Baseball legend Yogi Berra once joked: “Baseball is 90% mental, and the other half is physical.” While the math doesn’t add up, the message is clear:  the mental side of baseball often matters more than raw physical ability.

Every coach and player knows mechanics are important. But when the game is on the line, it’s focus, confidence, and decision-making that separate great players from good ones. Let’s break down why baseball is so mental and how players can actually train their minds to gain a competitive edge.

Question:
Why do coaches say baseball is 90% mental?

Answer:
Baseball is called 90% mental because success often depends more on focus, confidence, and preparation than physical skill alone. Players with strong mental discipline:

• Stay composed under pressure

• Anticipate plays before they happen

• Recover quickly from mistakes

• Build consistent game-day confidence

In short, mastering the mental side of the game gives athletes the edge that separates good players from great ones.

1. Failure Is Built Into the Game

No sport teaches failure like baseball. A hitter who succeeds 3 out of 10 times is considered elite. Pitchers give up hits, defenders commit errors, and slumps happen.

The difference isn’t whether failure comes; it’s how players handle it.

• Strong mental players flush mistakes quickly and stay locked in.

• Weak mental players carry frustration into the next pitch, inning, or game.

👉 Training takeaway: Teach your players that failure is feedback. The best bounce back quickly and move forward.

📋 "Flush It" was a creative technique legendary coach Skip Bertman used while leading LSU.

• I actually bought one online from a novelty store and placed it in the dugout. It was useful because it had sound effects too - LOL

2. Every Play Demands Split-Second Decisions

Baseball looks slow to the casual fan, but the truth is: every pitch creates a new decision.

• Infielders must know where to go with the ball before it’s hit.

• Baserunners must read outfielders and make aggressive but smart choices.

• Hitters must adjust their approach instantly depending on the count and situation.

Physical skills get players in position. Mental skills make the right play.

👉 Training takeaway: Use situational drills in practice so players build habits of anticipating plays, not reacting late.

📋 Best Training Tool I Use: Intra-Squad with a Purpose

3. Confidence Fuels Performance

Baseball is streaky. A hitter can go from red-hot to ice-cold in days. A pitcher can dominate one week and struggle the next. Often, the only real difference is confidence.

• Confident players attack pitches, run the bases aggressively, and play with freedom.

• Players lacking confidence get tentative, overthink, and tighten up.

👉 Training takeaway: Build confidence by celebrating smart decisions, not just results. Reinforce the process, and the results will follow.

📋 Best Mental Training Book I've Read: Heads-Up Baseball: Playing One Pitch at a Time

4. Pressure Moments Reveal Mental Strength

Every team faces high-pressure moments:

• Bottom of the 7th, tie game, runners in scoring position.

• Two outs, full count, winning run on base.

• A pitcher is down in the count and facing the opponent’s best hitter.

In these moments, physical ability is equal; mental toughness decides the outcome. The players who can slow the game down, breathe, and execute will always rise above.

👉 Training takeaway: Simulate pressure in practice. Add consequences, keep score, and make drills competitive so players learn to perform under stress.

📋 Prepare your team for all pressure situations by training game-like scenarios at game speed using this drill series that guides players from individual to group and ultimately team segments during practice.

5. Baseball Is a Game of Anticipation

Unlike sports with constant action, baseball is filled with pauses. And those pauses test mental focus.

Smart players spend every pitch preparing for the next one. They’re already thinking:

• “If it’s a grounder, where do I throw?”

• “If it’s a line drive, what’s my read?”

• “If he throws me a curveball, what’s my adjustment?”

That anticipation makes the game look slower for them and easier to control.

👉 Training takeaway: Encourage players to use the “what if?” method. Before every pitch, they should ask themselves what they’ll do if the ball comes their way.

📋 Best Training Tool I Use: Intra-Squad with a Purpose

How to Train the Mental Game

The mental side of baseball doesn’t just happen by accident—it can and should be trained. Coaches can build mental toughness and Baseball IQ by:

• Film Study: Break down pro or college games and discuss decisions.

• Reflection: After games, have players talk through key moments and choices.

• Visualization: Teach players to mentally rehearse situations before they happen.

• Routine: Create pre-pitch or pre-at-bat routines that center focus and reduce nerves.

• Pressure Drills: Add competition and consequences in practice to simulate game tension.

Final Word

Baseball will always be a game of skill. But at its core, it’s a battle of focus, confidence, and decision-making. That’s why coaches and players say the game is “90% mental.”

The players who control their minds, who anticipate, stay composed, and handle failure are the ones who control the game.

👉 Mechanics may win highlights.

👉 But the mental game wins championships.

Read the article on how to implement the objectives in baseball.

Click the image or click the link to read.

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Coaching Resources to Help You Teach Baseball IQ

• Pitching Program for High School Players

• Complete Program Manual

• Baseball Strength and Conditioning

• Intrasquad With A Purpose

• Defensive Drill Series Bundle