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College | Story | 2/15/2022

The PG Path: Landon Sims, Logan Tanner

Craig Cozart

Photo: Logan Tanner, Landon Sims (Mississippi State Athletics)

Battery (bat-uh-ree), noun.
1. a combination of two or more cells electrically connected to work together to produce energy
2. the pitcher and catcher in a baseball game, considered as a unit

We had the opportunity to catch up with former Perfect Game All-Americans and current Mississippi State University stars, Landon Sims and Logan Tanner, to ask them about his experiences that have led him to where they are today. We appreciate them taking the time out of their busy schedules and hope we can all learn a few things from their paths thus far in baseball and in life.

What is your first memory involving the game of baseball?

Sims: I think I was about 7 years old and playing rec ball and hit my first over-the-fence home run. It was really exciting at the time and just something that always stuck out to me as my first impactful memory.

Tanner: It would have been just playing in the backyard with my mom, Dalenah, and my cousins. It was literally just an open field with a cow fence around it, but we had a lot of fun.

How old were you when you first started playing organized baseball?

Sims: I think I started playing t-ball when I was 4 years old, don’t have a lot of memories from that. But ever since I could really walk, I had a bat in my hand, or a football in my hand and even a golf club. At a very young age, sports were always a huge part of my life.

Tanner: I was 5 years old when I started playing local rec league ball.

Who were a couple of the most influential people in your baseball career as you were growing up?

Sims: First and foremost, it was my dad Brannon, he coached me from as early as I can remember until I was 12 years old. After that I played for various coaches at different levels but even to this day, we talk pretty much every day. We talk about pitching for sure, but we also talk about general life and what’s going on week-to-week. He is someone I can always lean on, and he’s there regardless of how things are going. I have always loved the fact that he could so easily separate being my “coach” and being my “dad.” So, I am very grateful for everything he’s done for me and will continue to do for me. Also, my high school coach, Russ Bayer, has been a big part of my life and I learned a lot from him over my 4 years on varsity.

Tanner: Definitely my mom, but my Uncle Brent and my Grandpa Steve were always there for me as I grew up. They never coached any of the teams that I was on but were always there to support me.

When did you start playing travel ball and what organization did you play with for most of your career?

Sims: I started playing travel ball when I was 13 years old and played with Team Elite all the way from 13u to 17u. All the coaches within that organization impacted the way I play the game and the decisions I make.

Tanner: I started around age 15 when I joined Team Georgia/Mississippi Baseball Academy. I stayed with them all the way until I graduated.

You both played football growing up; was this influential on your mentality and the way you play the game of baseball today?

Sims: Yes, I started playing football at 6 years old and stuck with it all the way through my senior year. It definitely had an impact on my mental approach, and I think I have a bulldog mentality when I’m out there on the mound. I think a lot of it has stemmed from the toughness both physically and mentally you must have to be successful in football. Plus, playing multiple sports keeps you hungry, so to speak. You put all your energy and focus into football in the fall and by the time spring rolls around you are ready to hit the diamond. I would recommend younger kids playing as many sports as they can.

Tanner: Yes, I played football all the way through and there is no doubt that it had a big impact on me when it comes to my job on the baseball field. I played quarterback which carries very similar responsibilities to catching in that you are kind of the general on the field. So, it definitely helped prepare me for what I do today.

When you hear the words, Perfect Game Baseball, what is the first thing that comes to mind?

Sims: Probably the first thing that comes to mind for me is good, competitive baseball. Virtually any PG event you go to, whether it’s a tournament or a showcase, it’s going to be competitive and professionally run. That gives you a taste of what things will be like at the next level from a talent standpoint and how things are done.

Tanner: Probably Lake Point, we used to play there all the time when I first started playing travel ball. Other than that, it’s just great competition and knowing that when we played in a PG event you will see some of the best talent in the nation.

How old were you when you played in your first Perfect Game event and where did it take place?

Sims: I think it was when I was 13 and we went down to the BCS in Fort Myers. I remember being excited about playing at Terry Park and the 5-Plex because that was just before they started playing at JetBlue.

Tanner: It was when I had just turned 15 and joined Team Georgia when we played at Lake Point.

What is your all-time favorite PG venue and why?

Sims: The All-American game at Petco Park was for sure my favorite venue. I met some guys that I built good relationships with and that is where I met Logan Tanner for the first time. He and I have developed a great relationship on and off the field since then.

Tanner: We only played one tournament out west, but we played at the spring training complex in Arizona and that was unique. Things were so much different out there with the dryer heat and the way the ball carried.

What was your favorite memory from a team standpoint in a Perfect Game event?

Sims: When I was 14, we were down at the BCS once again and we made a run to the championship game. It was a new group, but we had grown close because we got to hang out even when we weren’t on the field.

Tanner: Definitely winning the 17u WWBA in 2018 I believe, that was such a loaded event that to come out on top was really cool. We had a close-knit group and things really came together for us; it was a great run.

Do you feel like Perfect Game as organization had an impact on your career, your opportunity to be recruited and be considered for the MLB Draft?

Sims: For sure, they create such a great opportunity to get exposure. Everybody in the scouting and recruiting world knows Perfect Game and that their events will have the premier talent.

Tanner: I feel like it had a huge impact with all the college coaches and professional scouts that were in attendance, it put me in a great position to be recruited and get a feel for my draft outlook.

Being a Perfect Game All-American, what does that mean to you to this day?

Sims: It’s still very special to me and is one of the highest honors you can receive as an amateur player. Occasionally, you come across another guy in college who may have been an All-American as well and it gives you that common bond to reflect on.

Tanner: The thing that has been awesome about being a PG All-American is being able to continue to follow the guys you met there and see how they are doing in college or professionally. It was a great experience to play with all that talent and see how I stacked up.

You were both heavily recruited and could have signed professionally out of high school. So, what advice would you have for younger players when it comes to the recruiting process and weighing the option between college and the MLB Draft?

Sims: Probably the biggest thing in the recruiting process is to understand it is a life decision and you must pick a place where you feel you can succeed the most. Try to find a place that is going to invest in you as much as you invest in yourself. That’s what stood out to me about Mississippi State was how much the coaching staff is willing to invest in each player and then how much the university invests financially into the program. The interesting thing is that none of the coaches that are on the staff now were here when I was being recruited, but it couldn’t have worked out any better, the whole staff is sensational. From Coach Lemonis to our strength staff to our training staff, they are all on the same page and have been great and I am very fortunate to be here. From a draft and professional baseball standpoint, I didn’t have the senior year that I needed to be where I wanted in the draft, so I was happy to be heading to Starkville.

Tanner: I would say be sure to go to a place where you’re going to be able to play and get on the field very early in your career. For me personally, going to college was the best choice because I needed more time to develop behind the plate and in the box. Have an idea of what you need to work on and what you need to do to develop your game at the highest level.

What is your favorite MLB team and why?

Sims: The Atlanta Braves, I’ve been a Braves fan all my life. I grew up going to games, so to watch them win the World Series this year was amazing.

Tanner: The Boston Red Sox are my favorite team, I’m a big Boston sports fan. I’ve been to a few games and really like the city of Boston.

Playing collegiately at Mississippi State University, what are a couple of the reasons you chose to be a Bulldog?

Sims: The atmosphere that they create within the team and with our fans, the top-notch facilities and the feeling of being at home all made it the right fit for me. I was convinced that this was the place where I was going to be put in the best situation to be successful and it has turned out.

Tanner: Mississippi State was my favorite school growing up and I knew I would have a chance to play right away. I wanted to help this program compete for a national championship, since State historically had been to the College World Series frequently. So, I was so proud and happy that we were able to pull one out last year.

What is the best part about being a member of the Mississippi State Baseball Team and how have you grown as an individual?

Sims: Well, there’s a lot of good parts, honestly there’s nothing that’s bad about it. This place feels like home, I love Starkville as a whole and the people here are amazing and just so down to earth. This place has become family and at the end of the day there’s nothing not to like. As an individual I think my biggest area of growth has been from the mental side. I walked into the locker room on day one and was kind of big eyed and unsure of myself. I learned quickly my freshman year that you must “take the bull by the horns” so to speak and flip the narrative internally to realize I belong. Once I got to that point, success started to happen and now I am in a position where I can lead and help the younger guys succeed. It was an evolution from hoping I was good enough, to knowing I belonged, to expecting to win a national championship.

Tanner: The fans are obviously great, the coaching staff, the strength staff, the doc staff as we call them are all there to support you in getting better. So, it’s truly up to you as a player to determine how far you take things and how much you develop as a person and a player. I have matured significantly here. I have gotten better behind the plate and made a ton of progress at the plate with the stick. You really learn how to be a professional here because things are run very similar to a professional organization, and this has been the biggest blessing in my baseball career to this point.

Dudy Noble Field/Polk-Dement Stadium is one of the premier NCAA baseball facilities in the nation with one of the most passionate fanbases around. What is that like and what is your favorite part of that atmosphere?

Sims: It is awesome how invested our fans are both emotionally and financially. They give us the best home field advantage of anywhere in the country. If you just go back to the Super Regional series against Notre Dame, they were a great defensive ball club but made several errors in the first game. So, the atmosphere can be intimidating for our opponents, which we love. We set the all-time single game Super Regional attendance record that weekend, so we are proud of that.

Tanner: Playing in front of THE most passionate fanbase in the nation, we hold most every attendance record out there, it is just an amazing atmosphere. The way the stadium is built and how unique that is makes it such a fun atmosphere for us as the home team. It’s not very often that you can say that a fanbase is as invested as the players are but that is the case here at Mississippi State.

The relationship between a pitcher and a catcher is a special bond and is known as the “battery.” How does that work for you two, and is there anything unique you guys have developed over time?

Sims: Logan and I seem to always be on the same page. We have spent so much time together talking pitching that he knows me well and he calls my pitches in game. He gives me great feedback on my pitches and most of the time before I even ask him. His baseball IQ is very high, and he helps me prepare for my outings. This will be really important for me this year as I make a change and take on the role of a starting pitcher.

Tanner: The first time I ever met Landon was at the PG All-American game and we have a great bond when he’s on the mound and we are competing as a unit. I am proud to have the responsibility of calling his pitches and know that the coaching staff and Landon have the trust in me to do that.

Last year, you were a part of the team that won the first-ever national championship in any sport for Mississippi State. What was the best part of that experience in Omaha and how have things changed for the program and you personally?

Sims: One of my favorite moments in Omaha was when Tanner Allen hit the three-run home run against Virginia that put us ahead. Tanner was our guy all year and he came up in that huge moment and delivered once again. Then when Kellum Clark hit the three-run home run to put us up 9-0 and I was warming up to come in and we had nine outs to get. I just got chills throughout my whole body because it was in that moment that I knew we were going to win it all. After we won it all, things were pretty crazy with all the publicity, people in town wanting to stop and take pictures with us and things like that. But, at this point, we have turned the page and it is back to business as usual.

Tanner: The dog pile after we won the national championship was definitely my favorite memory. But other than that, it was seeing the fans after we had won it, to see the weight come off their shoulders of finally winning the first national championship in school history for a team sport. To be able to win that for our university and for the state of Mississippi is a feeling I’ll never forget.

The game is very analytics-driven these days. What are the metrics that you find most interesting and helpful for you individually and how do you apply them to your craft?

Sims: I really enjoy looking at my TrackMan data and am constantly trying to learn something new every time I have access to it. During the offseason, I spend a lot more time on the data than I do during the regular season. We have an assistant that worked at Driveline, so we are learning a lot from him and figuring out what the analytics show us about our individual strengths and weaknesses. I focus mostly on the induced vertical break on my fastball and the spin rate on my slider.

Tanner: I look at my catching chart after the weekend to see what pitches I’m doing a good job on and what pitches I could do a better job of presenting for my pitchers. I love to look at all the analytics from a hitting standpoint. The launch angle, the exit velocity, how my bat path is working and how efficiently I’m getting my bat head through the zone. I think it’s a great way to develop your game and minimize your weaknesses.

What has been the biggest challenge in your career thus far and what could young players learn from your experience?

Sims: The biggest challenge was the emotional part of going into my senior year in high school expecting to get drafted and it didn’t happen. It was quite a hit to my confidence, and I let myself get down. I think I looked a little too deeply into the whole draft process and I could have handled things a lot better than I did. I focused too much on the outside noise and what was going on beyond the field with scouts, etc. instead of focusing on what I could control, which was pitching to the best of my ability. I have a lot better grasp of how to handle the whole issue with the draft now and am looking forward to the season.

Tanner: I got recruited a bit later than most kids. So, you just must keep playing and if you keep working hard it will all work out in the end. Never feel sorry for yourself, that is one of the worst things you can do. Put your head down and work hard, don’t get discouraged if you’re not getting the offers you are looking for. It will all work out in the end.

We live in a world where social media is prevalent. Do you spend much time on social media? If so, what is your favorite platform and what do you like to post?

Sims: I like Instagram and Twitter, but I think Twitter is my favorite. Our Twitter following at Mississippi State is significant, so that is fun for us to interact with our fanbase in that way. I like to post about every State sports team as well as Atlanta professional sports teams who I am a fan of.

Tanner: I’d probably say Twitter because I just love watching sports and I love to comment on sports. I love to give my opinions on sports and just talking sports in general.

Most baseball players are very routine-oriented and have superstitions. Do you have any interesting routines, go-to pregame meals or superstitions you would be willing to share?

Sims: Superstition-wise I pick a lucky pair of socks and leggings that I will wear for every game. I also tend not to wear an undershirt underneath my jersey. Other than that, when I come into the dugout in between innings I set my glove and hat down in the same way and in the same spot each time. Those are a few things that I do to keep my routine and keep myself locked in.

Tanner: I wear the same underwear every game and I always have to have a piece of gum whenever I’m playing ball. For some reason the gum keeps me locked in.

Last question here, now that you have had a wide array of baseball experience, what do you know now that you wish you would have known back when you were a younger player?

Sims: Never getting too high and never getting too low, just being where my feet are and not looking back or too far forward. Especially as a pitcher it’s important to be in the moment and compete pitch-to-pitch.

Tanner: It will all work out in the end. Whenever you’re going through a slump or a rough patch in the game, it will all work out if you keep working hard and maintain a positive attitude.

. . .

We hope you enjoyed getting to know Landon Sims and Logan Tanner a little better and were able to gain some valuable insight and perspective from our conversation. Be on the lookout for the next installment of the PG Path coming soon!

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