Josh Reddick was cut from his middle-school baseball team two years in a row. He went on to play 13 seasons in Major League Baseball, win a Gold Glove, collect more than 1,100 hits, and win a World Series. 

So what should baseball parents take from a story like his? 

In this episode of the Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast, Josh Reddick talks about youth baseball development, travel baseball, exposure, hitting, positional development, slumps, routines, and why parents shouldn't decide what a young player can become based on what he looks like at 10, 11, or 12 years old. 

Josh explains why reps matter more than where your son plays, when exposure actually begins to matter, and why talented players will eventually get found if they perform. 

We also get into one of the biggest problems in youth baseball today: trying to manufacture a mechanically perfect swing instead of teaching kids how to hit. Josh explains why there is no single perfect swing, using players like Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Bonds, Jose Altuve and others as examples. 

He also shares what he actually notices when evaluating talented young players, what Ron Washington taught him about keeping baseball simple, how he handled one of the worst stretches of his MLB career, and the one trait he'd choose in a 12-year-old player over everything except talent. 

If you're a baseball parent trying to figure out what actually matters for your son's development, this conversation is worth watching all the way through. 

TIMESTAMPS 

00:00 Josh Reddick joins Chasing Baseball Dreams 

00:36 Cut from his middle-school team twice 

03:03 What matters most for young baseball players 

04:20 When does baseball exposure actually matter? 

06:43 Being told he wasn't good enough 

08:11 Why kids shouldn't specialize at one position too early 

10:58 What Ron Washington did for Marcus Semien 

12:29 There is no blueprint for becoming a Major Leaguer 

14:42 Ron Washington and keeping baseball simple 

17:18 What parents get wrong when their son starts struggling 

20:18 The problem with chasing the "perfect" baseball swing 

22:42 What Josh notices when evaluating young players 

24:02 The sound of the bat and raw athletic ability 

25:18 Josh knew Junior Caminero was different 

26:17 Why you can't evaluate a player's future at 9U 

27:07 Josh's three favorite baseball memories 

28:04 Making his Major League debut with the Red Sox 

29:56 The one trait Josh wants in a 12-year-old player 

31:05 Final thoughts 

Josh Reddick played more than 1,300 Major League games during a 13-year MLB career with the Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros and Arizona Diamondbacks. He won the 2012 American League Gold Glove in right field and was a member of Houston's 2017 World Series championship team. 

Chasing Baseball Dreams helps baseball parents cut through the noise surrounding travel baseball, youth baseball development, recruiting, exposure, showcases and the decisions that actually matter as their sons grow through the game. 

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