How do You Rebound from a Bad Game?
Summary
Every baseball player has bad games—errors, strikeouts, or tough outings on the mound. What matters most is how you respond. By reflecting on your performance, creating a clear plan for improvement, and strengthening your mental game, you can turn setbacks into stepping stones. As Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski showed in 2025, one rough outing can become the foundation for growth and long-term success.
Do you buy into the philosophy “If you lose, learn”?
Many baseball players struggle to overcome losses, mistakes, and poor performances. After a poor performance, they tend to beat themselves up, causing them to lose confidence.
When your mind gets stuck in the memories of a bad game, you increase the likelihood of playing poorly in the next game. When this negative response to bad games becomes a habit, slumps begin to form. Rebounding from a bad game is key to being a consistent ball player.
However, one bad game can lead to a better performance in the next game with a tweak to your mindset.
If you look for what a bad game can teach you and learn from that experience, you can elevate future performances. YES… a bad game can help you achieve next-level play when you objectively evaluate your performance, learn from the experience, and apply those lessons in future games so you can rebound from that bad game.
Here’s an example from the 2025 MLB season. Following two weeks on the injured list, Milwaukee Brewers rookie right-hander Jacob Misiorowski was back in the starting rotation. In his first start back against the Cincinnati Reds, Misiorowski struggled on the mound, giving up four hits, three walks, and five earned runs in one and a third innings.
Misiorowski managed to throw just 28 of his 54 pitches in the strike zone. Instead of wallowing in misery or losing confidence in his pitching ability, Misiorowski viewed his performance as alearning experience.
MISIOROWSKI: “Second [inning], I just lost it. It was one of those things where I think I started overthinking about other things. I was excited for the opportunity to pitch today. I’m always going to throw better., I feel like, in the big leagues with more stress, it’s better to get more experience under my belt.”
Brewers manager Pat Murphy also put a positive spin on Misiorowski’s performance.
MURPHY: “He’s going to be back out there. He’ll be fine. He’ll learn from it. This is maybe the best thing that could’ve happened, is he pitches poorly and realizes he’s got to get in a groove a little bit and put the ball where he wants to.”
Try to think of a player who hasn’t lost, made mistakes, or had a rough outing. You won’t be able to come up with an example because these elements are part of baseball and part of the growthprocess.
In fact, it is impossible to accomplish big things in baseball without making mistakes and learning from those performances. What separates the good players from the great players is not whether they make mistakes, but how they respond to them and rebound.
To rebound from a bad game, you want to reframe tough games to improve your play. Bad games become steppingstones rather than setbacks.
By adopting the “If you lose, learn” mindset, bad games take on a new meaning, allowing you to extract a valuable lesson from failure and lessening the sting of losing.
Just by tweaking your perspective, you will discover that your worst games can become the foundation for future successful performances.
3 Strategies to Rebound After a Bad Game
1. Reflect, Don’t Dwell
The first step to improving baseball performance after a bad game is to reflect on what happened without dwelling on mistakes. Instead of replaying errors in your mind or criticizing yourself, evaluate the game like a coach reviewing film.
Ask yourself what you did well and what specific areas you can improve. For example, rather than saying “I can’t hit,” you might notice, “I chased pitches out of the zone when behind in the count.” This reflective approach allows you to focus on controllable adjustments and prevents one bad game from becoming a pattern.
2. Create a Plan
Another important step for elevating baseball performance after a bad game is to create a clear action plan. Acknowledging what went wrong is not enough—you need to decide how you will improve moving forward. If you struggled with pitch location, your plan might include focused bullpen sessions on command.
If nerves caused overthinking at the plate, you might develop a simple pre-pitch routine to calm your mind. Having a plan gives you direction and helps you replace self-doubt with confidence, making the next game an opportunity rather than a burden.
3. Don’t Forget Your Mental Game
Baseball performance after a bad game is not determined only by technical adjustments but also by your mental approach. A poor outing can teach you valuable lessons about handling pressure, managing nerves, and staying focused. After each game, ask yourself, “What did this performance teach me about my mindset?” and “How can I prepare mentally for the next game?”
Developing mental routines such as breathing exercises, visualization, or positive self-talk strengthens your resilience. When your mind is as prepared as your body, you recover faster from mistakes and compete with more confidence.
FAQ – Rebounding After a Bad Game
Q: How can I bounce back mentally after a bad baseball game?
A: To improve baseball performance after a bad game, start by reflecting on what you did well and identifying one or two areas for improvement. Use mistakes as learning opportunities instead of dwelling on them. This helps you regain confidence and prepare for your next outing.
Q: Why do players sometimes slump after one bad game?
A: Slumps often happen when players dwell on mistakes and let negative thoughts carry into the next performance. By reframing a bad game as part of the growth process, you can prevent one poor outing from snowballing into a longer slump.
Q: What role does the mental game play in recovery after failure?
A: The mental game is crucial for baseball performance after a bad game. Skills like staying composed under pressure, using positive self-talk, and practicing relaxation techniques can help players bounce back quickly and play with confidence.
Q: How do professional players handle bad games?
A: Most professional players know that failure is part of the game. They review their performance objectively, make adjustments, and move forward with a short memory. For example, pitchers often study film, focus on command in practice, and use pre-pitch routines to regain rhythm.
Q: What is the quickest way to turn a bad game into a positive learning experience?
A: The quickest way is to extract one lesson from the performance and apply it in your next game. Instead of overanalyzing everything that went wrong, choose a single focus point—such as pitch selection, approach at the plate, or body language—and commit to improving it.
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