21: Former MLB Player Aaron Barrett | Youth Baseball Development, Arm Health & the FOMO Trap

Show Notes

Baseball parents spend a lot of time worrying about winning, playing time and whether their son is falling behind.

Former MLB pitcher Aaron Barrett says one of the biggest things parents worry about is FOMO. Trying to keep up with what everybody else is doing instead of looking at where your own kid is right now.  

 Aaron has seen player development from just about every angle. He pitched parts of four seasons with the Washington Nationals, made it back to the Major Leagues after more than four years away following Tommy John surgery and a fractured humerus, and was part of Washington’s 2019 World Series team. After his playing career, he moved into player development with the Philadelphia Phillies. In his first season managing the Single-A Clearwater Threshers, his team finished 74-55 and Aaron was named Baseball America’s Single-A Manager of the Year and Florida State League Manager of the Year.  

 In this episode of the Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast, Aaron and I get into what actually separates players as they move up, why consistency and handling failure matter so much, what development should look like at younger ages, and why playing catch still matters. 

 We also talk about youth pitching and arm health, how parents should vet coaches and instructors, multi-sport athletes, baseball IQ, analytics, player ownership, Aaron’s four MLB Draft experiences, his incredible comeback to the big leagues, and some of his favorite Major League memories. 

 Aaron also explains why parents need to ask more questions before handing their son’s development over to somebody else, especially when it comes to pitching and training.  

 His closing advice is simple: use the information and experience available to you, then bring the decision back to your child and what’s best for him right now. Development isn’t linear.  

 TIMESTAMPS 

 00:00 Aaron Barrett’s MLB career, comeback and move into managing 

02:05 What separates players in professional baseball 

05:08 Baseball IQ and how players are being developed today 

08:17 Development vs. winning 

11:31 What development should look like for young players 

14:24 Why playing catch still matters 

17:17 When parents should stop trying to fix every struggle 

19:35 Helping a young player through an injury 

22:25 What parents should ask about pitching and arm care 

25:19 Aaron on youth arm injuries and Dr. Andrews 

26:48 Aaron’s wild MLB Draft story 

29:10 Growing up as a multi-sport athlete 

31:02 When parents should hand ownership back to the player 

35:28 Data, analytics and paralysis by analysis 

39:37 In-and-Out with Aaron Barrett 

40:20 What baseball parents worry about too much 

41:38 What he’d tell the parents of his 12-year-old self 

42:34 The toughest hitter Aaron faced in the Major Leagues 

43:39 Aaron’s favorite baseball memories 

50:41 Favorite baseball movie and his upcoming documentary 

53:53 Aaron’s final advice for baseball parents 

What is Chasing Baseball Dreams?

You're spending thousands a year on travel baseball. A better team. A bigger showcase. More lessons. A higher ranking. And you still have no way to know if any of it is actually working.

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That's not an accident. That's the machine.

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Chasing Baseball Dreams is the only baseball parent podcast hosted by someone with no financial stake in where your money goes. I don't run a travel team. I don't sell lessons. I don't coach for an org. I have no reason to steer you in the wrong direction. I'm Bobby Minor... former Division 1 player, 35+ years coaching select baseball and high school, former travel organization director, over 1,000 college recruiting assessments, and a college baseball dad who almost lost 2 sons to this game for 2 very different reasons, with one currently playing college baseball.

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Every episode, I sit down with former Major League players, college coaches, scouts, and baseball dads who've lived through the same grind you're in right now. People who've been inside this industry long enough to tell you the truth about how it actually works.

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Here's what you can expect.

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Real conversations about what actually matters at each age from 8U to signing day. The questions you should be asking before you commit to a team, a coach, or a showcase. The stuff the industry doesn't want you to hear, from people who've been inside it long enough to say it out loud. And the truth about recruiting, development, and where your money is actually going.

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Bobby Minor: And welcome to the Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast. Today I'm joined by former Major League pitcher Aaron Barrett, who is now managing in the Phillies organization. Had a really good year, his first year as a manager. But Aaron pitched parts of four seasons with the Nationals, appeared in 95 games at the big league level. 2015 had Tommy John surgery the next year while working his way back, had another setback, fracturing the humerus in his throwing arm. But yet he still made it back. So after more than four years away from the big leagues and returned to the majors and the major league mound with Washington in 2019, won a World Series, I might add. Also a teammate of one of my podcast guests at Adam Eaton. But after finishing his playing career in 2022, he moved into player development with the Phillies and served as their minor league rehab pitching coordinator. And this year. Like I mentioned, Aaron got his first opportunity to manage, taking over the single A Clearwater Threshers. I'm gonna have to ask you what a thresher is. I'm not from Florida, so I I'm guessing maybe it's some sort of fish. I don't know. but they finished 74 and 55. Very, very impressive. And Aaron was named not only Baseball America's Single A Manager of the Year, but also the Florida State League Manager of the Year. So Aaron, welcome to the Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast.

Aaron Barrett: Blessed and honored, to be a part of it. Thanks so much for having me.

Bobby Minor: So what is a thresher for somebody from Texas? I don't know.

Aaron Barrett: It's it's a shark.

Bobby Minor: okay, okay, that makes sense. So all right, well that's pretty might why I just call the clear water sharks. That'd be a bit easier.

Aaron Barrett: Maybe.

Bobby Minor: I don't know, I don't know. all right, so we'll just kinda we'll just kinda jump right into it, Aaron. So Aaron, like you're managing professional players now. By the time guys get to you, obviously like everybody can play. So what do the guys who keep moving do differently? The guys that you know keep advancing, what do they do differently? And what should parents of younger players be paying attention to because of that?

Aaron Barrett: For me, I I think once you get in the Pro Ball, it's it's not a matter of talent. I th I feel like everybody has talent and obviously, you know, again there there's reasons why certain guys get drafted higher than others because maybe those tools are a little bit shinier than others. But the reality is is everybody has some level of tool at that level. That's why they're there, at the pro level. To me, the biggest thing is s is a separator's consistency. So what I talk about with guys all the time is the difference because again we're playing the game of failure. So the reality is which guys continue to move up are the ones that handle the failure better and are be able to make the adjustments more consistently. and that and those are the guys that move up higher and higher.

Bobby Minor: Yeah. That's good. So managing single A, what what was the age range of your players?

Aaron Barrett: we had anywhere from eighteen year old, which again fresh high school kid, a couple

Bobby Minor: Okay.

Aaron Barrett: young Latin guys, all the way up to I believe we had a couple twenty four year olds, which would be like those red shirt junior or senior college guys. So about eighteen to twenty four year old.

Bobby Minor: Okay, so you just mentioned three types of players. So like the Latin American player who by the time he gets to you, he's probably spent a couple of years like if you're you know at the d at like the Dominican Academy, you know, if they sign when they're sixteen and then they come to you, the US high school player and then the US older player that like you said might have got drafted after their junior year, maybe some JUCO guys, but Is there anything is there anything that you see in those three types of players that surprises you? In in the sense that, man, I would have thought that they would have this down, but they don't. And the reason why I'm asking, like, you know, the when I ran the event in the Dominican Republic, what I would see is Players, you know, and it's kind of funny because everybody talks about how much they train in the DR versus they versus playing, and it's because they're training them to sign at sixteen. They're not teaching them how to play the game. They're teaching pitchers how to throw hard, hitters how to hit hard, so they get signed. And then they go to you know go to the Dominican Academy and then they start l really learning how to play and everything. So that's one reason why I'm asking, because when we would play against some of those teams down there, even with older players, that their baseball IQ to me was was subpar. But I'm also seeing a lot of US travel baseball players, it's kind of the same thing. It's everything's all about metrics now. And you got guys, you know, at the varsity level in high school that don't know how to run bases, don't know how to hit cutoffs and things like that. I would imagine the college players, by the time they get to you, that's that's a different story for them. But for the young Latin players and the high school players, do you see anything that surprises you regarding like, man, I would think that that they would have this down.

Aaron Barrett: I think at this point there's there's quite a few things that surprise me. I mean again, I think the state of the game is is way different. I mean again, like I I just finished up playing, you know, four years ago and obviously my development process didn't feel like it was that long ago, but things are things are way different

Bobby Minor: Yeah.

Aaron Barrett: than what they were. not saying that in a bad way, but it's just more so I feel like baseball IQ is something that is, I don't want to say lacking, but it's more so, again, like, what are we, what are we caring about the most? And so I feel like, I mean, we could talk about this for probably a long time. but one thing that really stuck with me this this pat like last year was I I was, you know, in church and I heard a message and they talked about, Everyone has a story and once you understand their story, their life makes sense. And

Bobby Minor: Okay.

Aaron Barrett: so how these kids are being developed, again, like it to me it looks I try to look at this like 30,000 square foot view of like where these players are coming from and what their development process looks like. So again, like you just mentioned basically four different types of development: Latin, high school, JUCO, four-year college. And again all depends on where their what their resources were, where they're where their upbringings, where are they coming from, what college programs are coming from. All completely different. What are they trying to accomplish? so all that being said, it's it's it has its own challenges. Again, like what is the most important thing? And trying to find

Bobby Minor: Yeah.

Aaron Barrett: the one thing that these kids can actually, you know, gravitate towards and what is the what is the most important thing. because again like those are four completely different types of processes based off of again whether coming from like the Latin player for example right their one opportunity off the island is baseball that's it that's all they have so their development down there is completely different than what we're doing in the States And I feel like we're, you know, the model that we're currently trending on in the United States is again, like that's not necessary because there are so many other opportunities here that we can be doing with our with our kids.

Bobby Minor: Yeah. So it's definitely it's definitely interesting, it's definitely different. And so just make getting my wheels turning. So obviously like you won a lot of games this year, for sure, which is which is amazing, but your job is still to develop players, you know, at the single A level, not just to win games. And parents deal with that, you know, same sort of tension when they're choosing a travel team. So What should what would you tell a parent, what should they look for to tell whether a coach is really developing players or mostly trying to win on the weekend?

Aaron Barrett: Yeah, I mean I think I think that's where so one thing that obviously I learned the very hard way through my own process was again I got wrapped up in baseball was my identity. And at the end of the day when I gave up, you know, three run home run or I ended up striking out the side for a big save or whatever that was, like I used that to define who I was. And unfortunately when the game got stripped away from me the hard way, like the very hard way. I didn't know who I was. So I feel like the perspective that I gained through that process allowed me to understand what actually matters. And for me, I learned that the only thing that matters is you becoming the best version of yourself every day, like that one percent better mindset every single day. and I believe that winning and development they go hand in hand. I feel like when you really trust the process and dive into like what is the process that matters, the the results tend to follow, not all the time. It's not perfect.

Bobby Minor: Mm-hmm.

Aaron Barrett: But I talk a lot about a bit about more consistency in the process leads to more consistency in the results. and so when when players, what I've seen, when they just dive again, when they're at at bat, right, their only focus is to do what? Have a good at bat, swing at the pitch that I want and hit the ball hard. They can't, once the ball, you know, hits the bat, like they can't control anything else. Did I swing at the pitch I wanted to? Did I hit it hard? Pitching, very simple. Was every decision that I made going into the pitch, my preparation, every single decision that I make, once the ball did, you know, okay, I it's a fastball way. Okay, what am I gonna do to execute this pitch? Once the ball leaves my hand, there is nothing else I can control. I can't control whether the umpire calls it a ball or strike. I can't control whether the guy swings a miss or hits it. I can't control if the shortstop makes an error or not, or if he even makes the play. So like getting guys to understand that there's so much like what can you actually control? All the things you can control, and if I'm selling out to that process, nine times out of n not all the time, but a lot of times those results. end up being a byproduct of that consistent process. And that's that's kind of what we try to preach this year. And again, when you try to get a collective group, no matter what development, what what stage

Bobby Minor: Then.

Aaron Barrett: that, if they can all collectively kind of buy into that, like good things will happen more more times than not.

Bobby Minor: Yeah, that's good stuff. So you're the father of three kids, all ten and under. I know your daughter plays softball, your your middle your s middle child, your son's playing baseball and you're coaching him this fall. So to the parent out there that has a you know, eight, nine or ten year old kid, how would you how would you define development to them in the sense that They can look at their current situation or maybe a team they're considering joining to see if that coach really is about development versus just winning.

Aaron Barrett: I think again finding out like what's the purpose, what's what's your why? What are you trying to accomplish? Right? Like again, no different than I I'm so I'm coaching my six year old fallball team and their first game is tomorrow night. And so for example, success for me tomorrow would be did every kid have fun? Did every kid hustle on and off the field? Did every kid root on their teammates when they're Hitting in the box. When a kid either makes a play or doesn't make the play, did they cheer on one another instead of, you know, hey, getting on the kid for not making the play? Like that to me is what again and and something I feel like this scales all the way up. Like there is a difference between a major league player and a winning major league player. And I've been very fortunate enough to be in some great clubhouses. And again, like the the obviously the trophy behind my back, like that's one of the best clubhouses I've ever been a part of. And you learn from experience, you learn from being in the trenches and you learn what those that that's winning is a skill. And I feel like there is a certain brand of baseball in a certain way that I feel like we can be teaching these kids again from a five year old all the way up to a thirty five year old grown man. I feel like that's life. And that's why baseball is such a great game. it's such a life lesson that we can be we can be teaching these skills and that and that's what I'm very passionate about. I know what the game's been able to do for me. And I feel like you know, when we're looking at these kids, what what actually what does suc like we need to be better defining what success actually looks like. and so again, the most important part is like every single kid that's on my team. I want them to sign up for spring because that's how much fun and how much joy they had playing the game. You know what I mean? So that's kind of what I'm I'm I'm most excited about.

Bobby Minor: Okay, and I I think it's a great point. I think development in the measure of development is different for different ages. So so you haven't spent any time at practice this fall working on double cuts or first and third.

Aaron Barrett: Absolutely not. Absolutely not.

Bobby Minor: Yeah. So are you coaching T ball or coach pitch?

Aaron Barrett: It's c it's coach pitch and and I'll I'll tell you how birth again we've only had a couple of practices and I would

Bobby Minor: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Aaron Barrett: say the way our again it's organized chaos for six year olds and I try

Bobby Minor: Yeah.

Aaron Barrett: to I feel like one thing if I if I can send one message, like the importance of playing catch. Like if we can stress what the importance of playing catch again, I'll tell you at the major league level Hall of Famers, all stars, the best of the best, can have the best catch play you've ever seen. They can throw the ball exactly where you want, whenever you want, and it's intentional, it's focused, but there's a lot of competition within that catch play. And I feel like that's something, again, early on, I feel like we can really emphasize what is the the purpose of playing catch again. Think about it, if if you're playing catch again, you're feeling the ground ball and you're

Bobby Minor: Yeah.

Aaron Barrett: able to play catch to your first baseman, like

Bobby Minor: Mm-hmm.

Aaron Barrett: we're gonna have a lot of success. So, again, I feel like that's something I I try I'm trying to stress early on, like, hey, let's take play playing catch a little bit, you know, with some focus, making a little bit, you know, of a competition. How many times can you see if you cannot, you know, drop the ball or hit the guy in the chest? Like and then after that then it's a lot of, you know, hey, let's let's play, play the game and good you know, all that good stuff. Again, they're sick. So that's something I think is, you know, is super important.

Bobby Minor: Yeah, for sure. So I know you're coaching. Are you th are you the one that pitches to them?

Aaron Barrett: Yeah, I I feel like my experience I'll be able to kinda throw the ball where I want to. So if you know reading reading some s some kids' swings I might be able to set some kids up for some s success.

Bobby Minor: Yeah. that's good. It's funny, so like I actually there's a if you've never if you never experienced it, d there's an art to being able to pitch well at the coach pitch level. And I had a team here in in Fort Worth, not this spring but last spring, hire hired me to pitch this this team was coached by all moms. So they hired me to come pitch. I would they would pay me a hundred dollars cash for one hour practice and they were paying me a hundred and fifty dollars a game just to pitch. It it was crazy. My wife loved it. That was that was vacation money. But I took I took a team that was a a t a a group of just like ragtag players and we were like beating teams because I could throw the ball where I wanted to throw it and you know, it was it was definitely different. So good luck to you. Hopefully your competitive nature doesn't kick in and you start realizing, okay, you know, I'm dot I'm gonna dot the corner on this kid and you know

Aaron Barrett: Yeah, we'll we'll be all right, I think.

Bobby Minor: Yeah. But a lot of fun, a lot of fun. what were you saying?

Aaron Barrett: As long as I s don't start throwing breaking balls, we'll be okay.

Bobby Minor: Yeah. That's that yeah, for sure. so okay, you've you've lived the rehab side as a player and then you spent years working with injured pitchers. When a kid's struggling, where's the line for a parent between supporting him and constantly stepping in and trying to fix it for him?

Aaron Barrett: Ooh, good question. I think the reality is is yeah, that at the end of the day we we need to be a support, no doubt a support, but this the more we the sooner that we recognize that this is a game, number one, it is a game, need to remember that. number two, it's a game built around failure. the reality is again, I say this all the time, a Hall of Fame player gets out seven out of ten times. So that being said, if we can obviously have that clearer perspective on, you know what, like my kid's not gonna be, you know, the best all the time, or again, it everyone, kids, every kid's develop development's different. I know I would myself, I was a late bloomer and didn't really have a whole lot of success till I was a lot older, but I feel like the Sooner that we can kind of let let them figure it out on their own. Like f like failure, I don't even use the word failure because for me, failure is is just an opportunity to learn. So if we're understanding what what failure actually means and how we can actually define it, I feel like our kids, we can give them a longer leash that to figure to figure out for themselves because this game is built around making adjustments. And then these kids gotta be able to learn how to make adjustments in real time. And again, the best of the best are the ones that are able to make the adjustments faster.

Bobby Minor: Yeah, that's good stuff. W what would you say what would you say to the parent out there of the young player that's dealing with some sort of injury? Because like I I had a mom reach out to me I think in June. Her son was eleven years old. He was going through his third growth plate separation injury at eleven. His eleven U travel team had already played sixty games this year in June. So what I know injuries can be, you know There's different different levels of injury. Some, you know, you're out for a couple of weeks, some, you know, a couple of months. Some you might even have to miss the season. But what would you what would you say to the parent of the young player out there that might be going through some sort of injury and is really discouraged and just really down because of the setback?

Aaron Barrett: Yeah, fur first off, any player that's out there right now listening to us, I have an Instagram, Twitter, please reach out to me. I'm I'm happy to talk to your your son or daughter personally. And again, would love to share my journey perspective. 'cause what I went through, no player should ever have to go through. And my advice would be again, it's really hard to see in the moment. what what God's obviously trying to tell you. but what I learned was that like God's timing is perfect. And so I feel that what I went through and what I learned is that there's a reason why certain things happen. And obviously unfortunately we don't know that answer. But there always is a a a bigger plan. And so again what I've learned Through my experience, obviously being able to help our rehab guys for the last few years before this role was that you just have to devote your focus to something else. Just because the game gets taken away from you doesn't mean you can't devote your time and energy to something else. I know just because again, I shattered my right arm in half, that gave me an opportunity to work on my lower half. That gave me an opportunity to work on my cord, gave me an opportunity to work on my mindset. there are endless amount of opportunities to constantly get better at something else. And so you have to kind of shift your mindset into you know, this kind of woe is me, like, you know, kind of feeling sorry for myself. Like, no, it's an opportunity to get better. And that's what I learned through obviously my, you know, terrible injury. that you know what, like there's an opportunity here and I'm gonna come back bigger, better, stronger than I ever was. And I think if we can shift our mindset into that, no matter what injury you have, you can come back better than ever. And so it's just we just have to re re reshape our focus a little bit.

Bobby Minor: No, that's good stuff. So you mentioned parents can reach out to you through social media. Wh where can they find you on Instagram?

Aaron Barrett: yeah, name is Aaron Barrett Thirty, both Instagram and Twitter. Yeah, send me a DM, no issue whatsoever. Love the Connect, and give you any sort of help whatsoever. happy to help.

Bobby Minor: Alright, that's good stuff. So because of your rehab background, I want to ask you about young arms. So if a parent has, you know, 10, 11, 12, 13 year old pitcher, what should that parent be asking before they trust a coach or instructor with how much that kid throws and how he's being trained and developed?

Aaron Barrett: I think I think for me is is doing some re doing some homework, doing some research. I think again, nothing against other coaches or I think there's a lot of great coaches out there, there's a lot of great you know, mentors experience out there. I'd say do your research. you know, not discrediting any any coach at all. I'm not saying that at all because I believe that there's some great coaches that again, whether that's failed experience, now using it to help other kids or whatever, just j again, just do your homework, do your research and find out what these coaches' beliefs are, what they're you know, what they're what they're trying to accomplish. I feel like that gives you a clear perspective, so you know what you're signing up for, would be number one. And then number two would be I think again like Ask questions. It's okay to ask questions. Like, what's what's your what are you seeing out of my kid? What are you, what, what's the purpose? Again, like if I'm gonna do a pitching lesson with a twelve year old, my question, my first question to the parent or the coach that's coached them is like, what are you trying to get out of this? You know, if the parents like, well, I want them to throw harder, it's like, okay, well, let's take a step back and figure out like why is that the number one thing? Like We need to be asking more questions. I feel like again, like what is the main goal? and then once you understand what okay, now we have what the bigger mission is, what the plan is, we can now come up with an action plan on how are we gonna accomplish this and what's the best avenue to accomplish this goal. So I feel like my biggest thing is yeah, just is is to ask questions. so we can figure out what the again, not just the purpose of this twelve year old for this year, but the bigger the bigger grand scheme of things. Again, if I'm working with a twelve year old and he's wanting to play college baseball, okay, let's let's figure out what that plan looks like from start to finish. If a kid's just like, hey, I I've never pitched before and I'm just trying to figure out, okay, then that's a whole different development process. You know what I mean? So that's kind of my approach a little bit.

Bobby Minor: Yeah, that's good. And I think a lot of parents you need to realize like even if a coach follows pitch count guidelines and things like that, if you're playing, you know, three tournaments a month, eight months out of the year, ten months out of the year, that's still not a good thing, you know, because you're you're putting way I mean, I've heard a lot of guys say, you know, like you only have, you know, so many bullets and It just it seems like a lot of parents, man, like they waste all their ammo when the kid's younger on things that don't matter. And I think that's why we see, you know, a lot of a lot of injuries later. co come go go ahead.

Aaron Barrett: No, I I so I I can keep talking about that because again I'm I'm real passionate about

Bobby Minor: Mm-hmm.

Aaron Barrett: protecting youth arms and again so like Dr. Andrews did both of my surgeries. and I know he's very passionate about this this epidemic that's going on. And again, it's not just at the youth level, it's it's also at the major league level too. We've got a record a record high of guys on the injured list. at the major league level. And again, so you you gotta take a step back is like, what are we really focused on? and that that could be a whole nother topic of conversation, honestly a longer conversation, but I feel that again, I'm a big advocate for playing the sport in the season, that it's supposed to be played. I'm a big advocate for being an athlete first, number one. And you know, something I'm actually trying to partner up with Doctor Andrews too. They're they'll we can get into a little bit more of that, but he's gonna be coming out with what's called Andrews Athlete and very exciting stuff. Just trying to again just continue to push the envelope of again like what's most important for these this youth youth development. and so I'm excited to kind of be a part of that process too.

Bobby Minor: That's awesome. So did you okay, did you get drafted out of high school? Did you go to college and then get drafted? What was what was your draft story like?

Aaron Barrett: So kind of wild story. I've actually been drafted four times. I got drafted. Yeah, so so I humble drag. Again, like I know, wild. And again, like

Bobby Minor: wow. Humble brag, humble brag. I was only drafted four times. Yeah. No.

Aaron Barrett: I'm tell you, my story is kind of wild, but again, I I didn't hit ninety miles per hour until I was a freshman in junior college. And I was I didn't really I didn't get any looks in high school. I was, you know. 6'3, 165 pounds, soaking wet. My senior year in high school topped out at 87. I but I could really spin a breaking ball. And the only reason why I got looked at was because in my hometown, home of Don Mattingley, his son, Preston Mattingley, who's the current general manager for the Phillies. again, kind of wild. we're you know, we're in the same organization now.

Bobby Minor: Yeah.

Aaron Barrett: but long story short, he was a first round pick by the Dodgers, and that's the only reason why I even got looked at. So back then they had what was called draft and follow.

Bobby Minor: Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Aaron Barrett: that so I got drafted as a draft and follow in high school, 44th round of the Dodgers, and then my sophomore year got drafted by the Twins, turned down, going to the third round by the Cardinals, wanted more money, had had a commitment to Old Miss, which again bet on myself, said no, went to Old Miss, was the Friday night guy at Ole Miss. Wasn't good, got kicked right in the mouth, got moved to the bullpen and finished up with a strong year out of the bullpen, still got drafted

Bobby Minor: Mm.

Aaron Barrett: by the Rangers. Said no, 'cause again I already turned down a lot of money my sophomore year and then went back to my senior year with something to prove, had a really good year and then was a ninth ninth rounder senior by the Nationals.

Bobby Minor: Wow. So what junior college did you go to?

Aaron Barrett: Wabash Valley,

Bobby Minor: yeah. Okay.

Aaron Barrett: Coach Rob Fournier, yes sir.

Bobby Minor: Yeah. All right. Very, very cool. so going back to high school, so were you a multi sport athlete in high school? When so two questions. Were you a multi sport were you a multi sport athlete? And if you if you were, at any point did you ever make baseball your your primary sport? And as a pitcher, did you play multiple positions in high school? Like when did you become a PO?

Aaron Barrett: I became a PO officially in my cause I I was technically signed as a two-way player at at JUCO. I tried to hit, I got dominated and said, yeah, that's that's time. So I went to pitcher only going in my freshman spring at at JUCO. but yeah, multi-sport athlete, played, you know, football, flag football, you know, ran track, did hurdles, ran the four hundred meter relay. did baseball, basketball. Basketball in Indiana obviously is the main sport. sprained

Bobby Minor: yeah.

Aaron Barrett: my sprained my MCL my freshman year of football and said, yep, that's it for me. but yeah, it's mo mostly basketball and baseball. And if I wasn't pitching because I went through a huge grow spurt, literally went from playing center field and some shortstop to I couldn't catch a fly ball because of how much I grew. And literally then I became a first baseman and pitcher in high school.

Bobby Minor: Okay. Alright. So by the time players get to you, obviously they have to start owning their career. I wouldn't imagine I wouldn't imagine you have too much parental involvement at the single A level of professional baseball. Hopefully not. But what should baseball parents start handing back to their sons earlier so those kids learn how to handle the games for themselves and prepare them for you know what's coming later?

Aaron Barrett: Say that one time. Sorry.

Bobby Minor: w just I mean what should what should parents start handing handing back to their son sooner to kind of prepare them for what's coming later?

Aaron Barrett: When

Bobby Minor: Or just what? What and when should parents start handing back to their players sooner to help them learn how to handle the game for themselves?

Aaron Barrett: man, that's a good question, honestly. I hadn't really thought about that one. I think the sooner the better on the when part. I don't I don't think there's a right answer. but I feel I feel pretty strongly that what I've seen in some players is that there is a real sense of accountability. and the sooner that you become self-aware, more self-aware. rather than constantly having to be told what to do, where to where to

Bobby Minor: Mm-hmm.

Aaron Barrett: play, what you know, that's again that that that just comes with more experience, more reps, more games. So I feel like I feel like in that sense the sooner the better. the what I feel like just playing the game the right way. you know like what what is what does that actually look like? And again like I'm not gonna, you know, sit here and and say that there's there's there's so many topics of conversations about old school and new school and you know, we obviously have, you know, the Savannah bananas and party animals and we have like all these things going on right now, right? And again, like I I think Savannah Bananas, what they brought to the game as far as like the joy and all these things, right?

Bobby Minor: Okay.

Aaron Barrett: Major League Baseball is again, the epitome, again, what what we should be striving for. again, like it's the best game in the world. And they're being able to see again like understanding what these players pass down. Again, the guys that put on the uniform and what these guys again we got a whole again C V new C V A coming up and I know I'm going on a tangent here, but the respect for the game. And understanding like what guys paid it forward so that we have the game that we have today, I feel like we need to shed light on that and we continue to to make an impact past that forward. So like the what for me is like again playing the game the right way. And I feel like that's that's just a working a working man's mentality. no

Bobby Minor: Mm-hmm.

Aaron Barrett: different than you're you're you're going to work and like What what does that actually look like? You know, like if you show up on the job late, you're gonna get fired. So like all these things that it comes that comes with the game, you know, your preparation and and just playing the game the right way, that's just again, I think the what we can continue to pass pass down. I don't know if I answered

Bobby Minor: Yeah, that's good. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you did. And I'm gonna add to that. So mom and dad quit laying out little Timmy's uniform for him the night before, quit carrying his bat bag from the car. He c he can handle it. If th if he can't carry his bat bag, then buy him one with wheels. so you mentioned the C BA. Do you think there's gonna be a strike?

Aaron Barrett: I'm not in I'm not in that circle to to know the ins and outs,

Bobby Minor: Right. Mm-hmm.

Aaron Barrett: to to elaborate more on the details of that, but from the outside in, you know, I I wanna be hopeful. I really do. and I I do think that the game is at a state where, you know, it's it's it's at an all time high as far as how much money they're bringing in, how much revenue and the the buzz and you know, it's it's it's a fun game right now. And it it it does make me worrisome that we aren't gonna have a season next year. I don't know. I I don't know. I I like I said, I wanna be hopeful. I really do. but just again based up from the outside looking in, it seems like there's a lot of a lot of disagreement going on.

Bobby Minor: Okay. Yeah, and I know we don't have a crystal ball, so hopefully they'll work it out. Now, as a manager, because you mentioned old school and new school, so this made me think of this question. As a manager, how much are you forced to rely I say force, maybe you don't, but how much how much are you forced to rely on data and analytics to drive your decisions versus j what just what your eyes and your gut tell you as a baseball guy?

Aaron Barrett: Good question. Yeah, you see, like I I don't even look at it as old school and and new school, honestly. I just feel like there's I've heard this quote be thrown around a little bit, there's there's a right school. I just feel like there's only one play one one type of way to play the game, and that's you play it hard. You play it hard, you play it from one the first pitch to the last pitch. And you're you're you're obviously you're playing it hard. 'cause again, the game of baseball, anything can happen. We I think we had this season, I think we had eight or nine come from behind wins in the eighth inning, eighth or ninth inning, which was

Bobby Minor: Wow.

Aaron Barrett: was such a cool experience to see these guys understand like what it means to fight. was just super, super cool to see. at that level and then and then creating that foundation for their careers was just a super rewarding experience. so again like I just I don't really look at it as old school, new school. I just again I only again I was very fortunate in you know coming up with the nationals and the way they developed me. I just again that's all that's all I know. So the data analytics part, like I actually think data and analytics are great. I think there's a lot of great information. The problem is there's so much. and I feel like sometimes it can skew your viewpoint on what's true, what's not, what what's most important, what's not. So I feel like the guys that are able to have success are the ones that can take in the information. Again, it's it's so robust. now that it can almost almost be information overload. And to me, I feel like sometimes it can be like a little bit more of like par par paralysis by analysis. I've

Bobby Minor: Yeah.

Aaron Barrett: I've we've all heard that one before. So the ones that can kind of sift through the information and be able to know how how and when to apply it. Again, I think there's great stuff. There's great again, I to me it just I see something I know that conversations or relationships that I'm having and I'm building and I see something in real time. I obviously now have information to back what I'm seeing or or not, either one. Again, it's up it's up to the the person to be able to sift through it and be able to apply it or not. I feel I feel like that's the biggest difference.

Bobby Minor: Yeah. No, that's that's good. And I think, you know data analytics metrics, I I think those are all it they're not it a lot of people treat them like the be all end all. And I think it's they there's they're they're it's great to support what you see, you know what I mean, what you see and what you know based on your experience. It's not to me it shouldn't be an either or, it's a both and if that makes sense. Because like, you know, when I interviewed Dustin Pedroya, we were he was talking about you know, how people like they may just rely on like a short stop, like what his what his arm vot is from short and like let that be the thing that determines everything. But what a lot of people don't realize, like if you have a guy that throws ninety f like ninety-four from short, you got a guy throws eighty nine from short, a lot of people might say, I want the guy that throws ninety four, but they may not they may not realize that the guy throws eighty-nine, you know, has better angles. He's quicker to the ball. He has a quicker release, you know. And so there's a lot of things that factor into it. but all right, so let's do this. I one thing I love to do, I just call it In and Out. you know, you You've had I know you're an outfield, but you did play short and you played first. So you had you had your fair share of in and out throughout the years, but it's just four questions, kind of rapid fire questions, rapid fired answers, just some good nuggets for the parents. So it's time for some in and out with Aaron Barrett. So Aaron, first question. What's the first thing you notice about a player that never shows up in the box score?

Aaron Barrett: His heart, heart, work ethic, and mindset.

Bobby Minor: Alright, good stuff. Second question. One part of the game young players don't work on enough anymore.

Aaron Barrett: Ooh, one thing they don't work on enough. I would just say attention to detail. your your in your intention. every rep matters. Again, what having a purpose and a plan behind what you're doing.

Bobby Minor: Alright. Third question. One thing baseball parents worry about way more than they should.

Aaron Barrett: Well they

Bobby Minor: No doubt, no doubt.

Aaron Barrett: honestly winning, playing playing time,

Bobby Minor: Mm-hmm.

Aaron Barrett: playing time would probably be, you know, and and and for me probably the biggest one is that I is like that FOMO, like fear of missing out. trying to keep up with what everyone else is doing instead of looking at where your kid is at in the moment and making the best decision for their kid.

Bobby Minor: Okay. Last question. Here's the slow roller. You get 15 seconds with twelve-year-old Aaron Barrett. What do you tell him?

Aaron Barrett: Make the most of what's in front of you in today's today's moment. I mean, just try to soak up every day in what you're doing and work the hardest you can at what at what's in front of you and good things will happen.

Bobby Minor: good stuff. That was in and out with Aaron Barrett. Okay, here's here's a follow up question. What would you say to the parents of twelve year old Aaron Barrett? You got fifteen seconds with him.

Aaron Barrett: the parents of twelve year old Aaron Barrett. try not try

Bobby Minor: Yeah.

Aaron Barrett: not try not to take things so seriously. try to enjoy the moments when you have Not that, you know, they again, yeah, try to try to try to see the joy in the good and the bad no matter what.

Bobby Minor: Alright. So a couple of questions. I've been asking these questions to most of the the former major leaders I've had on recently and I just realized that I think everybody that I've had on has been a position player except for Brian Tolberg who I interviewed him even before I officially launched my podcast. So I usually ask the position players who's the toughest pitcher you've ever faced? I'm a flip it. Who is the toughest hitter that you ever faced at the major league level?

Aaron Barrett: Man, toughest hitter. I've gotten to face some tough hitters. And honestly, the guys that stand out to me are usually the tough at bats. Honestly,

Bobby Minor: Mm-hmm.

Aaron Barrett: the it's it's the scrappy guys. I was Mar Martin Prada was a really tough at bat for me. he stands out. I here's another guy. I couldn't get Cody Ashey out for the Phillies. left handed hitter, not a big name, but like I couldn't get him out. I struggle I struggle with the small guys, honestly, the guys that could scrap scrap me a little bit. but Martin Prado was with the Marlins and every time I went, you know, it was either sink or in, he'd freaking, you know, shoot it the other way or I go slide her down the way and he'd e you know, like he was he was a tough bat for me. Tough a bat.

Bobby Minor: what's your either as a player or as a fan, what's your all time favorite baseball memory?

Aaron Barrett: I have some it it's tough to it's tough to narrow down to one. I mean

Bobby Minor: Give me two or you can give me two or three. Because I know some guys they're like, I I I think Josh Reddick goes, Man, I have three. So yeah, you can give me two or three.

Aaron Barrett: Yeah. Top top top three, hands down. Obviously being told I'm officially a major leaguer, which two thousand fourteen, moment I'll never forget. ball you know, ball my crying. I was in made made the team out of big league camp. that's a crazy story. I do we have time for it or no?

Bobby Minor: Yeah, no, yeah, we got time.

Aaron Barrett: Sure. All right. So

Bobby Minor: Yeah.

Aaron Barrett: in a nutshell, literally, so 2010, I'm an old miss. Get drafted. Go second game of Pro Ball. I get the yips. 2011, I go back to short season, right? Still got Had a had a moment. Anyway, things click for me. Two thousand twelve, I'm twenty-four in low way. I'm an all-star. I go to the fall league, rising star. Two thousand thirteen I go double A, all star, get put on the forty man roster. Two thousand fourteen I go to big league camp. They tell me I'm gonna throw a couple innings, go triple A. I just hey head down, do my thing. Make twelve scoreless innings in my first big league camp, get called in the office. They tell him Matt Williams is my manager at the time. He's like, Hey, we got a lot of tough decisions. You're one of those decisions, I'm like, Great, I'm going triple A. He goes, Congratulations, you made the team. And I'm like, You gotta be kidding me. So I had to go buy a suit. I'm the only rookie that made the team. I call my my wife, my parents, you know, water works the whole thing. I'm going nuts. We end up going to DC for a workout, train the New York City, show up to the Palace Hotel. Again, nicest hotel I've ever been in my entire life. I get invited to go to a show dinner in New York City. we go to this place called La Esquina. Again, I have no idea where I'm at, but I'm with Jason Wirth, Bryce Harper, Craig Stammon, Drew Storen. We're walking through VI again, just nuts. I'm just like, what like what is going on? Having a great time. We show up, the the music turns off and like start looking around. Jay Z and Beyonce walk in, sit right next is true story, walk right right in next to and sit right next to us. Jay-Z gives a little hat tip to Bryce. I'm like. This is the big leagues, like this is a joke. Next day, opening day against the Mets. again, I'm just like, like, what is going on? I'm just trying to soak it on. I'm thinking like big league debut. you know, gonna be like a little cushion game, up big, down big. Seventh inning, we're down, I think, three runs. Yeah, three runs. Sorry, I got the I got here's my debut jersey right here.

Bobby Minor: wow.

Aaron Barrett: so down three runs, two or two or three runs, seventh inning, go Barrett, warm up. I'm like, great. I'm throwing balls all over the place. I'm a nervous wreck. We end up tying the game. They go storing, you're in the game. Tie game in the eighth. Clippered, you're in the game. Ninth inning, tie game, opening day. Barrett, you're in the game. And I'm like, huh? So

Bobby Minor: It

Aaron Barrett: I'm warm I'm warming up. Tie game. I'm like, I have two outs. Matt Lee Corey's my bullpen coach. And I look over, I'm like, I'm still in there. He's like, you're in there. I'm like, here we go. So like I'm walking out like this, like tunnel vision, like basically don't mess this up. And I went this is a cool moment. That's why I'm telling the story. So I walk out there, and Ian Desmond's our shortstop at the time. And

Bobby Minor: Yeah.

Aaron Barrett: the coolest part of the story, and I tell that, I tell all the guys that make their major league debuts, I tell the story of them all the time. He comes up to me and says, Hey man, you only get one major league debut. Go have some fun and pass me on the bat. And like he he took me

Bobby Minor: That's cool.

Aaron Barrett: and he's like, he took took me and like he says, like, hey, look up. And so like we like scanned city field, all 42,000 fans, and I was like, this is the coolest thing ever. Reason why I tell that story all the time is because like had he not done that for me, I would have zoomed right through my major league debut, would have wouldn't have taken in the moment and it would have just been like a blur because I was in blackout mode. And I tell that story all the time and I'm so grateful for Ian Desmond doing that for me because like again it's true. Like this is that was a moment I've been waiting for, dreaming of my entire life. And for him to see me in that moment and give me that opportunity to kind of like, you know what? Soak it in. I tell that all the time, 'cause you only get one major league debut. So anybody out there You make your major league debut, embrace the moment, take it all in because you only get one. so that that's again, hands down, best bet one of my favorite stories, moments. The second one obviously is my call-up, which is on YouTube and it went viral 2019 when Matt Lee Core, my manager in double A, gives me the call back up going to the big leagues. Again, a moment I'll never forget how much, you know, time and just just craziness, four years of rehab and and that whole thing. And obviously part of that is, you know, making my first game back in in Atlanta against the Braves and striking out a cuna kind of pairs with that moment. and obviously what that did for my my then daughter, which was a big big reason why I wanted to keep pushing forward. And then obviously the last one was winning the trophy in the back. what what that moment was. Again, I didn't get the pitch in the postseason, but the fact is that that I know that you win a championship with all the guys in there. And again, I felt like I was able to contribute somehow, some way. And just being a part of it, just being a part of the journey, being part of the ride. And it's a it's something that's that's against the epitome of what we're trying to play for, to win a World Series. And so like that's something that I will cherish those memories forever. And so again, I I have so many great memories and moments, but like those like hands down, probably the top three. And what that did for my

Bobby Minor: No

Aaron Barrett: for my family.

Bobby Minor: No, no doubt. And real I really appreciate you sharing that. I I I just love hearing good baseball stories anyway, and I I think that's really, really cool. And I was a big fan of Vin Desmond when he was with the Rangers. So and disappointed that

Aaron Barrett: Yeah.

Bobby Minor: you never signed with the Rangers when they drafted you, but we can't go back in time, so who knows? Alright.

Aaron Barrett: Yeah, I know.

Bobby Minor: Alright, so Aaron, last question. this is again, this is just a fun question. Favorite Favorite baseball movie and why?

Aaron Barrett: That's hard. you know, I I didn't tell you this. I hope in future when you ask me that question again, I hope I get to say that it's the documentary movie that's coming out soon. on yeah, I so starting in twenty twenty one, for about the last four years of my journey, film crew followed my family and I around documenting everything and it's I actually get to see the movie for the first time coming up

Bobby Minor: wow.

Aaron Barrett: in in October. Yeah, I ha I haven't seen any of it. And so it's supposed to be released here in the near future. Again, so I my I hope my answer is is that. Again, I I hope it yeah, I think it's gonna be awesome. Again, we'll see. But if I had to boil it down to one, I feel like the sand lot gets me every time. there's there's

Bobby Minor: Okay.

Aaron Barrett: something about it. I watch it with my my kids now, and the moments the best moment is that firework scene. It get it gets me every time. Every single time. It just brings back like I feel like once you get to the highest level, there's so many things, again, like we all know it's a business, and there's a lot of things that go into, you know, this the decision-making process. And I just feel that the sand lot represents so much more than like, you know, just it just represents what the game is meant to be about. You know what I mean? And so it's it's

Bobby Minor: Yeah.

Aaron Barrett: pretty it's pretty pure at heart. and I just again there's something about it I love. Obviously I'm I'm

Bobby Minor: Yeah to

Aaron Barrett: also I can't can't, you know, obviously a league of the round, I got it, you know, that's one of my favorites too. which is cool because it was filmed in my hometown, which is really cool.

Bobby Minor: wow. Yeah, I mean both great movies. I'd say I'm more of a bulldurum guy, but I love the Sand Lot. I love The League of Their Own. I'm actually this weekend I'm gonna be in Iowa at the Field of Dreams. And you know,

Aaron Barrett: Yeah.

Bobby Minor: another great movie.

Aaron Barrett: There's so there's so many. I mean I li you know,

Bobby Minor: Yeah.

Aaron Barrett: Field of Dreams, perfect game. I mean, how do you not like major league? How you not like Bull Durham? I mean there's there's just I feel

Bobby Minor: Major League One. Only the first Major League though. Not not the second and third one. Those yeah, we can get rid of the others. But no the original Major League, definitely epic.

Aaron Barrett: I feel like I feel like we could make a there could be a new movie based around the what goes on in the minor leagues. I mean it that'd be pretty epic.

Bobby Minor: yeah. That's what I loved about Bull Durham. you know, just kinda that that whole you know, that whole thing. To me there's enough corny and cheesy stuff mixed with enough real baseball stuff that just made it, you know, made it a fun movie. So what's okay, what's the name of the documentary?

Aaron Barrett: right now again subject to change un unless they you know change right now it's gonna it's gonna be called strong arm.

Bobby Minor: Okay. can't wait for that. So Aaron, I really appreciate your time. Any any parting words of wisdom for the baseball parents out there?

Aaron Barrett: words of wisdom. I just I think again, I I the biggest thing I can say, and I think now that the obviously my perspective I've been given is is I try to put the player first. Again, every decision that is made should revolve around that concept of putting the player first. And so for parents, it's the same, same kind of idea. Putting your kid first. whatever decision that is, if you're able to Use the information and resources again, there's a lot of stuff out there right now is what's best for your child in that moment. so you can make the best decisions for your kid. And just know that there's a lot of parents and a lot of people out there is a lot of athletes, former athletes that are again going through the same thing as you that again, not saying that they have all the answers, not saying that at all, but there is a lot of experience out there that want the same thing for your kid. So you know, development is not linear. It's a long-term process. And so again, just making sure that you're making the best decision decision for your child, I would say, is my best advice.

Bobby Minor: All right, good stuff. again, thank you so much Aaron. Good luck tomorrow night in your coach pitch debut. A new chapter begins. And hopefully

Aaron Barrett: Let's go. Appreciate it.

Bobby Minor: hopefully you get lit up. I I'm telling you right now, hopefully you get shelled tomorrow.

Aaron Barrett: That's fine. Hey hey, as long as we hustle off and on the field and you we have a great time doing it, go river dogs.

Bobby Minor: Yeah. No, I'm saying I hope you get shelled as the pitcher. 'Cause you want your guys hitting. Yeah, I hope you get shelled. Yeah.

Aaron Barrett: me, yes. I w yeah, I want barrels. Barrels everywhere.

Bobby Minor: Yeah. So all right and really appreciate you, man.

Aaron Barrett: Hey, thanks man. Appreciate it. Thanks for having me.