Reds pitcher Michael Lorenzen is boxing to prep for the 2021 season.
It’s not often you see an MLB pitcher training with an elite striking coach to prepare for his upcoming baseball season but that’s exactly what Reds pitcher Michael Lorenzen is doing with famed MMA coach, Jason Parillo. The pitcher was recently featured in a documentary by Rick Lee who followed him through training, something generally unprecedented within the MLB world.
Lorenzen was seen learning striking techniques at the private RVCA facility which was built for former UFC champion, BJ Penn. Now, athletes from around the world travel to use the top-of-the-line facility, including Lorenzen.
“The offseason I’m kind of doing all these different things, and I want to throw as many problems at my body as I can when it comes to training,” Lorenzen said. “So I’m doing boxing, I’m in the water, I’m on the beach on the sand. I have my hands in a ton of different pots during the offseason and it’s really just to be more well-rounded as an athlete.”
Michael Lorenzen gives behind the scenes glimpse of his life
The documentary follows Lorenzen as he gives fans access to his home, diet, and training schedule something that MLB players tend to have under wraps.
“One of my favorite quotes is someone who I’ve worked with, it’s ‘It has nothing to do with baseball but it has everything to do with baseball.’”
Though Lorenzen is a pitcher, his batting skills are impressive as well. In 2018, he had the single hardest-hit ball of any Red, according to RedReporter.com and his average exit-velocity 93.3 mph. Somethings telling me that striking practice will make him even more deadly.
Check out Lorenzen on the Reds this season.