Baseball is a sport full of numbers, measurement tools, and advanced teaching methods. Yet the part of the game that continues to shape outcomes at every level is something we don’t chart well: momentum. The programs that win consistently—year after year—recognize momentum early, teach players how to manage it, and build team identities around the moments that influence it most.
My deeper understanding of momentum began after studying Justin Dehmer’s BASE2 and STR1KE systems and reading his book One Pitch Warrior. Those concepts shifted my thinking. Momentum wasn’t an emotional wave or something reserved for highlight plays. It had structure. It had patterns. It could be coached.
Momentum is built through the plays most people overlook. Running hard on routine balls is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to generate pressure. When a team gives seven innings of honest effort down the line, defenders feel it. The footwork must be crisp, the throws must be on time, and there’s very little margin for hesitation. That constant stress compounds, often turning routine plays into momentum changers late in the game.
The same is true for taking the extra 90 feet. Players who understand game situations, ball flight, angles, and risk management create momentum simply by being decisive. On the defensive side, denying those extra 90s is equally impactful. Few moments deflate momentum more than a runner getting thrown out trying to stretch. These exchanges—attacking or shutting down that extra 90—are small but defining.
The leadoff out remains one of the most important, yet under-discussed, momentum anchors in baseball. Most big innings across all levels begin with the leadoff hitter reaching base. But when that out is secured, the inning shrinks. Pitchers breathe. Defenders relax into their positioning. Momentum remains grounded. Absent that out, and suddenly everything widens—the offensive playbook, the pressure on the pitcher, the energy in the opposing dugout. Teaching players to value the leadoff out and understand what it prevents is essential.
Two-out situations carry similar weight. Two-out RBIs are momentum punches. They extend innings, quiet opposing dugouts, and reinforce belief within an offense. On defense, finishing innings clean with two outs minimizes emotional swings. Young teams especially struggle with the “one more out” mentality, often letting the inning continue instead of closing it. Teaching two-out maturity—on both sides of the ball—should be a cornerstone of any program.
Stopping momentum is just as critical as creating it. A pivotal concept we emphasized was preventing the “third run” in an inning. Most teams can emotionally handle giving up two. But once the third crosses, the inning changes shape. It becomes a more crooked number. It alters the feel of the entire game. Training pitchers and defenders to recognize the importance of that moment—when the opponent already has two on the board and pressure is mounting—develops competitive toughness that carries through an entire season.
Momentum can also be created through identity. We built our offensive identity around a simple principle: get someone into scoring position in the fewest pitches possible. That clarity transformed our lineup. Hitters understood their role within the offense. They weren’t trying to do too much. Walks mattered, hit-by-pitches mattered, hard ground balls mattered. The approach removed tension and built pressure on opponents immediately. It also forced opponents into uncomfortable decision-making early in games. When a team’s identity consistently speeds up the opponent, momentum begins before the first pitch is thrown.
These ideas require intentional teaching. Momentum can’t live in motivational slogans. Players need structure, language, and consistent reinforcement. Dehmer’s BASE2 system gave our offense a framework to understand the pillars that drive run production and pressure. STR1KE provided pitchers with clarity on how to compete in the zone, manage leverage, and take ownership of innings. When players understand not just what the goals are, but why each part matters, the game slows down for them. Their decision-making sharpens. Their confidence grows. They begin to see momentum in real time.
Momentum is an advantage that translates across age groups, talent levels, and roster strengths. It rewards teams who compete with purpose and awareness. It rewards programs that teach players to understand the flow of the game, not just the mechanics within it. When players learn how momentum truly works—how it’s built, how it’s stopped, and how it’s flipped—their competitiveness transforms. They stop feeling like passengers and start driving the direction of every inning.
Baseball will always evolve. Technology will continue to grow. But momentum will remain a defining element of championship-level play. Teaching it with clarity, intention, and consistency will elevate any program.