Over my years as a player, coach, and mentor, I’ve seen it all from the mound—the bases loaded, full count, tie game in the seventh. These are the moments young pitchers dream about, but they’re also the moments that test them the most. I’ve coached high school and college baseball for 17 seasons, and one thing’s for sure: talent will get you to the mound, but your mental game will determine how long you stay there.
Pressure is part of pitching. You can’t avoid it, but you can learn how to handle it. And the best pitchers—those who thrive when the lights are brightest—are the ones who train their minds as much as their arms. Here are ten mental strategies I teach my pitchers to help them stay confident, focused, and in control when the game is on the line.
1. Control What You Can Control
There’s a lot a pitcher can’t control: bad umpire calls, errors behind you, weather, the crowd. But what you can control is your attitude, your preparation, your breathing, and your response.
I remind my players to focus on what’s in their power. When you take ownership of your mindset and body language, pressure loses its grip on you.
2. Develop a Pre-Pitch Routine
Every elite pitcher I’ve ever coached had a consistent routine before each pitch. It could be a deep breath, a glove tap, a reset word—something that grounds them and clears their head.
A good routine gives your brain something familiar to lean on. Under pressure, the routine keeps you steady when emotions try to take over.
3. Breathe Like a Champion
It sounds simple, but it’s powerful. Deep, intentional breathing lowers your heart rate, clears your mind, and keeps you calm.
I teach my pitchers to take a deep breath before every pitch. In through the nose, out through the mouth. It’s their reset button. In tense situations, one deep breath can change the whole inning.
4. Use Positive Self-Talk
The voice in your head matters. If you’re telling yourself “don’t mess up,” your focus is already on failure. Instead, teach yourself to say things like: “I’ve got this,” “Attack the zone,” or “Next pitch.”
Confident self-talk builds mental toughness. I’ve seen kids transform their performance just by changing how they talk to themselves.
5. Visualize Success Before It Happens
Before big games or pressure situations, I have pitchers close their eyes and picture success. See the pitch. See the strike. Hear the pop of the glove. Feel the composure.
The mind doesn’t always know the difference between imagination and reality. If you rehearse success in your mind, your body is more likely to follow.
6. Stay Present—One Pitch at a Time
The most common mistake young pitchers make under pressure? They start thinking ahead. “What if I walk him?” “What if we lose?” That mindset pulls you away from the only thing that matters: this pitch.
Whether you’re up 10 or down 1, the goal is always the same—win the next pitch. That’s how you stay locked in.
7. Embrace the Pressure
One of my favorite things to tell pitchers is: Pressure is a privilege. If you’re on the mound in a big moment, it means your team trusts you. That’s a good thing.
Instead of fearing the pressure, embrace it. Smile at it. Remind yourself you’ve worked for this moment. It’s not something to fear—it’s something to own.
8. Forget the Last Pitch—Fast
Every pitcher makes mistakes. The great ones let it go and move on. Hanging your head, dwelling on a missed pitch, or replaying an error in your mind only makes things worse.
The best pitchers have short memories. Good or bad, the last pitch is done. Flush it, refocus, and attack the next one.
9. Trust Your Training
When the game is tight, pitchers tend to overthink or try to do too much. But pressure is the time to lean on your training—not change it.
If you’ve put in the work—bullpens, reps, conditioning—trust it. Don’t aim. Don’t guide. Just compete. Let your preparation do the talking.
10. Stay Aggressive, Not Perfect
Trying to be perfect is a trap. It tightens you up, takes away your natural rhythm, and makes you play scared. Pitching under pressure requires aggression, not perfection.
Attack the zone. Trust your stuff. Know that a well-located fastball down the middle with conviction is better than a half-speed curveball thrown in fear.
Final Thoughts
As a coach, I care about winning. But more than that, I care about developing mentally strong players who know how to lead, overcome adversity, and compete with confidence.
Pitching will test every part of who you are—not just your physical tools, but your character, your mindset, and your heart. If you train your brain the way you train your arm, you’ll be ready for the big moments—not just in baseball, but in life.
Because at the end of the day, pressure is just a chance to prove what you’re made of.
And I promise you, you’re more ready than you think.