In a recent appearance on Foul Territory, future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer voiced his reservations about the pitch clock implemented in Major League Baseball, suggesting an alleged link to severe injuries.
Scherzer, known to be one of the most intelligent players in baseball, referenced renowned surgeons Dr. Keith Meister and Dr. Neal ElAttrache to support his claims.
“[Dr. Meister] saw that the elbow injuries this year were just way more severe. If you look at all the data that came across the game, that the pitcher injuries, arm injuries, they’re on the high end, but the severity of the injuries are much more problematic,” Scherzer stated during the interview.
“Both of them are seeing the same thing, that there’s an uptick in severity.”
Max Scherzer says top surgeons Keith Meister and Neal ElAttrache have both said pitchers' arm injuries have been more severe since the pitch clock changes.
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The concern raised by Scherzer comes amid generally positive reviews from fans regarding the pitch clock’s impact on the pace of play in MLB.
However, the statistical landscape tells a different story. The number of days lost to the injured list increased by 6.1% across baseball in the past season, despite a decrease in the number of placements on the injured list.
This implies that injuries took longer to recover from, affecting both pitchers and position players.
While acknowledging the rise in injuries, skeptics argue that attributing the problem solely to the pitch clock may be premature. The minor leagues have been utilizing the pitch clock for years, and historical data from the ’80s and previous decades show pitchers worked at a faster pace without such time constraints.
Scherzer himself recognizes the complexity of pitcher injuries, pointing to various factors such as accumulation, heavy workloads, and unforeseen accidents.
He emphasized that the increase in maxing out every pitch might be a contributing factor to the need for more recovery time, subsequently lengthening the average time of the game over the past 15-20 years.
Despite Scherzer’s concerns, the debate over whether the pitch clock is directly responsible for the rise in severity of pitcher injuries remains open.
Critics argue that a single season of data is insufficient to establish causation, emphasizing the multifaceted nature of pitcher injuries over the years.
Injuries aside, the pitch clock has been largely a smashing success in baseball … The pace-of-play was noticeably improved, pleasing (almost) everyone.
What were your impressions of the pitch clock?
Are you in favor of it … Or are you an old-school soul who is still against it?
Do you believe the clock is responsible for the apparent uptick in pitching injuries???