Spring training batting practice: 200 swings a day, every day, for six weeks. Miguel's hands take more abuse in February and March than most people's do in a lifetime.
"By the end of spring, your hands either adapt or give out. Mine gave out my first year. Now I prepare differently."
The Volume Problem
Game swings are occasional. Practice swings are constant. The repetition creates friction patterns that build up faster than skin can adapt. Without protection, blisters become open wounds become infections.
Miguel tapes his grip spots before every BP session. The tape wears instead of his skin. He goes through rolls of tape but keeps his hands intact.
Ready for Opening Day
When the season starts, Miguel's hands are ready: conditioned, callused, and undamaged. He's seen players start the season already nursing hand injuries. That's not how he wants to compete.