7 things I'm doing to throw 100mph and make a comeback

written by JOSH GESSNER | The Athletter

Good morning to all new and old readers! Here’s today’s edition of TheAthletter, exploring stories, ideas, and frameworks to be the best Baseball Player you can be.

7 Things I Wish I Knew as a Baseball Player:

Thing # 1): Develop 3 layers of the Mind

Imagine two players.

They’ve got similar talent, and are exposed to the same training.

Yet - one can go on to have huge success while the other doesn’t.

How's this possible?

The answer lies in their mind, in how they think.

The mind directly impacts your training and how well you perform.

For baseball players, I see 3 key layers to the mind:

1. Mental Awareness:

This is your foundation.

It includes self-identity, beliefs, and insecurities.

Basically knowing yourself, and being aware of how you think.

2. Principles:

These are the guidelines you follow.

• Discipline • Consistency • Obsession

It directs your actions, and determine how successful you will be.

3. Practice:

This is knowledge of the actual thing.

Pitch design, mechanics, mental performance.

Everyone focuses on the top layer.

How do I throw harder?

How do I get better at command?

What's the mental performance technique that'll make me more confident?

But what most don't realize:

The bottom 2 layers directly impacts your performance.

I'll give you examples:

Mental Awareness:

You might have a limiting belief that you're not 'talented' enough to throw 95.

In this case, no matter how much knowledge you're exposed to:

You'll hold yourself back because you won't put in the necessary effort.

Principles:

Having a principle like consistency makes it important to you to show up everyday.

Without that principle:

You'd train sporadically and not make as much progress.

Develop mental awareness by getting to know about yourself, your fears and your mind.

Meditate. Observe the thoughts that arise.

Journal. Try to understand why you act or think in certain ways.

Develop principles by reading, listening and talking to successful people.

Read self improvement books and autobiographies.

Listen to podcasts of people you admire.

Notice the patterns and mindsets these people have.

Thing # 2): Obsession and Essentialism

Obsession, being fully consumed by a goal:

Is the number one predictor of success.

But it’s not just about working hard; it’s about focusing your energy on the right things.

Think of your focus as a pie.

If you divide it into small slices for multiple pursuits, you only make small progress in each area.

But if you put all your energy into one goal, you make huge strides.

When I played, I divided my focus between baseball, trading, coding, and other interests.

Looking back, I wish I had gone all-in on baseball.

The best players focus nearly every waking moment on improving their game.

The brain is a problem-solving machine.

When you obsess over one goal, you’ll find a way to succeed.

The key is to have ONE overwhelming goal.

Thing #3): Train Like a Lion

Naval Ravikant once said that entrepreneurs should work like lions, not cows.

Lions rest most of the day but go all out when it’s time to hunt.

Cows graze all day with no focus.

Baseball players should train like lions.

This means resting and recovering when you’re not training, then bringing the intensity during your workouts.

Some players train like cows—they fill their days with unnecessary arm care, mobility work, overthinking.

This constant activity can lead to burnout and backward progress.

I used to train like a cow.

I spent hours messing with my mechanics, pitch grips, arm care.

Looking back - this was all wasted effort, and stemmed from anxiety.

Training like a lion requires discipline.

Train hard, and rest hard.

Thing #4): Build the Discipline Muscle

Discipline is about doing what needs to be done, even when you don’t feel like it.

Motivation comes and goes, but discipline keeps you consistent.

Discipline is a muscle you can develop.

It starts with small, daily habits.

Here are some to start with:

Resist impulses.

Do hard things.

Meditate.

Stay organized.

Each time you resist an impulse or do something hard:

You strengthen the discipline “muscle” in your brain.

Over time, it becomes easier to be consistent and stay disciplined.

Thing #5): Work Hard (Even When You Don’t Feel Like It)

Some days, it'll feel like trudging through the snow.

That’s okay. What matters is pushing through, even when motivation is low.

A practical way to overcome this is by breaking tasks into small steps.

For example, if you don’t feel like lifting, start with something simple:

Grab your coffee.

Put on your shoes.

Drive to the gym.

Once you’re there, momentum takes over.

You might still feel unmotivated, but you’ll get the work done.

Studies show there’s no correlation between how you feel and how well you perform.

Even on bad days, show up, and you'll make progress.

Thing #6): The Spotlight Effect

The spotlight effect is the feeling that everyone is watching and judging you.

In reality, most people are too focused on themselves to notice you.

When I had The Yips, I was terrified of making a bad throw.

But when I learned about the spotlight effect, I realized people weren’t paying nearly as much attention as I thought.

This knowledge helped me develop what I call the “F-it muscle”—the ability to take action despite fear or embarrassment.

Start desensitizing yourself to failure and rejection.

Over time, you’ll care less about what others think and perform with more freedom.

Thing #7): Write Your Unique Story

Adversity is part of every athlete’s journey.

Your career won’t be a straight line.

It will have ups and downs, and that’s what makes your story unique.

When I struggled with The Yips and injuries, I felt defeated.

But now, I see those challenges as part of my story.

They taught me lessons that I can share with others.

Every setback is an opportunity to create an epic comeback.

Believe that it's preparing you for something great one day.

Everything will make sense, and turn out better than you ever expected it to.

If you liked this, here’s the video version which goes into more detail:

Whenever you’re ready, there are 2 ways I can help you: 

1. Free 9 Week Program: A free generic program for those looking to gain velocity.

2. ThePitcherLab: Exclusive group of pitchers looking to work 1-1 with us. Our mission is to help you become good enough to get recruited or signed. Full Stack Program, Full Mechanical Breakdown, Daily Feedback. DM me ‘1-1’ for details.