Trevor Bauer gets real about the 'secret' that shut down a pro during ex Dodgers pitcher's recent at bat

Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer has not appeared on a major league mound since he was released by the team in 2023 following allegations of sexual assault. The 2020 National League Cy Young Award winner has since played in Japan and Mexico during his ongoing exile from the MLB, while he has also been creating online content centered around baseball.

In one of his latest releases from his video production company Momentum Films, Trevor Bauer discloses a secret weapon in his indoor training facility that allows him to beat a professional hitter after giving up a hit.

Bauer uploaded an edited clip of the two at-bats in the form of a reel on his Instagram account.

In the first at-bat, Trevor Bauer throws a hanging breaking ball over the plate, which the batter knocks over for a double. In the first pitch of the second at-bat, he offers a sweeper that goes low and away from the strike zone for a clear ball. The video then cuts to Bauer taking off his shoes and replacing the inside soles with new ones.

"Little down in this at-bat. I won't be using this trash. No pop. No energy return. No explosiveness," he said.

"Instead I'll be using these full-length carbon fiber. More pop. More speed. More control," he added as he fitted in a pair of peculiar black-colored soles branded as VKTRY_PARTNER.

With the count at 1-0, Bauer manages to catch the hitter off guard with a two-seam fastball down the middle of the strike zone. He then tries to get the batter chasing on a sweeper high and in, but the plan doesn't work out.

"Two-seam, four-seam, sweeper; I can't throw those pitches again," Bauer said. "I've got to end this at-bat in the next three pitches. We've got the splitter and the curveball left. I'm thinking splitter for the swing, and if not, we'll get curveball to freeze 3-2."

Bauer then catches the batter looking at a splitter down the middle of the strike zone to draw 2-2 on the count. He then throws a breaking ball low and away to strike the hitter out with a swing and miss.

Trevor Bauer returns to Japan for second NPB stint

Trevor Bauer will return for his second spell in the NPB with the Yokohama BayStars (Image Source: IMAGN)

In January 2025, Trevor Bauer announced that he would be returning to the Yokohama DeNA Bay Stars in the NPB, the top professional baseball league in Japan, for his second stint with the team. According to reports, the 34-year-old right-hander has agreed to a one-year contract with the team worth up to $6 million with incentives.

Bauer had initially joined the team at the start of the 2023 season after he was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He had spent the 2024 season playing for Los Diablos Rojos in the Mexican League.