Brandon McDaniel enters his 14th season in professional baseball. He currently is a Vice President, Player Performance for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He has been in the field of Strength & Conditioning for 17 years and has previously worked for the Pittsburgh Pirates at the Minor League level and EXOS (formerly Athletes Performance) in their Military Strength and Conditioning department with the Department of Defense.

Brandon holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science from Wayne State College (NE) where he was a member of the baseball team. He holds a Master’s Degree from A.T. Still University in Human Movement. He also holds many certifications including his Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach Certification through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, as well as FMS, SFMA, USAW, DNS, PRI and Strong First Kettlebell.

He has a strong belief in the importance of sound training and optimal recovery for high-level performance not only in the world of professional athletics, but also in general human performance.

Brandon is married to his wife Andrea, who is a registered dietitian. They have three young sons and currently reside in Burbank, CA.

Travis Smith is a Major League Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, where he is responsible for designing and implementing team training, nutritional and recovery programs.

Prior to his current role, Smith spent three seasons (2016-2018) as the Major League Assistant/Minor League Strength Coordinator. From 2012-2015, Smith served as a Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Dodgers. Previous experience includes strength and conditioning positions with the Miami Marlins organization, Mazatlan Venados Mexican Baseball Organization and Lara Cardenales Venezuelan Baseball Organization.

Travis has earned his license in massage therapy, Master's in Applied Exercise Science from Concordia University Chicago and Bachelors in Exercise Science from Taylor University. While attending Taylor, Smith played defensive back for 4 years.

In 2017, Travis presented at the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society conference on Technology in Strength and Conditioning (Athlete Assessment and Monitoring). In 2018, Smith had the opportunity to run a baseball strength and conditioning mentorship in Okinawa, Japan for both Korean baseball organizations and Japanese baseball organizations. Presenting on Movement Assessment, Athlete development and systematic approach to weightlifting.

• Master of Science in Exercise Science- Concordia University Chicago
• Certified Massage Therapist - South Bay Massage College
• Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science - Taylor University
• National Strength and Conditioning Association: Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
• National Academy of Sports Medicine: Performance Enhancement Specialist
• National Academy of Sports Medicine: Corrective Enhancement Specialist
• Strong First Girya Level 1
• Precision Nutrition: Level 1 Certification
• Functional Movement Systems: FMS level 1 & 2, SFMA Level 1, FCS
• Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization: Level 1
• Fascial Distortion Model
• OnBaseU: Hitting Level 1
• Strong First Girya Instructor: Level 1

Eric is the Director of Performance Scouting and Major League Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Eric is currently in his 5th year with the organization. Prior to the 2019 season, he served as a Minor League Performance coach at various levels. His current role splits time within both the Performance and Amateur Scouting Departments. Within Performance, he works directly with the players on the Major League side. Within Amateur Scouting he creates the physical evaluations for all players that have been identified as potential draft picks.

Prior to the Dodgers, Eric spent time in the private sector of Strength and Conditioning. He completed an internship at Cressey Sports Performance (Hudson, MA) before working at Ranfone Training Systems (Hamden, CT). He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Connecticut where he was a 4-year member of the baseball team. While at UConn, he completed an internship with the Sports Performance Department. These experiences have offered him the opportunity to work with athletes across many different ages and sport demographics.

• Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science w/ Concentration in Strength and Conditioning- University of Connecticut
• National Strength and Conditioning Association: Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
• Functional Anatomy Seminars: FRCms, FRA
• Functional Movement Systems: FMS Level 1, SFMA Level 1
• Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization: Level 1
• Postural Restoration Institute: Baseball
• OnBase University: Hitting Level 1
• National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association: Biomechanics
• Certified Massage Therapist in the state of California

Brian is the Director of Minor League Performance for the Los Angeles Dodgers. In this role, he is responsible for the supervision and implementation of the organizations' performance philosophy and departmental collaboration within the minor league system. He is entering his 11th year with the Dodgers where he has held many different titles such as Performance Coordinator, MLB Strength and Conditioning Coach, and Rehab Strength and Conditioning Coordinator. He graduated in 2008 with a BS in Exercise Science and Wellness from Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ. In 2007, Brian transferred to ASU from the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point where he played two years of collegiate baseball.

Prior to working for the Dodgers, he worked as a Performance Coach and Intern Coordinator for EXOS in Phoenix, Arizona from late 2010-2011. While with EXOS, Brian worked with a multitude of sports including baseball, football, basketball, soccer, and hockey ranging from youth levels up to professional. Prior to his time with EXOS, Brian worked as a Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Minnesota Twins AA affiliate for the 2010 season and as a Position/Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Cotuit Kettleters of the Cape Cod League.

• Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and Wellness - Arizona State University
• National Strength and Conditioning Association: Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist & Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach
• Strong First Girya Level 1
• Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization Level 1
• FRC Mobility Specialist
• Stick Mobility Level 1
• Other courses attended/studied: Leaders, SMFA, OnBaseU Hitting 1

Brandon is a performance coach within the Dodgers minor league system. His past season was spent in Arizona Complex League (ACL). This coming season, Brandon will be serving as a performance coach for the High A affiliate in Midland, Michigan. During Fall Instructional League, Brandon oversaw the movement camp, which focused on improving specific qualities based on needs on the players.

Prior to joining the Dodgers, Brandon spent 4 seasons with the East Carolina Baseball program as their Strength and Conditioning Coach. During his time at East Carolina, he was involved in many things within the strength and conditioning department. For two years, Brandon was the internship coordinator and ran the day-to-day operations with all interns. Women’s Soccer, Men’s Tennis, Men’s and Women’s Cross Country are teams that Brandon also oversaw during his time at East Carolina. Velocity Based Training (VBT) was a key component in the training of Pirate Baseball during Brandon’s time at East Carolina. During Brandon’s first few years at East Carolina, he assisted the Football Strength Staff with ensuring the quarterbacks shoulders were resilient and ready for the rigors of the game.

Prior to East Carolina, Brandon was an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Charleston Southern University. Brandon oversaw Baseball, Women’s Soccer, Women’s Basketball, Track and Field. He assisted with all other teams as there was only two strength coaches on staff there at the time. He traveled with Football and was a part of the 2016 Conference Championship.

Before arriving in Charleston, Brandon was a Graduate Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at St. John’s University in Queens, NY. During his time at STJ, Brandon over saw Baseball, Women’s Track and Field, Men’s and Women’s Tennis, and Men’s and Women’s Golf. He also assisted with Men’s and Women’s Basketball, along with Men’s Lacrosse during his two years in New York. St. John’s was where Brandon really was able to learn the college athletics landscape and provide full support to the teams entrusted to him. He travelled with Baseball and took on the responsibility of adding nutritional value to the program. Along with that, Brandon met with Administrators to creatively develop a fueling station for all student athletes.

Prior to Queens, Brandon spent time as an intern at Wake Forest University, Mississippi State University, and High Point University. During these internships, Brandon was able to learn how to coach and what a strength and conditioning department should look like. He is thankful for this time in his career and all the players and coaches that helped him develop early on.

Brandon has taken courses in PRI (PRI for Baseball and Myokinematic Restoration), Precision Nutrition, TPI level 1 and several others throughout his career.

• Bachelors of Kinesiology, East Carolina University
• Master of Professional Studies with a concentration in Sports Management, St. John’s University
• CSCS from the NSCA
• SCCC from the CSCCa
• Sports Performance Coach from USAW
• PRI (Myokinematic Restoration)
• PRI (PRI for Baseball)
• TPI Level 1
• Precision Nutrition Level 1

Rob is the Minor League Director of Pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Rob is currently in his 3rd year with the organization. In his first two years with Los Angeles, he served as a Minor League Pitching Coordinator, Technical Development. His current role is to oversee the coaching, implementation, and execution of pitching initiatives within the minor leagues, while collaborating interdepartmentally between performance, performance science, quantitative analytics and the Major League staff. He also assists the amateur and pro scouting departments with evaluations and acquisitions of players. Prior to the Dodgers, Rob worked at Driveline Baseball first as an intern in 2017, then full time from Summer of 2018 until the Winter of 2019. At Driveline, Rob was on the cutting edge of baseball training and technology development with everything from biomechanics to pitch tracking data. In the fall of 2019, he helped create the Driveline Pitch Design Certification. He has trained pitchers from all skill levels from all corners of the globe including, 8-10 year olds in WA, Japanese Korean, and Latin American pros, and college players. He also trained numerous Major League pitchers within Driveline’s 1 on 1 private training, both remotely and in person. He completed his undergraduate degree at Westmont College where he was a captain of the baseball team. These experiences have deepened Rob’s experience well in a short period of time and have allowed him to solve problems in creative and innovative ways.

• Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from Westmont College
• Driveline: Foundations of Pitching (certification)
• Driveline: Basics of Pitch Design (Co-creator)
• ALTIS: Coaching The Javelin & Hammer (certification)
• ALTIS: Solving the Performance Puzzle (seminar)

Thomas Albert returns in his 7th season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was the Medical/Rehabilitation Coordinator for the Cleveland Indians for 4 years. A native of Burlington, IA, Thomas earned his Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy from A.T. Still University. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training, Sports Science, and Fitness from Upper Iowa University. He is certified in Spinal Manipulation and Dry Needling through the Spinal Manipulation Institute. He is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA.

Thomas resides in Chino, CA with his wife Mandi and three children Chloe, Adelyn and Juliet.

Tyrone Hall is currently the Manager of Performance Nutrition for the Los Angeles Dodgers. As a chef and registered dietitian, Tyrone uses his skill sets to prepare meals and educate personnel throughout the Dodgers organization.

He grew up in Burlington, NC before attending Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Culinary Nutrition in 2005. Tyrone then went on to work for the Duke Diet and Fitness Center and the Compass Group for 5 years before going back to UNC-Chapel Hill for graduate school. After graduate school, he worked for the Durham County Public Health Department teaching cooking and sports nutrition to children and adults in Durham, NC. His first season with the Dodgers was in 2016 as their Performance Chef Dietitian.

Registered Dietitian/Nutritions by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Tim earned a bachelor’s degree from Westfield State College in Mathematics and Movement Science. Following Westfield State College, he went on to intern-coach at Velocity Sports Performance, Harvard University, and Georgia Tech.

Through these experiences, he was able to earn a graduate assistant position at Springfield College where he was personally in charge of football, men's basketball, women's volleyball, men's lacrosse, and women's track and field. He also served as an intern-coach with the football team at Ole Miss.

Within a year, Tim became full-time assistant strength and conditioning coach at Georgia Tech, where he was responsible for women's basketball, assisted with football, and was in charge of football’s nutrition program. While working at Georgia Tech, he earned his masters from Springfield College in Exercise Science with a concentration in Strength and Conditioning. He also obtained a second masters from California University of Pennsylvania.

Following Georgia Tech, Tim became associate strength and conditioning coach at USC, where he was in charge of swimming and diving, and assisted with football. He was directly in charge of nutrition, return to play, and football’s internship program.

Tim's last stop before Allegiate was as head strength and conditioning coach for football at Army West Point. He served in that role for three seasons, the final of which Army defeated Navy for the first time in fifteen years.

A number of former athletes, interns, and assistant coaches who have worked with Tim have gone on to prominent roles as either assistants and/or head strength and conditioning coaches at numerous D-1 schools and professional teams.

Josh is the founder and President of Advanced Therapy and Performance where he oversees the growth of his performance and therapy staff around the country, develops best practices for performance and pain (surgical and non-surgical) cases, while managing national and global growth of ATP where they current treat and train thousands of throwers a year.

Josh is an innovator and thought leader in the sports performance world, most notably, he is the creator of the 90MPH Formula. The 90MPH Formula is a simple, physics and evidence-based criteria that has helped thousands throw 90MPH (or harder). The formula also provides checks and balances to help reduce the incidence of traumatic injury, especially UCL tears in pitchers. The ATP team is actively in the process of producing a formalized study and published with IRB approval. Josh publishes the formula for free and offers daily updates on his website, twitter, and Instagram.

Josh is a Western minded, evidence-based practice driven therapist that respects many Eastern philosophies when they can drive superior pragmatic results for athletes and patients. Having spent the last 13 years actively in progressive Physical Therapy, Acupuncture, and Sport Performance clinics as well as 5 years as a D1 Collegiate Strength Coach. His goal is to always drive the fastest results for his clients to reach their long-term goals while minimizing lost games due to injury or rehab.

Josh holds degrees in:

• Bachelors in Exercise Science
• Master’s in Human Movement and Sports Psychology
• Master’s in Classical Five Elements Acupuncture
• Doctorate in Integrated Medicine

Leo Ruiz is currently the Strong Mind Cultural Development Director with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was born and raised in the United States, specifically in the state of New Jersey. His parents are originally from the Dominican Republic. He graduated from Drew University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology/Spanish and Springfield College with a Master of Science in Psychology with a concentration in Athletic Counseling. He played four years of college baseball as a pitcher at Drew, coached for two years as a graduate assistant coach at both Springfield College and Western New England University, and was an AmeriCorps service member for the Springfield Public Schools system.

He is an active member of the Professional Baseball Performance Psychology Group (PBPPG), American Psychological Association (APA) Division 47, and is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant® (CMPC) through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). For the past five years, his role has been to develop-maintain-enhance the mental/emotional strength of players and staff within Player Development, and largely, Baseball Operations.

His primary responsibilities focus on mental performance, life skill development, cultural acclimation to the United States for Latin American athletes, and cultural proficiency for American players and staff across the organization. Coordinates interdepartmental collaboration to optimize player performance through linguistically and culturally relevant development, education, transition, integration, and mental performance programs of international players, from their inception as professionals at our Campo Las Palmas Dominican Republic Academy, through their transition in the United States minor league affiliate teams, and ultimately when they arrive to the Major Leagues in Los Angeles.

Kristen is currently the Head Performance Chef for the Los Angeles Dodgers and is entering her 5th year with the organization. She prepares high-performance meals for players and staff at the major league level and serves as a valuable nutrition resource for players throughout the Dodgers organization.

Most of her life was spent on the East Coast in Cranston, Rhode Island, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Culinary Nutrition at Johnson & Wales University. She was a member of the cross country team for her 4 years at JWU. After undergrad, she worked as a diet technician at a local hospital before completing her sports nutrition-focused master’s degree and dietetic internship at Saint Louis University in Missouri. Her research conducted during her time at SLU titled, “Short-Term Mediterranean Diet Improves Endurance Exercise Performance: A Randomized-Sequence Crossover Trial” was published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition in 2019. Before beginning her journey with the Dodgers, she worked as a pastry chef, baker, and barista at a local Italian café.

Kristen has a passion for recipe development, food first fueling strategies, and nutrient timing to optimize performance and recovery.

• Commission on Dietetic Registration: Registered Dietitian
• Research- Journal of the American College of Nutrition: “Short-Term Mediterranean Diet Improves Endurance Exercise Performance: A Randomized-Sequence Crossover Trial”
• American College of Sports Medicine: Certified Personal Trainer
• Master of Science in Nutrition & Dietetics, Concentration in Nutrition & Physical Performance- Saint Louis University
• Bachelor of Science in Culinary Nutrition, Concentration in Clinical Dietetics- Johnson & Wales University
• Associate in Applied Science in Baking & Pastry Arts- Johnson & Wales University

French Pastry Professional Training Certification- Ecole Nationale Supérieure de la Pâtisserie

Just finished his third season with the Dodgers as Latin America Strength & Conditioning Coordinator and was promoted to MiLB Strength & Conditioning Coordinator for the 2022 season. Prior to this, Kochan worked from 2009-2018 for the San Francisco Giants where he served as Major League Strength & Conditioning Coach helping them win three World Series Championships (2010, 2012, 2014), Boston Red Sox (2008) as their Triple-A Strength & Conditioning Coach, and with the Seattle Mariners (2006-2007) at their Strength & Condition coach at Double-A and Low-A affiliates. In 2015 Kochan was bestowed the honor of being Major League Baseball's Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year (as voted upon by his peers).

Kochan holds a B.S. in Exercise Science from Southern Illinois University -Carbondale, M.S. in Exercise Physiology - Human Movement from A.T. Still University and is currently in the process of obtaining his Ph.D. in Sport Psychology from Grand Canyon University where his dissertation will focus on psychological resilience. His certifications include National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA) Registered Strength & Conditioning Coach (RSCC), NSCA Certified Strength & Conditioning Coach (CSCS), NSCA Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES), NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES), United States of America Weightlifting (USAW) certified, Functional Movement Screen (FMS) levels 1 & 2, Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA), and On -Base University (On-Base U), SOMA Eldoa 1 & 2, and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS).

Tyler is a Coordinator within the Performance Science Department with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Tyler is currently in his 4th year with the organization. He entered the organization in Player Development, beginning as a Development Coach in Ogden in 2018 and then Rancho Cucamonga in 2019. He began his current role after the conclusion of the 2019 season. His work mostly revolves around the pitching side of the game, as he creates reports and provides analysis on pitchers’ mechanics across the organization. He works closely with our Major League Pitching Coaches, Performance Department and Player Development to both maintain and improve player performance.

Prior to the Dodgers, Tyler attended Yale University where he studied Economics and was a 4-year letterman as a pitcher on the baseball team. In the summer of 2017, he interned with Major League Baseball’s league office in New York in the Labor Relations Department where he assisted with special projects and generated arbitration projections for the following season. He originally became interested in working in baseball while being a part of the Yale Undergraduate Sports Analytics club.

Received his Bachelor degree in psychology from the State University of New York at Potsdam, holds a Master of Education degree in Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Athletic Counseling and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Clinical Mental Health from Springfield College. In addition to graduate work, he facilitated Adventure Therapy and Experiential Education groups at the East Campus Outdoor Learning Center. He is a current member of the Professional Baseball Performance Psychology Group (PBPPG), American Psychological Association (APA) Division 47, and Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP).

In 2010, AJ became a co-founder of the mental performance group, FOCUS Unlimited, LLC. Mainly working with youth, high school, and collegiate athletes on developing their mental game both on and off the field. In 2012, he began government contract work within the Comprehensive Soldier & Family Fitness Program (CSF2), under the directive of the United States Army with placement at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Training responsibilities primarily dealt with enhancing the mental performance and resilience of our uniform service members; in including certification(s) in Learning Enhancement and a Level 3 Master Resilience Trainer.

In 2015, AJ accepted his current position as the StrongMind Coordinator for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Developing, maintaining, and enhancing the mental strength of players and staff members within the greater reach of Baseball Operations. Majority of training education and implementation is conducted via lectures, small/large group workshops, individual training, and on/off field consultation. Largely within Player Development, in addition to conducting people projects that enrich the collaboration amongst departments and support resources.