Just Mets

This past winter, the Mets partnered with Mike Barwis of Barwis Methods. Together, they opened a new training facility at Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie.

Barwis has over 20 years of experience in training professional athletes, and he currently serves as a senior advisor in a consulting role for the Mets,. While his facility is at the Mets disposal, Barwis told me he trains players from multiple teams in all of the professional sports.

This past weekend, I was able to watch SNY.tv’s Robert Brender experience Barwis’ workouts. Brender performed only the one-hour warmup routine, but it was probably more rigorous and intense than any workout I’ve ever seen.

Barwis said even for professional athletes, it’s understood the first two weeks are incredibly difficult to endure.

“It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish here,” Barwis explained.

With that said, everyone who gets through that initial process almost feels a need to continue to build through Barwis Methods.

“Once you drive a Ferrari, you don’t want to go back to a Yugo,” Barwis said.

Barwis said his group meets with every individual who comes to each of his five facilities across the country, and his program includes 4,000 different body movements.

As for the Mets specifically, Barwis said Mets catching prospect Kevin Plawecki has told him he feels much more balanced as a result of his training, and it has made him feel more explosive when he swings.

From what I can tell – both in the facility and on the field – Barwis creates incredibly positive, motivating and progressive atmosphere in his program and it clearly is designed to boost one’s confidence in their abilities. In fact, Plawecki told me while he’s benefitted from the strengthening program, one of the best parts about the program is it teaches how to endure difficult conditions mentally.

“It teaches you how to push through things and grind it out,” Plawecki told me. “I think that’s what’s so great about Mike – he has our best interests and as players that’s what we really need and really want. It gives us extra motivation to continue to work hard.”

Almost all of the players visit Barwis Methods on a daily basis – both before and after on-field workouts – and they’re all raving about his program. Because of that, it seems as though the on-field workouts are more condensed this year than they’ve ever been, presumably because so much work is being done in Barwis’ training facility. In looking around the clubhouse, it’s clear it’s made a difference physically, as so many players look stronger, and leaner.

There’s an understated importance to this new partnership between Barwis and the Mets. It’s clearly been so impactful for the players, and while it’s early, it’s helped transform the vibe and tone in the clubhouse.

Most importantly, Barwis Methods is clearly designed to improve physical endurance, help prevent non-impact injuries to get these guys through 162 games at peak levels.

After all, as Barwis said, it’s about where they finish.