Connected Performance was started with one goal in mind. To be the mentor that our team wish we had while working through our collegiate or professional career. Not only are we looking to create better pitchers, but we want to give our athletes the tools, tactics, and routines to succeed in their day-to-day life, as well. Connected Performance isn’t just a remote training program, it’s a building block to each athlete’s next step in life.
Who we are
My name is Alec Hammond, and I am the founder of ConnectedPerformance. Throughout my journey in college baseball, I’ve endured the yips, a broken back, and a torn rotator cuff. Throughout my rehab process I trained myself to throw harder and sustain a healthy body without any surgery. In the later years of my college career and graduate school I worked at the Florida Baseball Ranch training ranges of athletes in high school to MLB All-Stars. In the fall of 2018, I worked with the Chinese Professional Baseball League in Taiwan training their Olympic andProfessional organizations. I also served as the Director of Player Development at Florida Southern College during the 2019-2020 season. Since 2019, Connected Performance has helped dozens of athletes get into professional baseball and hundreds reach the next level. We’ve consulted with collegiate programs and private academies to offer the best-in-class training while never sacrificing our quality of work for massive growth.
They say you’re the average of your 5 closest peers and that is why I’ve set out to surround myself with some of the best baseball minds in the world. In March of 2021, we added on Ben Baggett as a partner. Ben is a Stanford baseball graduate with an MBA from Florida Southern. He is a self-taught 100 mph thrower who has solved some of the most complex problems baseball has seen such as shoulder impingements, the translation from the weight room to the mound, and manipulating the body to work in extreme end ranges of motion. Ben has worked tenaciously for almost a decade and has endured a torn UCL, torn rotator cuff, ulnar nerve issues, and a broken foot. Throughout all of this he was able to build a 97-mph fastball with a plus slider and sign with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2022 after pitching less than 10 innings in college baseball. Ben has been an instrumental part in developing some of our world class throwers. Throughout this time.
Ian Walsh was added in late 2021. Ian currently serves as the assistant pitching coordinator for the Los Angeles Dodgers and previously served as Director of High Performance at Driveline Baseball and CombineAcademy. Thought to be one of the most creative throwing minds in the game, Ian has brought a unique approach transferring javelin training to pitching. Not only does he have a track record of developing 100 mph throwers (see CP athleteBlake Brown here
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but he is also one of the best at developing the highly sought after “sweeper” utilized by the likes of Jordan Lyles, Heath Hembree, JJ Niekro, Brandyn Sittinger, and Jack Hartman. Ian currently serves as the Director of Throwing Initiatives as he seeks to create the best possible patterns with our athletes.
Ryne Huggins is our latest addition to the staff after concluding his playing career. Ryne trained with us while pursuing a free agent contract after his season. During this time, he was able to touch a PR of 92 mph with at torn labrum and previously undergoing Tommy John Surgery. Ryne had successful careers and both Clemson University and University of Houston. He brings a unique perspective as he pitched on some of the biggest stages in college baseball throughout his career while enduring multiple injuries.
Our approach:
Connected Performance takes a unique approach to developing our athletes. We do not roll out a one size fits all program, you won’t do the same drills throughout your entire existence with the program, and our training doesn’t stop at baseball. When we said we want to be the mentor we wish we had, we mean it. We’ve helped athletes with their daily routines, mental game, and total productivity output as we aim to deliver high performance young men.
Although our program is remote, your experience will be more individualized than any facility or pitching coach. With our player development software, you’ll have the most transparency into your data, development, and progress while knowing exactly what you’re doing each day. Our ethos is simple, be the mentor we needed in college, create high output young men, and allow our athletes to have a growth mindset. The results speak for themselves, so here’s to continuing to expand our team and serving you and others.
Ready to make the climb? Email Training@Connected-Performance.com.