MLB Tryouts 101: 10 Proven Tips to Prepare For an MLB Tryout

Preparation to excel at an MLB tryout begins long before the day of the workout. But as that day approaches, be fully prepared to show the scouts your best stuff by following these ten tips. Bear in mind that this information concerns baseball tryout preparation. Keep on the lookout for a future article to help you stand out once the tryout begins. (To learn how to take advantage of the WORLDWIDE ooprtunity to get paid to play baseball today, CLICK HERE!)

1) Get yourself in baseball shape. Training your body to excel on a baseball field is far different from training your body to say, enter a bodybuilding competition, or run a long distance race. Make sure that you’ve been using baseball specific muscles—through sprint work, batting practice, long toss, etc--for a number of weeks at the very least. Cramming for an MLB tryout by spending 4 hours in the cage the day before the workout most certainly will not cut it.

2) Don’t be a hero. If you have any type of injury that’s not completely healed, skip the workout and prepare for the next one. Is one MLB tryout really worth risking a more serious injury, even one that could be permanent? If you’re not 100% healthy, you’re probably not going to electrify any scouts anyway. Save it for another day.

3) Ok Hercules, if you’ve been hitting the weights like a madman, it’s time to chill out. It’s important to lighten up in the weight room when you’re preparing for an MLB tryout. Serious baseball players need to be loose on the field; heavy lifting will make you tight. Tightness will slow you down in the 60 yard dash, deprive you of some power at the plate, and make you more likely to throw unsightly rainbows during your arm evaluation.

4) Get your Z’s! The night before an MLB tryout may be an anxious time, but force yourself to get your rest. Whatever you need to do to visit dreamland, get it done so you’re alert and invigorated in the morning.

5) Pack your gear the night before. You’ll need your cleats and glove of course, but don’t forget the small stuff like a protective cup (let’s hope that’s not TOO small), an extra set of sleeves, batting gloves, and a light jacket. If you have lumber (a wooden bat) and a helmet, bring those too. But don’t worry; bats and helmets at an MLB workout will be supplied by the organization.

6) Feed the machine. Try to wake up and fuel up about three hours before the MLB tryout begins (you’ll typically hit the field around 10 o’clock). A few guidelines: Don’t go too heavy—fruits, breads and cereals along with some fruit juice should work. If your system requires coffee (like mine does) to get rolling, don’t go overboard. Too much caffeine can lead to dehydration. Try to steer clear of fatty foods and anything that makes you gassy. Ripping a cheese fart during the last leg of the 60 won’t help you get signed.

7) Stay fueled up. Bring along a few energy bars or a small lunch, as well as a sports drink or water bottle. Water will likely be available at the park, but pack some anyway, just in case.

8) Arrive on time. Unless you throw mid-nineties or have 5 years plus in The Show, there’s no reason to be late to an MLB tryout.

9) Make sure you have a clean, matching uniform for the day of the workout. A baseball t-shirt is ok as long as it matches. But the bright purple socks, orange belt and wife-beater ensemble won’t fly. You get the idea.

10) By the same token, look like a professional. You might think that molester moustache and mullet make you look like an intimidating closer, but they actually make you look like you should be wearing an ankle monitor under house arrest. Take out the earrings too. When you reach the bigs, you can grow back the Mississippi mud flap and pierce both nostrils. But if you’re attending an MLB tryout, clean it up.

Heed this advice and you’ll be ready to show the scouts what you’re really made of.

If you’re looking to play professional baseball--either in North America OR overseas--there are a number of avenues you can take advantage of in order to make it happen. An MLB tryout is only one. That said, proper preparation for a professional tryout gets you that much closer to living the pro baseball dream.

Eddie Aucoin is a professional baseball player, instructor and author of "Live The Dream: Get Paid to Play Baseball."
He combines his expertise and experience along with a great deal of meticulous research to provide this comprehensive and entertaining guide for players (and parents) that hope to go pro. There's more WORLDWIDE opportunity than ever before for those that wish to learn how to take advantage and live the dream!