Should They Start or Not? A Comparative Analysis of Starter and Nonstarter Preseason Fitness Characteristics in NCAA Division III Baseball

Schilling, DT, Abraham, TR, and Elazzazi, A. Should they start or not? A comparative analysis of starter and nonstarter preseason fitness characteristics in NCAA Division III baseball. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000–000, 2026—Preseason fitness testing in baseball is a widely adopted practice to assess the physical preparedness of players. However, the relationship between these preseason fitness assessments, their ability to differentiate starters from nonstarters in the subsequent season, and their relationship to preseason coaching evaluations is not well-established. This exploratory study aimed to provide a preseason profile of men's NCAA Division III baseball players, compare the differences between starting and nonstarting players, and explore the relationship of these preseason measures to the offensive performance of the starting players at the completion of the season. Starters were considered any hitter who averaged at least 2 plate appearances per team game played or participated in at least 75% of the team's games. Twenty-six players performed 8 preseason fitness tests; and the head coach, blinded to all preseason fitness testing results, subjectively rated the players' batting (power, ball contact, and form) and running performance (speed, agility, and form), resulting in a total offensive performance score (TOPS). In-season offensive performance was measured by each player's on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS). Starters demonstrated significantly greater batted ball velocity, countermovement vertical jump height, unilateral lateral to medial jump distance, medicine ball throw velocity, and faster 60-yard dash and agility T-test times relative to nonstarters. Notably, no significant correlations were observed between any physical performance variable and OPS or TOPS, suggesting that preseason fitness testing may reflect athletic readiness but does not directly relate to offensive performance or coaching evaluation outcomes in this sample.