From cold tubs to calm minds, Mariners' mental performance coach Bernero shines

PEORIA, Ariz. -- The black tub sits on the outer edge of the Mariners’ Spring Training complex, between the outside portion of the laundry room and the chain-link fence facing a back field. The withdrawn setting is by design.

In the early morning, those who submerge themselves within its frigid contents can see the sun rising directly ahead over the Eastern peaks of the Phoenix Valley. This sense of serenity is also by design.

This plastic container holds 100 gallons of water mixed with anywhere from four to six bags of ice, and is readily available online. It’s as barebones as can be within a Major League complex, but its functionality is far grander.

"As much as it might suck to get in there,” Mariners starter George Kirby said, “it's good practice for those tough moments on the mound. It really does translate.”

Cold tubs help body recovery by reducing muscle soreness and inflammation as well as improving circulation. But as Kirby alluded, the Mariners use it for the major mental benefit -- specifically when it comes to breathing techniques.

"There's a little bit of a preparation to it -- like this visualization aspect,” said Mariners mental performance coach Adam Bernero, who oversees tub activity. “Breathing is a huge part of this. How do you breathe under pressure? Nothing teaches you pressure like nature. [The tub] is going to teach you how to breathe better than I ever will.

“It’s like facing Yordan [Alvarez].”

Bernero, 48, is entering his seventh season in Seattle. He joined the organization following an 18-month stint with the Blue Jays he had after re-entering pro baseball following a playing career, mostly as a reliever, with five teams over parts of seven seasons from 2000-06.

A glance at his Baseball-Reference page paints the picture of a struggling pitcher, one who carried an 11-27 record with a 5.91 ERA in 150 big league games. But more layered conversations with him about challenges with confidence explain what led him to his current role.

"All these other tools that we have, like mental skills, they're effective, but you have to be able to understand your breathing and how to use your eyes to be able to regulate your nervous system,” said Bernero, who added that access to mental coaching was extremely limited when he played.

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"Or else you're just kind of hoping that self-talk works. Like, ‘Yeah, I'm the best.' Well, you actually don't believe that in that moment when you're facing somebody really good in a big situation.”

When connecting with Mariners players, Bernero carries the credibility of being a former big leaguer, but also as a consistent confidant.

He works with players throughout the organization, including Minor Leaguers, and doing so makes him a familiar face by the time players reach the Major League clubhouse, where he works out of during the regular season.

"It's hard enough to go talk to people if you're struggling,” Bryce Miller said. “No one wants to go talk to someone that they've seen once a year about something that they're going through. Being able to have someone that's here all the time that you're comfortable with, I think makes a big difference.”

Miller leaned on Bernero more than ever during a mid-summer stretch last year where he was on the cusp of a spiral. Bernero suggested that Miller try a mental exercise called “funneling,” which he’s implemented since.

"You visualize a funnel, like it's wide up top and then down to the bottom,” said Miller, who had a 1.94 ERA in his final 15 starts. “It's just kind of like putting everything -- your thoughts, your preparation of what you're doing between each pitch -- and getting it all down to the moment of truth before you release the ball.”

Logan Gilbert has had similar experiences but with different practices.

"I'm naturally the black-and-white, logical, scientific [type], and that's kind of how I create pitches, surprisingly,” Gilbert said. “But that's like offseason work. And then when you're on the mound, when you're in the game, you kind of switch back to be able to be like the artist, so to speak. I work with Bern a lot on that.”

Kirby, meanwhile, has leaned on Bernero to help him better channel his anger -- no moment more monumental than after making tense postgame comments following a 2023 start at Tampa Bay, which he publicly apologized for one day later.

"When you're out there and you need something to go back to, you just kind of do it instead of really freaking thinking about it,” Kirby said. “That also helps eliminate the negative thoughts going through your head.”

At 6-foot-4, Bernero carries a towering presence, but his soft-spoken demeanor and commentary show that he’s far more gentle. And given the impact he’s made, he’s become a vital piece of Seattle’s coaching staff.