number of hitters, in person in St. Louis and remotely anywhere. I keep it small on purpose. I need to know every swing I'm responsible for.
Specialities
Reviews
No reviews yet
Purchase Options
Free 15-Minute Call
Tell me about your hitter I'll tell you the right place to start No pitch. One next step.
Schedule ConsultationRemote Development Program (Monthly)
1 Online Lesson- 2 coaching sessions a month, with your bat sensor doing the weekly tracking between sessions
- Includes Insider: my library, community, and monthly live session
- 30-day money-back guarantee. High school age and up.
In Your Corner
2 Online Lessons
1 Zoom Lesson- 1 x 30min Zoom Lesson/mo
- Send me two swing videos each month. I'll review each one myself and show you what to work on next.
- We'll meet on Zoom once a month for 30 minutes to talk through your swing and your plan.
- You'll have a practice plan built around your swing. We work on one priority at a time and change the plan as you make progress.
- Message me in Skillest between reviews with questions about your plan.
Catching Barrels Swing Scan
1 Online Lesson- One remote Swing Scan, reviewed by Coach Rick
- A plain-English read of your swing and one priority to train
- One drill and a one-month practice block built around that priority
- Delivered in your Skillest conversation within 24 hours after the required player intake and usable swing video are both complete, including weekends
- Complete the Catching Barrels Player Intake if we do not already have it on file: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd5Bzr2fEaXlGMCqzkcuy4tN_c4BA0GtwaK5dHVTR7XST7kbg/viewform
- Send your swing video and one question through Skillest; we will confirm your intake before analysis begins
- One scan only; no class, subscription, second review, or retest included
