“I think there are a lot of teams that are trying to do some similar things. But I would say that there aren’t any better staffs out there,” Mugford says. “It’s a massive commitment and it’s a deliberate approach to training guys with every opportunity, tool and resource we can. Hopefully, all the hard work can translate to the athletes staying healthy and competing well and, ultimately, bringing the World Series back to Canada. That’s what everyone’s driving to.”
The department’s motto is “prepare, work, recover,” a mantra the team wants applied to every aspect of a player’s life, whether it’s performing on the field, working out in the weight room, eating in the dining hall or sitting in bed thinking about the game. Another mantra Mugford likes to use is “doing things on purpose, with purpose.” He admits these maxims are a little corny, but they reflect his department’s philosophy: that every Blue Jay is an individual with his own unique set of physical and mental needs, and that each athlete should be provided a tailored development plan specifically designed to help him reach his goals. Gone are the days of everyone on the team completing the same weight-lifting routine, eating the same food, receiving the same treatment, throwing the same number of bullpen pitches and taking the same amount of spring training at-bats to prepare for the season. Each player works within their own plan and there is a specific, deliberate reason for everything they do in preparation, work and recovery. Everything is on purpose with purpose.
“I think the players are really buying in,” Mugford says. “They are in the middle of it all. They’re understanding that we’re trying to help them be the best they can be. We’re trying to help them grow and develop constantly. They’ve responded really well to that.”
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