Drills to Develop Elite Baseball Outfielders

• By Grant Young

Very few youth baseball players want to play the outfield. They would rather play shortstop (because shortstops receive all the glory), pitcher (because pitchers are standing in the middle of the field with the ball in their hand), or even catcher (because catchers always get to be a part of the action). 

In fact, a common conception about the outfield in youth baseball is that it’s a place to hide a team’s most sub-par defenders. 

But that could not be any different from the truth when it comes to the sport’s upper levels. 

The three outfield spots are perhaps the most sought-after positions in the high school and professional levels. They are much less stress-inducing than anything closer to home plate, and allow the fielder to play reactively, which is the purest (and most enjoyable) playing experience). 

This is not to say that playing outfield is easy, or can’t be taught. It can actually be one of the trickiest positions to coach because so much relies on instinct. 

Hence why it pays to have access to knowledge from coaches like Darren Fenster. 

Coach Fenster is currently an assistant coach at the University of Miami, who specializes in working with outfielders. Prior to his time at Miami, Coach Fenster spent 12 years with the Boston Red Sox. During his time with the organization, Fenster groomed the next crop of major-league stars, working as the minor-league infield coordinator and minor-league outfield and base running coordinator.

Fenster has also worked with the United States National Baseball Team since 2021. He was named a coach for Team USA during the club’s final efforts to qualify for the Tokyo Summer Olympics and was the third-base coach for the Olympics, helping the U.S. claim the silver medal.

As a player, Coach Fenster was selected in the 12th round of the 2000 MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals and played five seasons in the Royals’ farm system.

Few coaches have the wealth of experience and knowledge that Coach Fenster has about the outfield. Hence why his ‘Isolating the Outfielder’ course is an excellent resource for any outfield coach to not only develop their players but also get them attuned to and excited about the many benefits of playing outfield in baseball’s higher levels. 

Throw

One of the biggest stigmas around outfield (and all of baseball) that Coach Fenster is on a mission to end is that playing catch at the beginning of practice is nothing more than a means of loosening up the arm. 

This sentiment drives Coach Fenster insane, because he knows that not making catch play more intentional is a massive detriment to outfielder development. He believes that play catch should be treated with the same intensity and focus as any other defensive drill during practice. Players should be aiming for a specific target on their opponent’s body (whether it be their hat, the logo on the chest, or their belt line) and strive to hit that target with every single throw. Not only will this hone their throwing accuracy, but it will ensure that stay focused instead of merely going through the motions. 

Coach Fenster also suggests having outfielders take ground balls on the infield during specific parts of practice, such as during a round or two of batting practice. The reason for this is that it will speed the outfielder up, getting them used to having to deal with maximum speed of a ground ball. Getting them acclimated to this will make fielding ground balls in the outfield much more smooth and simple. 

Tapbacks

A favorite daily drill that Coach Fenster swears by when it comes to developing outfielders is what he calls the Tapback drill.

This drill is extremely simple. The outfielder will get on their knees, and a coach will be standing about five feet in front of them, holding a ball. From here, the coach will begin throwing a ball to the grass inches in front of the outfielder’s glove hand (although they aren’t wearing a glove). The outfielder’s job is to tap the baseball right back to their coach, keeping the ball’s trajectory in a straight line. 

As soon as the coach receives the ball back, they’ll toss another ball in the same position, and the outfielder will repeat. 

The benefit of this drill is that it will ensure the outfielder will get a feel of their hand working through the ball with their fingers down. 

About 20-30 repetitions of this drill, Coach Fenster advises doing the same thing but while the outfielder wears a glove. This is the perfect drill to kickstart one’s daily practice or pregame fielding routine. 

Eyes Behind Straight On and Glove Side

Another outfield drill that Coach Fenster highly recommends is what he calls the Eyes Behind Straight on and Glove Side drill. 

This drill is another simple yet effective way to get a player prepared to play outfield. All it requires is that the player get in their ready position in the outfield with their coach about 15 feet in front of them with a ball. From there, the coach will simply toss the ball up in the air while the outfielder positions themself under it. 

The important point here is that the player makes sure to catch the ball moving forward, and practices making a quick and smooth transition with the ball from their glove to their throwing hand. 

While all of these drills are simple, the point is that playing outfield is actually quite simple. All it takes is focus, consistency, and attention to detail in order to become a good outfielder. And sticking to these daily routines is the perfect way to build a foundation for any outfielder’s future.