MESA, Ariz. -- With so much of the baseball world buzzing about Diamondbacks pitching prospect Trevor Bauer, not even an analytics conference put on by the Society for American Baseball Research is safe from Bauer mania.
Moderating a panel on advanced analytics, FOXSports.com senior baseball writer Ken Rosenthal used Bauer as an example in asking a panel of general managers if new methods of preparation might help pitchers today stay healthier.
Bauer's pregame routine has been discussed much this spring, from his yoga stretching to his foul-pole-to-foul-pole long toss. Bauer's routine is like none other right now, and everybody seems to know it.
Los Angeles Angels GM Jerry Dipoto was first to weigh in, having helped bring Bauer to Arizona via the first-year player draft while interim GM with the D-backs last season.
"Having been there and been through the Trevor Bauer experience with the Diamondbacks, it's a very unique form of preparation in how we would view it with our naked eye," Dipoto said. "There's sense to everything he does, and there's a specific plan in place for why he's doing everything he's doing."
Bauer spoke at length to that exact point after a recent Cactus League start, explaining multiple aspects of his routine and their purpose. The goal of it all, Dipoto said, calls to mind pitchers of an era not so long ago that took on much greater workloads than hurlers today.
"Years ago pitchers used to throw 300, 320 innings (per season)," Dipoto said. "How does that happen? Because you trained your body to do it. That's what Trevor Bauer is doing. He's training his body to do it."
Dipoto wasn't implying that Bauer is trying to throw 300-plus innings in a season, but rather that his approach to preparation is very different from the norm in baseball today, which often involves extensive weight training. Dipoto predicted unconventional routines like Bauer's will only gain steam.
"Whether it's Tim Lincecum before him or Trevor Bauer today, I think we're going to see more and more guys like this," Dipoto said. "There's always going to be a next artery or a new turn, and I think Trevor Bauer is one of the guys that's leading us in that direction. I don't think he's alone."
That's pretty high praise from an established executive, particularly considering Bauer hasn't even made his big league debut yet. But Dipoto wasn't alone Friday in heaping praised on the 21-year-old hurler. Cleveland Indians GM Chris Antonetti also gave his take on Bauer and is clearly impressed by the right-hander taken No. 3 overall in the draft last June.
"Having had the opportunity to talk to Trevor already, for him it's not just about he pitches, but also how he conditions," Antonetti said. "He's an exceptionally intelligent guy and very thoughtful, thinking not only 'What am I going to do when I'm on the mound?' but also 'How am I going to condition my body to do it?'
"It's an evolution of thought of not only training the arm but training the entire body to meet the demands of pitching."
Yes, Trevor Bauer is certainly a hot topic in baseball at the moment. All he has to do now is throw an inning in the major leagues.
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