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ATP, Advanced Therapy and Performance
Sammy Stafura fielding

High school shortstop to professional

Sammy Stafura

Go from a 140 lb high school shortstop to professional baseball.

Outcome

Exit velocity 75 to 100 mph. 140 to 194 lb. Walter Panas High School to the 43rd pick in the 2023 draft.

Exit velocityOctober 2019 to July 2023
75to100mph
BodyweightOctober 2019 to July 2023
140to194lb
60-yard dashDecember 2020 to July 2023
7.21to6.42s

Where it started.

A 5-7, 140 lb shortstop with a 75 mph exit velocity, a 195 lb deadlift and 240 ft of long toss, following ATP's free 90 mph Formula content from October 2019. Ten months later he started training on-site in Stamford, an hour each way from Mohegan Lake.

What they wanted

To become a professional shortstop.

What ATP saw.

ATP evaluated 4 of the seven domains for this case. The lit circles are where the history sent us. Tap any circle to see what ATP looks at there.

Working diagnosis

ATP's account: a small, fast-growing athlete whose limiter was physical capacity and movement quality. The plan filled the 90 mph Formula buckets (bodyweight, deadlift, reverse lunge, chin-ups, long toss), taught him to move well, added neuro priming to sharpen eye tracking, spatial and body awareness, and was modified as he grew.

Sammy Stafura fielding

Capacity · Skill · Tissue · NeuroTap a circle to see what ATP looks at there.

In order.

What came first, and what came after.

  1. Priority 1: Get strong and powerful in the 90 mph Formula metrics to fill the performance buckets

  2. Priority 2: Learn to move well: efficiency, performance, lower injury risk

  3. Priority 3: Train the athlete first, modify the plan as he grew, and add skill work on top

What we did.

The tools follow the diagnosis. Every item here was chosen after the priorities were set.

Interventions

  • On-site strength and power training in Stamford
  • Neuro priming: drills to sharpen eye tracking, spatial and body awareness
  • Skill work added on top of the training

Testing

  • 90 mph Formula metrics retested in October 2019, February 2020, December 2020 and July 2023

Format

  • Free programming from October 2019; on-site at ATP from August 2020 through the 2023 draft

What changed.

ATP's free programming from October 2019; on-site August 2020 through the 2023 draft; professional since 2023

  • 01First four months on ATP's free content, October 2019 to February 2020: 140 to 162 lb, deadlift 195 x 3 to 275 x 5, chin-ups 3 to 12, reverse lunge 135 x 4 to 245 x 1, long toss 240 to 270 ft, exit velocity up 13 mph
  • 02December 2020, after a few months on-site: 5-11, 185 lb, deadlift 415 x 1, reverse lunge 275 x 3, long toss 315 ft, exit velocity 89 mph, sixty 7.21 s
  • 03July 2023, pre-draft: 6-0, 194 lb, reverse lunge 400 x 1, long toss 350 ft, exit velocity 100 mph, sixty 6.42 s
  • 04In almost three years on-site: 30 lb added, reverse lunge up 100 lb, exit velocity up 11 mph, sixty down 0.79 s, alongside school, SATs and travel ball
  • 05Gatorade New York Baseball Player of the Year, 2023: .562, 10 home runs, 37 RBI and 27 stolen bases in 26 games
  • 06A Clemson commit who signed with the Cincinnati Reds as the 43rd overall pick in 2023

On the record

  1. 2019-105-7, 140 lb; deadlift 195 x 3; chin-ups 3; reverse lunge 135 x 4; long toss 240 ft; exit velocity 75 mph. Following ATP's free contentJosh Heenan on X, July 17, 2023 (thread)
  2. 2020-025-10, 162 lb; deadlift 275 x 5; chin-ups 12; reverse lunge 245 x 1; long toss 270 ft; exit velocity up 13 mphATP-published case (joshheenan.com); Josh Heenan on X, July 17, 2023 (thread)
  3. 2020-08Started training on-site at ATP in StamfordJosh Heenan on X, July 17, 2023 (thread)
  4. 2020-125-11, 185 lb; deadlift 415 x 1; chin-ups 12; reverse lunge 275 x 3; long toss 315 ft; exit velocity 89 mph; sixty 7.21 sJosh Heenan on X, July 17, 2023 (thread)
  5. 2023-07Pre-draft: 6-0, 194 lb; chin-ups 12; reverse lunge 400 x 1; long toss 350 ft; exit velocity 100 mph; sixty 6.42 sJosh Heenan on X, July 17, 2023 (thread)
  6. 2023Gatorade New York Baseball Player of the Year: .562, 10 HR, 37 RBI, 27 SB in 26 gamesMLB.com
  7. 2023-07Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds, second round, 43rd overall; signed away from a Clemson commitmentBaseball-Reference; Blog Red Machine
  8. 2025-07Traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Ke'Bryan Hayes dealMLB.com press release
  9. 2026High-A Greensboro, before the trade.301/.365/.656, 19 home runs in 47 gamesBaseball-Reference
  10. 2026-08Traded to the New York Mets in the Luke Weaver deal; High-A BrooklynBaseball America; MLB.com
  11. 2026-09South Atlantic League All-StarSouth Atlantic League release, September 16, 2026

How the plan changed.

The plan was modified as he grew. The December 2020 retest, a few months after he started on-site, reset it around a 185 lb frame and a 415 lb deadlift. By July 2023 the reverse lunge had gone from 275 x 3 to 400 x 1 and the sixty from 7.21 to 6.42 while skill work was layered on top.

  1. Evaluate
  2. Working Diagnosis
  3. Prioritize
  4. Intervene
  5. Reassess
  6. Adapt

Now.

Shortstop, New York Mets organization. Comes back to ATP for treatment from time to time.

“Following the Instagram pages for Dr. Heenan, the 90 mph formula, and ATP has had major impacts on every aspect of my baseball ability. The exercises, formulas, and all the knowledge they provide helped me get significantly stronger, faster, more powerful, and my arm strength has seen major improvements. I cannot thank you guys enough for all the quality content you provide.”
Sammy Stafura
Reviewing findings together at ATP

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