In the ongoing discussion surrounding the escalating rate of pitching injuries in Major League Baseball, Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez has added his voice, placing significant responsibility on the analytical approach and velocity demands imposed by MLB front offices.
"It's tough to tell an athlete…don't be the best version of yourself. But if that best version of yourself is ending up with you getting hurt, I would suggest we need to find another way."@Ken_Rosenthal weighs in on the pitching injury crisis in Major League Baseball… pic.twitter.com/t2tF1W3bSp
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) April 10, 2024
Taking to Twitter, Martinez expressed his concerns, stating: “When we see so many up and coming MLB pitchers with fewer than 200 innings in the minors, lots of muscle mass, underworked baby ligaments and a team demanding max velo on everything they throw, we’re seeing the perfect lethal combination for arm injury.”
When we see so many up and coming MLB pitchers with fewer than 200 innings in the minors, lots of muscle mass, underworked baby ligaments and a team demanding max velo on everything they throw, we’re seeing the perfect lethal combination for arm injury#pitching #injuries #mlb
— Pedro Martinez (@45PedroMartinez) April 10, 2024
The analytics department has forced the young kids by pressuring them to have revolution, velocity and spin rate…that’s too much for baby ligaments#pitching #injuries #healthyarms #takeiteasy #mlb
— Pedro Martinez (@45PedroMartinez) April 10, 2024
When in the minors I focused on working my ligaments; I never lifted heavy weights. Time has changed, and so has training, but if you want to become a pitcher, you should strive to learn the feel for pitching and the knowledge of what to do with the ball rather than throwing hard
— Pedro Martinez (@45PedroMartinez) April 10, 2024
Martinez specifically pointed fingers at the analytics departments, alleging that their emphasis on revolution, velocity, and spin rate has put undue pressure on young pitchers, contributing to the surge in injuries.
He highlighted the strain on developing ligaments, emphasizing that such demands are too much for the physical development stage of young arms.
The powers that be do not care. They'll keep ignoring the likes of Pedro Martinez, who said on MLBN he mostly avoided arm injuries b/c he threw a lot in the minors (379 2/3 IP) & didn't throw a slider til his mid-20s. Strider had 94 minor league IP. Keep doing it this way though. https://t.co/HLPGXfOX8S
— Jerry Beach (@JerryBeach73) April 6, 2024
Reflecting on his own development in the minor leagues, Martinez contrasted the contemporary approach with his own regimen.
“When in the minors I focused on working my ligaments; I never lifted heavy weights,” he explained.
He advocated for a return to a more nuanced understanding of pitching, prioritizing mastery of technique and strategy over sheer velocity.
.@45PedroMartinez talked about the spike in injuries among pitchers after last night's TBS game pic.twitter.com/p5MDZkAPE4
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) April 10, 2024
Despite the ongoing debate surrounding the pitch clock, introduced by MLB last year to streamline game pace, Martinez refrained from blaming it for the injury crisis.
This stands in contrast to other voices in the baseball community who have cited the pitch clock as a potential contributor to pitcher fatigue and subsequent injuries.
Why are there so many pitching injuries?
New video dropped & I immediately got this from a coach:
"Monitoring workload independent of lifestyle choices (is) futile… most of the variables related to health outcomes are out of our control." 👀
Tease ⬇️, full vid next tweet. pic.twitter.com/aLRTVHI4hz
— Lance Brozdowski (@LanceBroz) April 4, 2024
The urgency of the pitching injury crisis has been further underscored by recent developments in the league.
Notably, Shane Bieber of the Guardians has been sidelined for the year due to an elbow injury, while Braves ace Spencer Strider is also grappling with an undisclosed elbow issue, raising concerns about its severity.
Also, reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole is also dealing with an elbow injury.
Hey Rob Manfred, are you listening to the players? Without them you don’t have a product to sell! #shegone
Yankees Gerrit Cole 'disheartened' by pitching injury discourse – ESPN https://t.co/U7kKSAXIrO
— Fryedaddy/Frito (@shegone03) April 9, 2024
Veteran pitcher Justin Verlander echoed Martinez’s sentiments earlier this week, describing the current situation as a “pandemic” of pitching injuries.
Verlander attributed the trend to the league-wide pursuit of maximum velocity and spin rates, a mindset he adopted following the surge in home runs that began in 2016.
“This changed how I had to approach pitching,” Verlander remarked. “You had to start approaching the batter like, ‘I want a swing and miss. You can’t put the ball in play.’”
Justin Verlander called the pitching injuries a “pandemic”. If you have the time, I suggest you listen to his thoughts on the matter. It’s well worth it pic.twitter.com/SpQwjvgkU5
— BaseballHistoryNut (@nut_history) April 10, 2024
What do you chalk all the pitching injuries up to?
The pitch clock did exactly what it was intended to do – Game length drastically improved thanks to the new pace-of-play rules that were implemented a year ago.
However, are they partly to blame for the increase in pitching injuries?
Or is it much more so due to what Pedro thinks???
That time Pedro Martinez called the Yankees his daddy.pic.twitter.com/Pgml5Gnay7
— Baseball’s Greatest Moments (@BBGreatMoments) April 5, 2024