Skip Schumaker addresses declining fundamentals across Major League Baseball

Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker recently discussed the regression of fundamental baseball skills throughout Major League Baseball. Schumaker attributes the decline to a developmental shift toward travel ball games over instruction, exacerbated by college recruiting pressures that limit practice time. He noted that modern analytics emphasize home runs and launch angles, which has reduced the focus on situational hitting and defensive repetition. While metrics like WAR have begun to highlight the importance of defense and baserunning, Schumaker stated that professional players currently struggle with core skills compared to previous eras. The Rangers manager pointed to teammate Zeke Duran as a positive example of a player who prioritizes daily practice and defensive work. Despite these challenges, there remains no immediate league-wide policy change to address the offensive regression noted across the sport.

• 11:59 PMYahoo Sports — Why do the Rangers and most of MLB lack fundamentals? Skip Schumaker has some ideas