Mariners' director of sports science makes impact on team as players extend careers

Major League Baseball players are expanding their careers and exceeding their potential. We've seen pitcher velocity increase over time while the average age of players has increased.

FOX 13’s Alyssa Charlston explored these topics with Kate Weiss, the Mariners' director of sports science and nutrition, at spring training in February. This is her third season with the team after receiving her PhD in sports science and biomechanics. She breaks down player biomechanics and works with strength trainers and oversees player nutrition.

Weiss has also seen the evolution of how athletes are treating their bodies to extend their careers.

Kate Weiss: "They definitely have changed I think guys are feeling much more conscious of what they eat and put in their bodies. For as much as we travel and as much as they play, staying on top of nutrition makes such a huge difference in recovery. Working with the team, the trainers, strength coaches, sports science staff, dieticians to make sure you’re doing everything you can.
Sleep is always going to be number one. If you’re not sleeping, it’s really hard to recover and it’s a long season. With all the travel it’s hard to catch up, so sleep is always going to be number one."

Weiss helps different athletes increase their performance; whether it be speed, explosion or quickness by adjusting the way they move.

Mariners' Manager Scott Servais says he's also noticed changes.

"Probably 8-10 years when guys started to hit a certain age or certain point in their career, it wasn’t going to get a whole lot better, it was sort of on a decline. But the way players are training nowadays and taking care of their bodies and taking all of the data, all the technology in play, all the nutrition, like I said how they train differently, it has extended guys careers like we haven’t seen before, and that’s a good thing."