Pete Crow-Armstrong just became the seventh and newest member of the ultra elite “40-40 club.” This “club,” started by Jose Canseco in 1988, consists of Major League Baseball players who have hit 40 home runs and stolen 40 bases in the same season. This accomplishment could mean that Crow-Armstrong will take home the National League Most Valuable Player award this season, and if he does “PCA” will then inspire even more young emerging baseball and softball players than he already does.
And if you’re looking for someone to emulate your swing after, PCA is the perfect role model. There is a reason his jersey is the third highest selling in baseball, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge. And we can’t say it any better than what PCA himself told the television, in his postgame interview after surpassing Billy Williams for the most home runs hit by a Cubs left-handed hitter: “when you’re mentioned in the same breath as a man nicknamed sweet swinging.”
In order to develop a swing as sweet as Crow-Armstrong’s (or Williams for that matter), you’ll need both the right equipment and the correct coaching. That is where MVP Cages comes in, an indoor baseball and softball training center located in Mesa, Arizona comes in. Located in the heart of Cactus League country, where baseball and softball are a year round passion, their facility is only a couple miles down the road from Sloan Park, the spring training home of the Chicago Cubs.
Their training center is open all year round, offering both team rentals and individual training sessions. If you’re looking to get rid of that hole in your swing, this is the place. Need to focus on keeping your hands back, as long as possible, before starting your swing? Their instructors can help with that. And the best part is that it’s open to all ages and skill levels. Everyone is welcome.
The main focus on development here revolves around HitTrax, a program which utilizes data, from multiple metrics, to focus on measurable feedback.
This statistical feedback aids in building fundamental skills, and given today’s focus on analytics and sabermetrics, it’s the right approach to take.
Integrating HitTrax into the training program provides individual insights that a given hitting or pitching instructor might miss.
HitTrax takes an analytical approach, focused on the purpose of maximizing the player’s time in the batting cage. It’s a program with data-driven insights that provide the best opportunity to maximize your swings in the cage.
The results speak for themselves, as players often see a marked difference in the launch angle of their hard hit balls and consistently ramp up their exit velocity numbers.
For the hurlers (no, we haven’t forgotten about them), there is also a pitching lane that includes pitch tracking technology, so young developing throwers can make the most of their sessions. And it’s all indoors, so when that infamous Arizona heat takes hold during the summer time, the baseball/softball player can get their work in, comfortably, indoors.
Also, the facility is very flexible, in terms of how much you care to frequent visting the place.
You can do individual sessions, pay as you go, or buy in bulk and get a membership. There is even an option to rent the entire place out, if you so desire.
Right now is the perfect time to check it all out, as the diamond is going to be top of mind for the next few weeks. Sunday sees the Major League Baseball season reach its conclusion and Tuesday begins the 2026 Wild Card round of playoffs.
Baseball and softball players everywhere, of all ages and skill levels, will undoubtedly have their heads in the game!