Psychological Coping and Performance Recovery in Professional Baseball Players: A Multiple Case Study

This study examined how psychological coping resources and the use of automatized performance strategies are related to performance trajectories among professional baseball players. Using a qualitative multiple case study design, three professional players (one batter, two pitchers) who underwent sport psychological assessment were compared. Player A experienced a batting slump that was preceded by heightened conscious control over swing mechanics; following self-monitoring through a daily psychological journal and a shift toward automatized, instinct-based execution, batting performance recovered, with the player subsequently recording a home run and receiving a game MVP award, although difficulty adjusting to off-speed pitches persisted. Player B experienced control instability that did not resolve over time, consistent with a catastrophe-type collapse in performance under elevated cognitive anxiety. Player C, whose assessment indicated comparatively strong coping skills and favourable team cohesion, did not report an acute performance crisis during the period under review. Cross-case comparison suggested that the timing and nature of psychological intervention, together with pre-existing coping resources and team-level cohesion, differentiated players who recovered from performance disruption from those whose difficulties persisted. The findings carry practical implications for the timing and design of sport psychological consultation in professional baseball.