Eric McCombie

The future is 30 years ago. 🏟️

Another guy from our very talented 2028 class. Stronger than anyone on the field. Will be TE1 this fall too. High character guy with leadership qualities.

Another one from our talented 2028 class. One of the best athletes on the field. 6.8 and improving runner. Hit tool plays with power coming. Primarily SS but can play all INF and OF. Another high ceiling player.

+Defender behind the plate that can play every position on the field. Will hit in the middle of the lineup. Extra base machine last season as a sophomore. High ceiling player.

Can play multiple positions C/1B/OF and will be one of our arms on the mound this coming season. Physical with raw power. Going to be a good one for someone at the next level. One of our strongest in the weightroom.

Culture. Winners, win. I hate to say this because I love this franchise with my entire being but its because the Pirates organization doesnt know how to win. Just sitting around waiting for something bad to happen.

The Pirates are basically getting career years from like every single position player on the roster and are somehow one game under .500. It is mind blowing stuff.

Rising True Sophomore| Threw 4 innings 7ks 1 walk 1 ER 5 hits 87-88 T90 with good command of slider and splitter @BDC_cash @Jefftimmy @OuterBanksBsbl @FlatgroundApp @DJSnelten

Losers: Assemble in small groups and complain about coaches and teammates. Winners: Assemble as a team and find ways to win. Which one are you?

Uncommitted Juco Rs sophomore Fb 87-90 t91.5 2250 Ch 78-80 1200 Sl 77-79 2700 Cb 74-75 2630 Over 120 innings pitched in Juco 912-660-5902

Ball player. Congrats @MallardBrody10

This book was a game changer for me as a coach

Curt Cignetti on his program's philosophy on how not to be average: 🎭 Average is a decision disguised as a default. Make standards visible, measurable, and non-negotiable. Because what you tolerate becomes your identity. 🤝 Most people negotiate with the work; elite teams eliminate the negotiation. The gap isn’t talent, it’s the daily refusal to accept “good enough” in reps, details, and accountability. 🧱 You don’t rise above average in big moments, you escape it in small ones. Every meeting, drill, and conversation is either reinforcing the standard, or quietly lowering it.

💯 “Boring before brilliance.” Paul Skenes details his routine Young athletes want to constantly do something new or novel Often avoiding routine, fundamentals & what works… “Sometimes it’s what it takes in sports The boring process, the boring fundamentals.” LISTEN:

Choose toughness over talent every time. Talent or lack of it does not excuse you from also being tough. Toughness is a choice and it wins

The best players "bring it everday." They don't give at bats away, they don't take pitches off, they finish their reps in the weightroom, take goundballs game speed, etc. Bring it everyday.

This is Gold. Train>Play

What are you willing to do?

"If you tell them the truth, they're going to hate you for a day. If you lie to them, they're going to hate you forever." Pirates manager Don Kelly shared some advice he got from Hall of Fame manager Jim Leyland on being transparent and truthful with players.

As a hitting coach, I watched players come back to the dugout after making an out. They'd look at me and ask, "What'd you see?" I'd go through the mechanical stuff like back side collapse, front side energy, head came off the ball. Man, it was wearing me out! Finally, I realized I needed to simplify. So the next time a player came back asking what I saw, I just asked him: "Did you get a good pitch to hit?" That usually stopped the conversation. Because if you don't "get a good pitch to hit," it's hard to get a hit. This works in our lives too. Whatever task I take on, I ask myself: Am I putting myself in position to succeed? Did I eliminate distractions? Did I prepare? Did I practice? Am I ready to produce? In life, your "good pitch to hit" probably isn't the same as mine. That's the beauty of it all. I've swung at some bad pitches in my life... so have you. But one bad swing doesn't always end the at-bat. Hitting is a lot like life. It can be simple, but not easy.