We’re officially in the in-season (April–July)—the most exciting time of year! This is when pitchers finally get to apply everything they've worked on during the offseason and preseason to live games. But just because you're in the heat of competition doesn’t mean practice stops. In fact, how you train during the season is just as important as how you perform.

Each season requires a different mix of pitching workouts. In-season training depends heavily on game workload: how many games you're pitching, how many innings you're throwing, and how your arm is feeling. Managing fatigue and staying sharp are the name of the game.

Why Offseason Work Still Matters

During the offseason (October–December), pitchers have the freedom to push, experiment, and rebuild. There’s no pressure to be game-ready, which makes it the ideal time to:

Back in 2015, when I was running Chicagoland Baseball & Softball Academy’s softball program, I worked with a great coach who emphasized the importance of players understanding the game, not just playing it. My baseball counterpart had a simple yet insightful idea—he wanted the boys to coach first base so they could develop a better feel for the game.

He gave them some basic guidance and sent them out there. But to his surprise, they struggled. Even with clear instructions, they just couldn’t grasp what to do. He was baffled—when he was a kid, coaching first base was second nature.