Blogs

Strong Off-Season for Red Sox Stars at Athletes' Performance

January 11, 2010

Getty Images

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that key Red Sox players, including Jacoby Ellsbury and Daisuke Matsuzaka, are having a productive off-season training at Athletes' Performance in Arizona.

It's been an off-season of adjustments for Ellsbury, who was told recently that he'd be moving from center to left field. Craig Friedman, director of methodology at Athletes' Performance, says that he's also changed his training goals in 2010.

Friedman on Ellsbury: "This is his second year with us. Last year we focused on lean body mass. Jacoby thought he had some issue with keeping weight on by the end of the season, and this past season he liked where he finished, so we’re hoping to keep him where he is."

And this year?

"We’re concentrating on him being more powerful with his weight, which would not only translate into more power at the plate but more power with his running and all aspects of his game. We’re currently into more of the core-type foundational exercises and later we’ll focus more on position-specific things."

Matsuzaka, who has been been at odds with the Red Sox organization in the past over his preferred training regimen and rehab process, has also been productive while at Athletes' Performance. Writes Cafardo:

Friedman said Daisuke Matsuzaka, one of about 15 Japanese players training at [Athletes' Performance], continues to have a strong off-season. In the past, Japanese players have concentrated more on baseball skills than overall conditioning, but that is changing and Matsuzaka seems to be embracing it.