Bullpens
Stop wasting your bullpens
October 12, 2026 · 3 min read · Jared Gaynor
Every pitcher throws bullpens. Few get anything out of them.
If you are a player, how many times have you thrown a bullpen without any purpose or goal for the session?
If you are a coach, how many times have you ran the same exact bullpen over and over again?
4 fastballs, 3 changeups, 1 fastball, 3 curveballs...
Blocked training, no game scenarios, no tracking, no progress.
Today, I want to show you how to design bullpen plans that actually get players better and ultimately help them get more batters out.
Step 1: Define the Goal
There are 2 main types of bullpens:
Over the Rubber
Over the Plate
Over the Rubber
This type of bullpen has an internal focus.
Mechanics and pitch design are the 2 most common.
An example of an OTR bullpen with a pitch design focus would be experimenting with grips to get the desired movement or velocity.
Over the Plate
This type of bullpen has an external focus.
This would be your execution and command oriented bullpens.
During these bullpens you aren't focused on your mechanics or tinkering with a grip. You are purely focused on executing the location and intention of the pitch.
Step 2: Create the Plan
The #1 mistake pitchers and coaches make is trying to work on OTR and OTP at the same time.
You're working on a new grip and cue, while also judging yourself on throwing it to the perfect location.
When you do this, neither gets better. Keep the main thing the main thing.
Now, this doesn't mean if I throw a sweeper to the backstop, but it had the movement we wanted, that it was a good pitch.
But, there needs to be an understanding and progression of the task at hand so we can properly evaluate the session.
We've now established there needs to be a clear focus for the bullpen. Over the rubber or over the plate.
Are you designing a pitch?
Working on getting to 2 strikes?
From here, you can create your bullpen script.
Bullpen scripts can be as structured as you like.
Some coaches like to have pre-determined pitch types set, while others like to call the pitch as you go. There isn't a right or wrong way to do it. The important part is that there is structure and a plan.
Here is an example of a bullpen script I have built for working on getting to 2 strikes in 3 pitch AB's.
You want to be as specific as you can for these bullpens. You'll notice I added a runner situation and batter handedness (usually dummy standing in). Especially with OTP bullpens, we want to make them as game like as we can.
Step 3: Track Progress
We've defined the goal and created the plan.
The last thing to do is track progress!
This is one of the most important parts of this process because without tracking, how do you know what the pitcher does well or where they need to improve?
Sure, you might have a general idea from memory, but when you are responsible for 15+ pitchers, it is nearly impossible to keep track of everyone.
Objective feedback shows if what you are doing is working and where you need to shift your focus.
Assess. Plan. Execute. Repeat.
It's tough to assess without objective feedback.
In Summary
To maximize our bullpen sessions we need to:
Define the goal
Create the plan
Track progress
If you follow these 3 simple steps you will expedite the learning curve and improve performance on the field faster.
To make this process even easier for you, I have created a bullpen script builder that you can access for free.
You'll have access to 3 pre-made scripts and be able to customize an unlimited amount of scripts yourself.
Sign up below to start building:
That's all for today.
- Jared
If you are a high school pitcher looking to:
Gain velocity
Develop a new pitch
Improve your mechanics
we have something for you!
November 7th-8th we are hosting our 2-day pitching camp in Phoenix, Arizona.
You'll spend the weekend learning what you do well, what you need to improve, and more importantly, how to do it!
Every pitcher will undergo a thorough movement and range of motion assessment to understand where your limitations are.
You will also throw on our Axioforce force plate pitching mound to see how you produce force and where the low hanging fruit in your delivery is.
To improve your arsenal, every pitch will be measured on Trackman and captured with our edgertronic camera.
In between all of the training, we will be providing educational presentations on all things pitching so you go home on Sunday understanding who you are as a pitcher and what it takes for you to get to the next level!
To give you the individualized attention you need, we are limiting this camp to only 10 players.