Breathe: The Hidden Skill That Separates Good Players from Great Ones

Sounds simple, right? Just breathe. But when the game speeds up—big moment, loud crowd, full count—most players forget the most basic skill in their toolbox. Breathing isn’t just a survival function; it’s a performance tool. And in baseball, it’s one of the most overlooked.

I’ve seen great hitters freeze up, not because they didn’t know how to hit, but because they weren’t controlling their breath. Shoulders creep toward the ears. Grip tightens. Forearms lock up. The brain starts shouting over the body, and suddenly, the swing you’ve repeated thousands of times feels foreign.

Here’s what I teach:

• Step out of the box. Exhale slowly, letting the tension leave with your breath.

• Reset your eyes. Find the barrel or a specific spot on your bat—something familiar that brings you back to the present.

• Inhale through your nose, slow and steady. Feel your chest and belly expand.

• Exhale. Let it go. Then get back in with clarity and calm.

It sounds small, but it changes everything. Your heart rate settles. Your vision sharpens. Your body stops fighting itself and starts moving the way you’ve trained it to.

And it’s not just for hitting. When you’re tracking a fly ball with the game on the line, or leading off first with the pitcher trying to pick you off—your breath is the anchor that keeps your mind clear and your body ready.

Train your lungs like you train your legs. Practice breathing under stress. Practice it in the cage, in the field, during conditioning. Because when the pressure’s highest, the player who breathes best often performs best.