Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman has seen his home run total increase in each season he has been a full-time starter, and he already has 23 at the All-Star break. That is just eight fewer than he hit all of last year, so what is his secret?
Believe it or not, Bregman credits a pitcher for helping him hit the long ball with more frequency. Bregman told James Wagner of the New York Times that Justin Verlander approached him in May of last season after noticing his power numbers were down and he looked fatigued. The 36-year-old pitcher asked Bregman how many hours of sleep he gets per night, and the answer was six. Verlander advised Bregman to sleep at least 10 hours every night, and he gave it a shot even though he was skeptical.
“I felt like that’s overdoing it,” Bregman said. “You shouldn’t sleep that much. Then I started sleeping that much and, next thing you know, I hit 30 homers after that.”
Verlander, who has a 2.98 ERA this season and will start for the AL All-Star team on Tuesday night, is a huge proponent of getting plenty of sleep. He says his commitment to sleeping at least 10 hours a night is the main reason he continues to perform at a high level even at his age.
“I’ve always been good at listening to my body my whole career,” he added later. “I just kinda do what makes me feel good. That sounds pretty simplistic but when it really comes down to it I think it’s the best way. Your body will tell you what to do.”
While 10 is the goal, Verlander said he has no problem sleeping 11 or 12 hours if his body needs it. He doesn’t set an alarm and simply wakes up when he’s ready.
Some players probably couldn’t sleep 10 hours every night if they wanted to due to family obligations and the like, but it’s worth a try. Despite recently going off about Major League Baseball juicing balls, Verlander leads the majors with a 0.813 WHIP. His commitment to rest obviously works, and Bregman claims it has helped him hit for power more regularly. Perhaps Verlander should start a side business for sleep consultation.
