September 9th, 2024 – February 15th/March 1st, 2025
The following Off-Season Throwing Schedule is based on a Pitcher’s Off-Season beginning on Monday, September 9th (last day of the Minor League regular season for a number of teams is September 8th, 2024) and concluding around February 15th or March 1st, 2025 (the report date for Minor or Major League Spring Training).
Because most of the Minor League teams and all of the Major League teams that don’t make the playoffs have their regular season end 2-3 weeks later, these players will have a slightly shorter Off-Season. As you will see, these weeks can easily be absorbed in one of the 5 Phases that you will be going through (if your MLB season went into the Playoffs, you can follow a similar formula of how this extra time is “absorbed” into 1 of the 5 Phases).
As was previously noted, our Off-Season Throwing Manual is based on 5 Phases:
Phase 1) Off-Ramping/De-Loading (3 Weeks)
September 9th – September 29th
Phase 2) Complete Rest (4 Weeks)
September 30th – October 27th
Phase 3) Active Rest/Arm Care/Light Throwing (4 Weeks)
October 28th – November 24th
Phase 4) Throwing Progression/Build Up (~ 7 Weeks)
November 25th – January 12th
Phase 5) Pull-Down Integration + Bull Pen’s (5 Weeks)
January 13th – Feb 16th
Though, every arm is different, and there are many different variables that can contribute to what each of these 5 Phases looks like, including, 1) How much you threw this season, 2) How late your season went, 3) Whether or not you are playing Winter Ball, 4) Whether you want more or less rest, 5) Whether you want more or less time for your Throwing Build-Up, and 6), Whether you want more or less time for your Bull-Pens, these 5 Phases are designed to have flexibility so that you can strategically transition in and out of each Phase comfortably, regardless of any of the variables aforementioned.
Each Phase is based on a specific amount of weeks that have been allocated to optimize that time period. Again, everything is based on individuality and variables that are unique to your history, so, keep in mind that everything below is a “suggestion”. Therefore, listen to your body, arm, and instincts as to whether or not you want to stay in any particular Phase for a longer or shorter period of time. Also, once you go through the Off-Season with this formula, it will be that much easier, clearer, efficient, and effective next Off-Season.
Note: As a reminder, if you are reporting to Spring Training in March, you will “gain” 2 weeks, which can be added in to any of the 5 Phases above. Because you already have 7 Weeks allotted for your Throwing Progression and 5 Weeks for your Pull Downs/Bull Pen’s, you will probably want to add the 2 weeks to any of the first 3 Phases: your De-Load, Complete Rest or Active Rest.
Additionally, for each week that your season went past September 9th, you are going to need to subtract a week from your Off-Season Program. We’d highly recommend that you do your best to keep your first 3 Phases intact (Off-Ramp, Complete Rest, Active Rest), considering that resting after a long Season is really the priority, and is vital to putting you in the best position possible to thrive on your Throwing Progression/Build-Up and Bull-Pens (Phases 4 and 5). Again, since you have 5 months to play with, there are a number of different ways to subtract time away from any of these 5 Phases. As always, listen to your arm, body, and instincts.
Also, keep in mind that if you want to “transfer time” from Phase 2 into Phase 3, or vice versa, feel free to do so. For example, if you want to add 2 more weeks to Complete Rest, and take off 2 Weeks from Active Rest (ie Arm Care/Light Throwing), that’s up to you. But you may also consider another scenario, whereby you gently begin to move the body and arm with some light Arm Care (ie 3 x a week) even after just a couple of weeks of Complete Rest. Though we use the term “Complete Rest”, we feel that some type of light arm care and throwing (ie 3x a week out to 90 feet) is completely understandable if that’s what your arm is telling you to do. We generally feel that it’s a good idea to “move” the body, even during the Complete Rest Phase (unless you feel that your body and/or mind really needs a break/reset).
Lastly, if you do any upper body lifting during your Complete Rest/Active Rest Phase, please be sure and counter-balance it with some Range Of Motion, i.e., pre and post Band Work.