The Boston Red Sox continued their offseason activity last week by trading for Tyler O'Neill from the St. Louis Cardinals. O'Neill had a breakout season in 2021 but then was hampered by injuries over the last two years.
O’Neill joined WEEI’s Rob Bradford on the Audacy original podcast “Baseball Isn’t Boring” to explain his offseason training regimen and why he feels like he’s in a good position to turn his fortunes around.
“I’ve made a lot of adaptions to my training program. I’m working with my new trainers this year,” O’Neill said (12:15 in player above). “It involves a lot more intensive warmups, getting my body ready the right way, more shoulder mobility, more hip mobility. I’m on a core program that I do religiously that helps out my back a lot.”
O'Neill was placed on the injured list with a lower back strain after just 29 games last season. He missed over two months before returning in July and his power numbers improved a bit. After hitting just two home runs and four doubles in his first 92 at-bats, he hit seven home runs and 10 doubles in his 146 at-bats in the second half.
“You got to take care of your core to take care of your back,” O’Neill continued. “That’s something I really learned last year and I feel like I’m in a really good place there.”
The outfielder may be known for his muscular frame, but he's focusing more on range of motion rather than raw strength heading into next season.
“Implementing full range of motion activity has been really good for me. Getting these deep range of motions, really deep into my hip when I’m doing different lower-body exercises and really focusing on opening up my shoulders before I get onto the bench press and dumbbell press and stuff like that,” he said. “My body’s feeling really good. It’s felt as good as it ever has.
“I feel like my range of motion is better than it’s ever been. My strength is back to where it needs to be. And I really like what I’m doing right now. I’m going to be getting on a back program pretty soon here and everything’s lining up to be ready in spring training right in time. I like where I’m at a lot right now.”
O'Neill broke out in a big way in the 2021 season with 34 home runs and 80 RBI while batting .286. Unfortunately, his next-highest batting average in a season is .261 in 2019 and he has yet to stay healthy for more than 100 games outside of that 34 home run season.
Over the last two seasons, O'Neill played in 168 games with 23 home runs and 79 RBI.
Rather than changing his stance or his approach, the newly-acquired outfielder is using his new program to turn things around.
“I’m trying to pay it forward the best I can and put myself, put my body in the best position that I can play 160 games in a row with and get in that rhythm and just being in that camaraderie with the guys,” he said. “Just everything. Physically, mentally, everything. Staying in the routine of coming to the ballpark every day. That’s the key right there for me.”