Picture this: You walk the first two batters of the game. The next hitter ropes a double into the gap, then you give up a single, and before you know it, you’re down 3–0 in the first inning. The mound feels smaller, you’re questioning that next pitch and every mistake feels magnified.
Sound familiar?
Here’s the truth: every pitcher, at every level, has had a bad start. MLB aces, college studs, and that kid who punched out 15 in a travel ball game last week have all had games where nothing seemed to click. What separates good pitchers from great ones isn’t avoiding bad starts altogether, it’s knowing how to reset and bounce back.
Baseball is a game of failure. Pitchers will make mistakes, hitters will capitalize, and sometimes nerves just get in the way. For high school pitchers, common causes include but are not limited to:
- Rushing their mechanics
- Nerves in a big game
- A bad warm-up routine
- Letting one mistake turn into two or three
But here’s the key: it’s not the first inning that defines you—it’s how you respond from there. When pitchers don’t reset, things often spiral. Frustration turns into loss of focus. Mechanics break down. Body language slumps. And suddenly, a rough first inning becomes an early exit.
Think about it from the other side: hitters and coaches can see when you’re unraveling, especially at the younger levels because a lot of athletes let their negative emotions show. Shoulder drop, eyes roll, pace quickens and general frustration kicks in. That body language tells everyone you’re beaten, even if nothing really bad has even happened.
That’s why a mental reset plan is so important as soon as possible. Here are four tools you can use to hit the reset button, even when the game feels like it’s slipping:
- Breathing routine/taking an intentional breath
To slow the game down, you first must know how to slow yourself down. A deep, intentional breath in and out slows your heart rate down, recenters your focus and enables you to “check in” with yourself to see if you are in control, and helps release negative thinking - Body language check
How is your posture? Shoulders back, chest out, head tall. Even if you don’t feel confident, faking and acting confident will put you in a better position to be confident. - Return to a pitch-by-pitch mentality
The past is the past…lock in on the next pitch and focus on executing one pitch at a time. The task directly ahead of us is the most important. If you don’t win that pitch, focus on winning the next one. - Implement your own personal reset/release
Develop a routine to symbolically “release” negative thoughts or feelings…pick up dirt and throw it away, relax your arms and throw the ball in the air, wipe away dirt with your foot. That simple act can break the cycle of frustration.
MLB pitchers face this all the time. Max Scherzer has given up four runs in the first inning and still battled through six. Tarik Skubal has had games where his command wasn’t sharp early, but he adjusted and gave his team a chance to win. The difference isn’t mechanics, it’s mentality. They refuse to let one inning or a bad day dictate the game.
If pitchers at the highest level can bounce back in front of 40,000 fans, you can bounce back in front of a high school crowd.
Every pitcher will face bad starts. What separates you is how you respond. The best pitchers compete through adversity, use reset tools, and learn from the experience instead of spiraling. So next time things aren’t going your way, try one of these reset strategies. Breathe, reset, and attack the next pitch. Bouncing back isn’t just about saving one game, it’s about proving to yourself, your team, and the hitter in the box that you’re never out of the fight.
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