MLB news roundup
Happy Wednesday, Athletics Nation!
When I think of former A’s fireballers that couldn’t stay healthy enough to fulfill their potential, I think first of Rich Harden. He had great stuff when he wasn’t broken, but he only pitched over 150 innings once in his nine-year career. Harden’s fastball typically sat in the mid-90s, though he occasionally touched triple digits, so by 2024 standards he didn’t really throw that hard.
Still, pitchers like Harden may have offered a cautionary tale for players and managers that have become increasingly fixated on chasing ever higher pitch velocity over the years. But such warnings have clearly not been heeded: the rate of four-seem fastballs thrown 95+ mph has more than doubled since 2011, Harden’s last MLB season.
% MLB fourseamers thrown at 95+ MPH:
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) December 18, 2024
2011 - 17.2%
2012 - 18.3%
2013 - 20.5%
2014 - 21.3%
2015 - 26.1%
2016 - 26.5%
2017 - 27.0%
2018 - 26.3%
2019 - 27.5%
2020 - 28.1%
2021 - 31.2%
2022 - 34.0%
2023 - 37.9%
2024 - 40.0%
As it happens, one of the pitchers setting the new high bar for velocity is Athletics closer Mason Miller. The Reaper was developed as a starting pitcher coming up through the minors, but he was shut down for a UCL sprain less than a month after his MLB debut in April 2023. He returned in September and has worked primarily as a reliever since then. So injuries altered the course of Mason’s career before his 2024 rookie campaign even began.
We love to watch Miller pitch. He routinely throws 100+, touches 103, and has a filthy slider, to boot. All of this puts a great deal of strain on the arm, elbow, and shoulder. Let’s admit it: we’re scared to death that Mason might not have a ton of bullets left before his next lengthy IL stint.
Yesterday, MLB released a study that—surprise—cites velocity as the primary cause of a recent spike in pitching injuries. Jesse Rogers at ESPN has a thorough report up on the study’s findings.
Top starters used to get worn out from throwing 300+ innings, but the league eventually wisened up and began limiting workloads to keep pitchers healthier. So now that evidence is mounting on the dangers of so much emphasis on velocity, will the next big push be towards developing more masters of finesse and control like Catfish Hunter?
I wouldn’t hold my breath.
A happy milestone.
100 days until Opening Day
— Baseball Reference (@baseball_ref) December 17, 2024
It’s good to believe in oneself.
Jose Canseco https://t.co/IVcj0hcuOE
— Jose Canseco (@JoseCanseco) December 18, 2024
A Paige from history.
In 1965, the A's signed a 59-year-old Satchel Paige as a gimmick to generate fan interest. Nobody informed Paige it was a joke, so he proceeded to shut out the Red Sox for three innings. pic.twitter.com/O45PKY3ATw
— Baseball’s Greatest Moments (@BBGreatMoments) December 17, 2024
Is Dazed and Confused II finally coming out?
“So like is he a real Judge?” pic.twitter.com/j6OuTXpmiS
— Steve Angelovich (@AngelSteve89) December 17, 2024
