Where is the future of Major League Baseball (MLB) headed? In 2024, a staggering 74% of all injury-related days missed were by pitchers, with arm injuries alone accounting for 58%. The financial toll reflects this as well, with MLB teams spending $686 million on injured pitchers this year—$561 million solely due to arm injuries. This rise in pitcher injuries has been building steadily for over a decade. Since 2015, MLB teams have spent $7.5 billion on player injuries, with $3.1 billion on arm injuries alone, which represent over half of all injuries. Pitchers account for 67% of the total days missed. The pandemic undoubtedly disrupted the player development cycle, but since 2021, days missed due to arm injuries have surged from 46% to 58%, and the share of cash lost due to pitchers has risen from 54% to 69%. We’re seeing the impact in the postseason: a shift in availability and depth of quality starting pitchers and a growing reliance on a revolving bullpen. It’s like watching a high-stakes showcase event where endurance and consistency fall behind. MLB knows there’s a problem; I’ve spoken with them on multiple occasions and proposed pilot programs to reduce injury rates. But changing course isn’t easy when the very dynamics that fuel this surge in arm injuries are embedded at every level of baseball. So what’s the solution? Change the rules? Change the game itself? That might be MLB’s simplest path forward. We’re currently on track for pitchers to account for 80% of all missed days in the league, with over 60% due to arm injuries. It’s absurd. Teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees have shown they can handle massive payrolls and stockpile injuries and still make it to the World Series, thanks to depth and top-tier talent. But this dynamic creates a widening gap when big-market teams can afford to overcome injuries, while most small-market teams struggle to develop talent and remain competitive. Ultimately, we want the best players to stay on the field, grow the game, and deliver the best product for fans. #injuries #pitchers #SaveTheGame #playoffs
THIS WAS OUR FIELD. IT WAS THERE ABOUT 150+ YEARS. ON THE FAR RIGHT TREE WAS HOME PLATE. WE LOOSE 3 FIELDS PER WINTER!!!!!!!! THE TOWN FATHERS, LAWYERS COULD NOT CARE LESS THEY WANT DEVELOPMENT!!!!!!
Changing a culture where speed gets you noticed will be slow with obstacles. It has to start with MLB and the players union.
Where did you find this info? Assuming it's from an article or research?
Great, Duff!
Shut the radar guns off and quit showing them on screen. Go back to Maddux style
Reinventing Player Development | performance yoga, mindfulness, and brainspotting for pro athletes and teams
1moThere's a deep-seated performance paradox in case studies like this: You can have a bad process and still get a good outcome, and you can have a good process and still get a bad outcome. It takes the right kind of person to be willing to course-correct even when they've had a "good outcome."