Associations between jump-derived mechanical indicators and sprint performance across sprint sections in baseball players

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between sprint performance across discrete distance sections and mechanical indicators derived from ballistic and reactive jumping tasks in male collegiate baseball players. Sixty-two players performed maximal 40-m sprints with split times recorded every 10 m. Mechanical indicators were obtained from loaded jump squats for force–velocity profiling and from depth and rebound jumps to calculate reactive strength index (RSI). Associations between sprint split times and mechanical indicators were analysed using multiple regression. For the 0–10 m section, maximal power (P max ) was retained as a significant explanatory variable, and a model including both Pmax and the slope of the force–velocity relationship (S F–v ) explained a modest proportion of the variance (adjusted R 2 ≈ 0.21). For sprint sections beyond 10 m, RSI derived from the 40-cm depth jump was consistently retained as the sole significant explanatory variable, explaining approximately 9–13% of the variance. Jump-derived mechanical indicators were associated with sprint performance in a phase-specific manner, although the explained variance was modest. Indicators from force–velocity profiling were associated with the initial acceleration phase, whereas reactive performance from higher drop height jumps was associated with later sprint sections. These findings highlight the importance of considering sprint phase when interpreting jump-based assessments in baseball players.