MLB Has a Tommy John Crisis

CORRECTION - At 0:31, I refer to Jordan Hicks as Alex Reyes. This was a mistake on my part, apologies to both Jordan and Alex.
~
Baseball players are throwing harder than ever before. Average fastball velocity was up once again in MLB last season, with players like Jhoan Duran, Elly De La Cruz, and more stunning fans with their cannons. This rise in velocity hasn't come without a cost, however.
Arm injuries among baseball players have been rising dramatically in recent years, with youth players taking the brunt of the impact. And with the push across all levels of the game to throw harder, who knows how much more damage might be done?
This short documentary explores the injury epidemic facing baseball, including the debut of Stephen Strasburg, the history of Tommy John surgery, and where we go from here.
~
BUSINESS:
[e-mail]
SOURCES:
The Tommy John Surgery Explosion in the MLB - www.samford.edu/sports-analyt...
Tommy John Surgery Statistics -web.archive.org/web/201405172...
Risk Stratification for Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injury in Major League Baseball Players - www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
Why Do Pitchers Throw Harder After Tommy John Surgery? - www.eclipsewellnessnova.com/p...
Outcome of ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction of the elbow in 1281 athletes - pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20929...
Why Are So Many Pitchers Having To Undergo Tommy John Surgery? (CBS) - www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/...
Tommy John Surgery Gaining Popularity (Cleveland Clinic) - health.clevelandclinic.org/to...
Stephen Strasburg, The Nationals, and Rethinking Tommy John - wtop.com/washington-nationals...
Can Tommy John Surgery Make You Pitch Faster? - www.uhhospitals.org/blog/arti...
ARTICLES:
sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns...
web.archive.org/web/202304112...
web.archive.org/web/202204190...
www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?i...
www.mlb.com/cut4/this-day-in-...
www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...
www.latimes.com/sports/la-xpm...
www.nbcwashington.com/news/sp...
apnews.com/article/ee002fbe44...
www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/3...
theathletic.com/2837568/2021/...
REFERENCES:
Baseball Savant
Baseball Reference
Fangraphs
Major League Baseball
Society for American Baseball Research
MUSIC:
"Tweaky Hastings" - Text Me Records/Jordan Blackmon
"Wild Pogo" - Francis Preve
"Remembering Her Face" - Silent Partner
"The Shepherd" - The Mini Vandals
"Sunday Plans" - Silent Partner
"Northern Lights" - Chris Haugen
"Hindsight" - Density & Time

[@nekoplanetary4244]

Never heard of Sang Ho Baek story. When you started speaking about it I thought he was going to have issues walking... The fact that he died was shocking. My condolences to his family. RIP

[@6thwilbury2331]

I had the same reaction, and that's despite the warning at the top of this video. Crazy tragic.

[@BlackPawn14]

Expected something really bad, like some sort of nerve damage to the leg, or even an infection, forcing him to retire. Didn't expect something THAT bad. Tragic indeed.

[@bigjared8946]

When I first got into baseball fandom, in the early 90s, a 95mph fastball was considered flamethrowing.

[@hechticgaming7193]

I do think some of it is more accurately being able to actually read speed more accurately.

[@Karmy.]

Even in 2008 when I got into baseball

[@wizardoferror9942]

I think we need to go back to that speed.

[@disneyforthewin]

Preach

[@rv8766]

Nolan ryan and goose gossage pitched at 99 in the 80s 95 was average good fastball in the 80s 90s 2000s Now its crazy everyone throws 98 99 100 They should all chill out and pitch longer Nomar just said it today at the dodger game talk show Nomar knows It sucks if shohei cant pitch good again Even if he chills out at 95 With a good splitter curve slider and change up would be good enough Hopefully it doesnt mess with his batting That would suck Hopefully we get roki sasaki before he gets old And theres a great 3rd basemen murakami who can hit That would be great to have 4 japanese stars on the dodgers Amd retire max muncy from playing 3rd, he doesnt hit for a good average

[@0gavish]

Sang Ho Baek is from my hometown and his inclusion in this video is really amazing. He played in the same travel ball org as me and it was really heartbreaking. RIP, thank you for sharing his story❤️

[@kingofallmediums2123]

Who was the 2nd pitcher to get the Tommy John surgery? 😮😮😮😮😮😊😊😊😊

[@OH_MY_DOGGG]

When guys who werent even pitchers started getting Tommy John surgery. It should have resonated louder than it did.

[@poindextertunes]

Why? TJ surgery has advanced so much that its not even a big deal anymore. In some cases guys come back throwing faster

[@philvaneman5769]

@@poindextertunesbecause it’s surgery for a traumatic injury. If any process of your job results in injuries requiring surgery then the process is wrong.

[@FourFriends-gk8lz]

@@poindextertunesDid you even WATCH the video, dude?

[@thinkforyourself5672]

Most people don't realize the amount of unnatural movement and immense strain put on these guys arms. It's amazing they all don't need Tommy John surgery by 21.

[@blackedmirror5073]

Gotta chase that Spin Rate and optimize those axis no matter what position the arm and wrist need be in!

[@coolbreeze4249]

All you have to do is look at one still photo of a pitcher during delivery and you can see it is not healthy

[@georgesouthwick7000]

Eventually, most will need the surgery.

[@nilssonakerlund2852]

Throwing 100+ fastballs isn't necessary. Sure, it may sell more tickets and make the crowd go Ooh and Ahh, but slow breaking pitches are just as effective (especially if Angel Hernandez is behind the plate😆). The fact that every pitcher feels the need to emanate Nolan Ryan is the reason for the increasing scarcity of complete games and the proliferation of arm injuries. BRING BACK THE KNUCKLEBALL!

[@thinkforyourself5672]

It's crazy to me we're not seeing the league and pitching coaches trying to figure out a way to help the stress on these guys arms. Guys like Randy Johnson, Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens etc etc are enigmas. More and More pitchers needing surgery with way less innings pitched, less complete games, Lower pitch count and still more injuries than ever. Obviously something isn't working lol. We will never see another 300 win pitcher. Even 200 wins is a wild accomplishment at this rate. Something has to change. DeGrom not being able to finish the 21' season is the most disappointing thing I've witnessed in my sports watching career. ( Yes Mets Fan lol)

[@Droosie3]

Recently I was reading a letter by HoF'er Hal Newhouser to a kid in 1947 about how to become a better pitcher. His advice was to get plenty of rest in the offseason, and pitch as often as possible, while not over exerting yourself. He also said to avoid pitching when your arm is tired. Its pretty common sense, but i imagine a lot of athletes throw caution to the wind or listen to bad coaches for an opportunity in the bigs.

[@Parlimant_Strifey]

the bad coaches give NPC level coaching knowledge to pitchers. Pitchers need to stop listening to these guys, they are unqualified at what they do, what those coaches do is simple repeat what other say. Your listening to nothing more then an NPC at the end of the day.

[@matrix3509]

And people wonder how pitchers back then were regularly throwing complete games on like three days rest ALL season long for their entire careers.

[@billzander2875]

I think it's a bit more complicated, but ya, this is good advice.

[@deplorablepepe7576]

​@@billzander2875other problem is pitchers are relying on velocity instead of understanding how to pitch. They're flamethrowers, not pitchers.

[@joshuapatrick682]

Tommy John belongs in the HOF btw... not because the surgery but because he went 26 seasons and threw 4700 innings maintaining a 3.34 career ERA (that's better than Mike Mussina and Jack Morris both of which are in the HOF and both of whom lack hardware or awards).

[@ChristopherBowenSuperbus]

You know what's funny? When I read your first sentence, my first question was "why would they put a surgeon in the Ha--" And that's messed up! Tommy John surgery is so ubiquitous now that it's overshadowed a borderline Hall of Fame career of the first player to get it!

[@6thwilbury2331]

Mussina's ERA is an unfair comparison, given the years in which he flourished. It's why his ERA+ in his Oriole years is 130 despite a 3.53 ERA. When you normalize for the times, Moose is statistically more comparable to Juan Marichal, Don Drysdale and (surprisingly) Bob Feller. Seems crazy, but that's how pitcher-friendly the 1960s were, and how But using the same measures, John is pretty close to a handful of HOF pitchers of a certain profile: lasted for 20+ years, adjusted ERA in the 105-115 range, averaged about 3 WAR per season. They are Jim Kaat, Early Wynn, Red Ruffing, Eppa Rixey and a guy with whom he's paired in my mind, longtime Dodger teammate Don Sutton. Burleigh Grimes almost makes that list but he fell one year short.

[@loduca16]

Not a good comparison.

[@JonSmith-hk1bq]

Jack Morris does have one significant award. He was the MVP of arguably the greatest World Series of all-time. It's fair to say that 10-inning shutout masterpiece in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series punched his ticket to Cooperstown. Without that, I doubt he would have ever gotten in. For that matter, he never did get voted in via the writers' ballot.

[@derricktalbot8846]

Barry Bonds in OR Cap Anson out.

[@TheScotian82]

Strasburg is an amazing story. Mega highly touted...The rookie season injury..Still making a career of it and topping it off with a series title? Feature film worthy.

[@Dee_Rod]

Tommy John pitched longer after the surgery bc he only threw 90 max. Which shows that you can get batters out without throwing 100. If you pitch and out think a hitter you don't need 100.

[@michaelsarzen2814]

Velo and stuff gets you in the door, performance keeps you in

[@robertgordon7983]

That was 50 years ago dude

[@michaelsarzen2814]

@@robertgordon7983 ikr, people dont understand greg maddux threw 93 in his early days, he only stayed in the mlb when he was throwing slower because he still got hitters out

[@robertgordon7983]

@@michaelsarzen2814harder than that. My dad is friends with Steve Avery and he said Maddox threw up to96 early in his career

[@chrisa3289]

Facts

[@joshuapatrick682]

the case of deGrom has always fascinated me because his velocity started creeping up in 2018 but didn't peak until 2019. Those were his two most dominant seasons, however before that he was still an ace level pitcher when he lived in the 94 MPH average range. the extra velocity may have been the biggest factor on his 3 seasons of dominance afterwards but honestly I think it goes beyond that. It's clear since sticky stuff he's been hurting himself to achieve the same levels of velocity and as he ages he needs to dial it back to avoid injury. I hope he comes back in august, throws at his pre 2018 levels and finishes out a Hall of Fame worthy career. in order to do that he's going to have to dial it back though.

[@Karmy.]

The thing though is he's already 35, it'd be a different story if he was like 29 still

[@pjny21]

It was bizarre to watch as a Mets fan. I remember his debut at Yankee Stadium and his early years of dominance where he used 4 plus-plus pitches, out and in, up and down the zone...just to see him post-injury where he was just dialing it up to 100 with a 97mph slider almost exclusively to the outside corner. It was honestly....terrible to watch, even when they were winning it just did not feel as good was watching that younger version which appeared genius.

[@haydenjohnw]

Someday a pitchers arm is just gonna snap off from the elbow down mid pitch.

[@JamesBond77]

If that happens, it will be a wild thing to see.😬

[@s.henrlllpoklookout5069]

I saw a video last week about pitchers who broke their humerus mid-pitch. It was brutal. Only happened 5 or 6 times so far

[@BraxtonMeyer]

@@s.henrlllpoklookout5069 it's very literaly the one he recommended at the endo f the video

[@heathrunyon4036]

Dave Drabecky did it

[@s.henrlllpoklookout5069]

​@BraxtonMeyer yeah, that was a brutal video, wasn't it?

[@AndThatsBaseball]

This video has aged better than I could've possibly imagined over just 3 weeks. And it's a total shame that it has.

[@guyfuller1369]

Grim. But completely fair. Don’t expect MLB to take a stand. Your point about parents bringing in children to get it (Tommy John) out of the way is astonishing. Excellent analysis of a disturbing reality.

[@Garrett1240]

One thing I really appreciate about your videos is the calm and confidence you have in your speaking voice. Can’t bare that faux-enthusiastic salesman voice which is endemic to American content creators on KZbin .

[@jenniferyork7888]

Who's on your pfp

[@Garrett1240]

@@jenniferyork7888 A young Ulysses Grant.

[@willywonka2557]

Speaking from a college pitcher myself, it’s not that we want to throw harder, but more of that we have to or else we don’t play. That’s baseball these days

[@ProfessorJM1]

Truth.

[@lavoiect]

Also, what most people aren’t talking about is the same effort/technology being used to help kids throw harder at younger ages is also going into helping batters as well. My son plays competitive travel and I see how much the game has changed, I don’t know that a old school pitcher throwing in the low 90s would make it now, they have to throw hard to get outs even at young ages. Kids now how to hit much better at younger ages now then they did back in the day! Also, pitching to contact with these 500-600 dollar aluminum bats isn’t always going to work either, they have to go for the strike out.

[@robbiearroyo2292]

A lot of modern fans write off pitchers of older eras on account of not throwing as hard but there's much more to good pitching than speed. Not that every pitcher needs to throw 300 innings or have a huge offspeed repetoire, but it doesn't really matter how hard you can pitch if you're never on the field to begin with. Stamina/pacing is an art form in its own right and durability has to count for something. The body is capable of what it's capable of, and it's not what you happen to be born with that makes you valuable, it's what you choose to do with it. Not to mention that literal teenagers get these procedures now. I'm glad it exists but it should be a last resort, not a normalized milestone. I had never heard of Sang Ho Baek. His story is very heartbreaking, I hope it encourages other young players and their families to not rush into these decisions, and to observe a proper arm off-season in their developing years. I think we sometimes don't realize how dangerous routine practices can be until tragic things happen.

[@Davis_Carlton]

I wonder if some of the issue is innings pitched. Pitchers used to be expected to "finish what they started" as in throw a complete game or at least go deep. This probably caused more natural fatigue forcing pitchers not to throw as hard throughout the course of the season. Now starting pitchers are expected to throw 5-6 innings and give way to relievers who max out for a single inning or less. The result is that everyone is throwing harder and causing more wear and tear on ligaments. I don't think that is the whole story, but it's probably part of the equation.

[@shanesaunders693]

I played with Sang Ho back in the day on the Canes. Great guy man. It was tragic to hear about his passing. May he rest in peace

[@zachkrampien8699]

The obvious problem is kids are told from like 10 years old velocity is all that matters and to throw every fastball at 110% effort, but there is a secondary problem most people don’t talk about: proper rest. On days players don’t pitch, they’re lifting weights and doing reps with resistance bands not giving their body down time to heal. I was a pitcher when I was younger. All I wanted to do was throw, and my friend who caught was only a couple blocks away. I was throwing 300 pitches a week at game velocity year round as early as 12, but I never threw more than 3 days a week, never put more than 95% into any pitch, and always took a full day of rest the day after throwing. My dad talked to the pitching coach at the D-I school in town concerned about how much I threw when I was as young as 9 and he was told “As long as he isn’t trying to throw too hard, takes proper rest, and has no soreness, then he can throw as much as he wants.”

[@ticnatz]

Tommy John belongs in the Hall of Fame.....

[@kylerey09]

Dr. Frank Jobe should be right beside him.

[@hechticgaming7193]

He is, just not based on him, but the ones he helped to continue being the HoFers they were

[@FourFriends-gk8lz]

Did people just FORGET how SOFT a thrower, relatively speaking, Tommy John WAS?! He's pitched to age 46 throwing, in the words of Eddie Harris, "Every piece of junk [he] could think of at 'em." Where the hell does anyone get the idea that it will turn them into Nolan Ryan?!

[@GamerOfLegends163]

When you see slow motion videos of pitchers throwing, it really makes you wonder just how their arms don't fall apart every pitch

[@staffsaber534]

"Crossing state lines to watch Strasburg pitch" is less impressive when you realize Nationals park is 3-4 metro stops from both Virginia and Maryland...

[@travismcnamara8919]

Dude, amazing video! It was very eye-opening. I hope there is a move towards helping young pitchers develop as finesse pitchers to help preserve their health. As much as I love baseball, I don't want anyone to have to suffer needlessly or, worse, die. Human life is more important than any game; no matter how much I love it, I love my fellow humans far more! Keep up the excellent work!

[@BrokenGoldfishFilms]

Great video , is worth pointing out however that the increased spin rates plays a major difference in arm injuries alongside velocity

[@BloodoperaBlackvomit]

Another great vid!! Greetings from The Netherlands ❤❤

[@BaseballHistorian]

Hallo!

[@Sam_on_YouTube]

A friend of mine named his son Thomas, middle name John. He had never had never heard of the pitcher. When I mentioned it he got worried for a minute. But I assured him that, despite being famous for a surgey, he was a great pitcher as well and the surgery has helped extend careers that otherwise would have been over.

[@milkypotatoes1003]

I recenlty just had my high school career ended by a UCL tear got my tommy john surgery about a week ago just to find this video. Glad to see it went well but just wanted to take a moment to give a rest in peace for Sang Ho Baek

[@nancy4don]

I can think of 2 pitchers from the 60s, Bob Gibson and Sandy Koufax, who learned that if they didn't try to throw every pitch a million miles-per-hour, they'd still have overmatching velocity and have more movement. Their results kind of speak for themselves. Koufax's condition that led to his retirement wasn't UCL injury but a circulatory problem. Gibson never did have a major injury tp his arm or elbow, etc. (Though he did have a broken leg from a Willie Stargell line drive!)

[@toyotaecw]

When you talk about pitchers who could top 100 mph and show a clip of Joel Zumaya… you know you’re legit.

[@robertgordon7983]

Tigers legend joel “guitar hero” zumaya

[@dan16802]

Prioritizing speed over strategy and placement. and juiced balls and home run focus. perfect storm for injury.

[@AndrewAnstrom]

When there's as much money as there is at stake in playing professional ball, there will never be a shortage of players willing to do whatever it takes to succeed.

[@jmentone]

That will always be the case and no one will disagree. It just seems now that this era of the MLB kills more star pitchers than it produces. In a way it has dramatically changed the most important position on the field.

[@AndrewAnstrom]

@@jmentone I agree but I balk at the idea of the video's assertion that people will no longer want to do this.

[@Gboi8]

Maybe teams will stop giving huge and long contracts to pitchers, knowing that they are ticking time bombs?

[@badfinger20]

Sandy Koufax was wild when coming up. A catcher or coach told him to not pitch as hard. The damage was already done by then and he slowed up to gain control. He still threw incredibly fast but MLB puts too big of a price on throwing and not pitching. Maddux gets brought up some...he pitched in the low 90s when he came up but he valued control over velocity...it can be done. We need more pitchers, not flame throwers who last only a few years before this happens.

[@zach7193]

Seen of the content on the channel. It's good.

[@stephenayers2110]

The surgery happens more because everyone is expected to give max effort on every pitch with an emphasis on how fast you throw it. They need more load management. More "trick"pitches like screwball or knuckle ball so they don't put so much strain on their elbows and shoulders. Another solution would be to expand the pitching rotation to 6 or even 7.

[@jasperbarnett6819]

"people crossed state lines to watch him pitch" Uhhh... Yeah? Most Nats fans cross state lines every time we go to the ballpark. Heck, there's gonna be a fairly significant number of folks who cross MULTIPLE state lines to get to the ballpark. That's what happens when the stadium is literally walking distance to Maryland, and 3 stops on the Metro from Virginia. Heck, it's less than 2 hours to get to the stadium from DELAWARE, and just over an hour from Harpers Ferry, WV (and if you're coming from WV, you might cross state lines 3 times getting to the stadium, depending on your route)

[@CalebsCards]

It's going to be interesting to see how MLB and the future of my favorite sport handles this going forward or changes.

[@wizardoferror9942]

Same. Pitchers will have to find another method.

[@amazingeric97]

I remember Greg Maddux pitching for the Braves in the 1990s. He pitched complete games with less than 100 pitches. He did not walk too many batters. He focused on location & control not velocity. Too many pitchers today want to focus on velocity.

[@varianschirmer9375]

I blame the teams that bought into the "Empty the Tank" philosophy. 6 innings of 98+ mph just gas being better than pitching smart like Greg Maddux and get 8 IP on 80-90 pitches. I think part of it is MLB owners only care that the pitching lasts thru their rookie contract. Pitchers like Dellin Betances & Andrew Miller are toast at age 31.... there's 50 more potential "Super Relievers" to feed into the meat grinder under they are as ruined as Stephen Strasburg.

[@robertgordon7983]

That was 30 years ago and Greg threw hard when he was young

[@varianschirmer9375]

@@robertgordon7983 But did he ever have long first innings... 20+ pitch 1st innings? So many of these pitchers are 35-40 pitches thru 2 innings... they are toast at 6 innings.

[@robertgordon7983]

@@varianschirmer9375 when he got lit up I’m sure he did. Regardless it doesn’t matter it was 30 years ago and the game has changed a lot since

[@timg6125]

And it continues this year. Shane Bieber and Spencer Strider, both top tier pitchers, are already facing TJ surgery. And the season has barely started.

[@ian3740]

There’s been lots of articles this offseason about the rise of splitters and sinkers. I wonder if that’s the way out of this. Start heavily prioritizing movement>velo. Maybe deeper pitch mixes are also an answer. Guys like Darvish and Bassitt are terrific without even average velo

[@Joesmoe_offical]

This is one of the most underrated KZbinrs ever

[@gizmoman2388]

While this is a problem, the only way out I see is either some form of elbow support being developed, or a better surgery being found. All surgeido carry some level of risk, and thankfully Tommy John surgery is incredibly low risk, and would likely be performed even if the player had no intentions of continuing. Players will do what it takes to win regardless of the damage to their bodies (look at Football, or any combat sport) the best we can do is find different technologies to protect them.

[@michaelosterhaus4309]

I was also diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS) in 2016. My #1 rib was removed, and my shoulder is messed up from it. I wonder chat type of TOS Steven Strasburg had and how his ‘recovery’ went.

[@AkumaAPN]

It's an interesting thought. What is the cost, and what is the reward? You're facing professional batters, who have the ability to adjust to 98-105 mph fast balls. Catching a batter between an 85 mph change up & a 97 mph heater is just as effective as blowing 104 past them when they were waiting for a curve. I think if coaches are smart, they should train pitchers to limit heat, and require them to avoid 102+.

[@jowellirizarry8044]

"Catching a batter between an 85 mph change up & a 97 mph heater is just as effective as blowing 104 past them when they were waiting for a curve." No its not

[@raychapman1134]

​@@jowellirizarry8044Greg Maddux would beg to differ. I'm sure you know better though.

[@AkumaAPN]

@@jowellirizarry8044 oh

[@AkumaAPN]

"Getting a strike is not as effective as getting a strike."

[@jowellirizarry8044]

@@raychapman1134 95 104+ mph pitches have been thrown since 2008 and only 3 of them have resulted in a hit and lets be honest any hitter would much rather try to hit a change up or a well located 95 mph fastball than a 104 mph fastball

[@JamesBlackman13]

I’ve never heard of someone choosing to get Tommy John to get it out of the way😮

[@finallife6]

The thing that I think you might see, is pitchers being taught to use knickleballs because that pitch in particular being alot safer to throw and takes pitchers nothing to warm up conparred to the tprque from breaking balls or tryong to throw as hard as you can.

[@jamesdixon6332]

4:41 That wasn't the first time the Nationals were vying for a playoff appearance. They made it to the playoffs in 1981 as the Montreal Expos, losing in the first round to LA

[@Sheep506]

2:58 hard to cross state lines when DC isn’t a state 😝 excellent video as always!

[@cameronwheeler3219]

I was 16 when I blew my arm out throwing a baseball in the backyard. I’m 30 and still have rotator cuff and elbow issues that have caused lifelong problems

[@modsquad3123]

Your missing a big data point, Billy Koch and the ulnar being twice as long, they wrapped it twice, was a big leaning factor into kids starting to get it out of the way

[@jdinspires16]

Tbh I started experiencing the dead arm problem when I was 11. My arm would literally start burning and I stopped gaining velocity as a grew older. But the burning would always be there. I found out I had a torn UCL the whole time and should’ve got the surgery at 11 years old and could’ve saved my career

[@zlinedavid]

You also have to wonder if the mileage they have on their arms even before getting drafted is an issue. When I was growing up, baseball was spring through mid-summer. Now with all the various travel leagues, a kid could have thrown twice the number of pitches than they would have before getting to college/the minors.

[@erad67]

8:55 A small correction. When you show John's total seasons played, at the time of his retirement Ryan was at 23 seasons, not 27. That list is the current record, not the record when John retired. And for those who don't know, Anson and McGuire played in the deadball era. Anson retired after the 1897 season. McGuire really stopped playing in 1906, but occasionally put himself in when he was the manager. He played 11 games in what is counted as his last 4 seasons as a player, 7 in '07, 2 in '08, 1 in '10, 1 in '12.

[@sgrafx]

Great report and I agree. Measures must be taken. This is ridiculous. Its like the cte problem in football.

[@dannyvarner8073]

I’m pretty sure that’s Jordan Hicks at the beginning of your video. Not sure what happened to Alex Reyes after he left St. Louis but another guy with enormous talent but constant arm issues.

[@khohlt4]

You said Alex Reyes when you meant Jordan Hicks lol

[@khohlt4]

There were both at one point closers for the Cardinals lol

[@BaseballHistorian]

Ahh shoot, that's my mistake! Apologies to both Jordan Hicks and Alex Reyes.

[@Wolf-wc1js]

I’m glad I’m not the only one who got confused when he said Alex Reyes lol. Like I know the Dodgers signed him to a 1 year deal but he was injured the whole time he was with us

[@sdelmonte]

1. It's terrible someone died from TJ surgery,. But all surgery carries risk. And I would not be surprised if there was malpractice involved. 2. For a decade now, we've been aware that playing tackle football can ruin your life with CTE. And last I checked, there is no shortage of young men playing the sport. People will keep on playing the sports they love even if they shouldn't.

[@KillyJoe]

Holy shit, just a casual fan here, I had no idea shohei just had his second surgery, that will be another huge bummer if he doesn’t return to form. Guy was an incredible player

[@ousamaabdu794]

I think it's a good chance Shohei never pitches again. It's quite difficult to come back from 2x Tommy John surgeries

[@joshfromtheisland1640]

As a native of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and a High School ball player who would often play against James M Bennett where Sang Ho played - this video has stunned me. Not to mention the Strausburg situation with my Nationals - who have also never been the same since that WS. Something needs to be done about this culture, it’s ruining the best part of baseball in my eyes. Our FAVORITE players are lucky to have 3 dominant years before having to inevitably get a surgery that could ruin their career or worse. Rest in Peace Sang Ho Baek, who knows how far he could’ve gone 😢

[@jakestar121]

Small editing error I just realized. at 0:31 you showed a clip of pitcher Jordan Hicks instead of Alex Reyes lol. its an easy error to make since both were flame throwers on the Cardinals

[@kd_gray]

I saw a kid at Brookwood high school in GA throwing 95 and 96 consistently. Like damn son work on location and pitch balance. These dudes out here are trying to strike every hitter out on flames

[@bizzlea887]

The opening of this video made me think of Chappelle's show....Dylan, Dylan....Dylan Dylan Dylan lol

[@bretpiercenelson7607]

The hurt arm epidemic is definitely a problem for all ages. I’m 19 and got TJ in January. However if baseball coaches focus on correct movement we can help save 1,000’s of kids careers.

[@Jokerjodon123]

Good to see this, greetings from Dominican Republic

[@thomaswood8167]

I don’t think it’s the velocity as much as throwing curveballs at an age before your arm has had a chance to develop. Sandy Koufax has stated that he believes his career ending injury was the result of all the curveballs he threw as a kid. Either way, it just makes one appreciate Nolan Ryan and the career he had.

[@tylerwood5642]

I also think the problem is that these guys, like Degrom, don’t have the frame to throw this hard. It’s going to be interesting to see a guy like Strider pitch with his great build (I know he’s already had TJ but he wasn’t as big in college as now). Moreover, kids are throwing too much in their younger years with showcases and bullpens and travel ball. I would prioritize lifting and building a muscular foundation to reduce injury. This is just my opinion, though.

[@SconnerStudios]

I've been saying this for a decade now. We're watching the death of the position of "starting pitcher". If things keep going the way they are, pitchers that start a game won't last for more than 3 innings in a few decades and half the roster will be made up of pitchers who throw 15 pitches a game. There will be more mound visits than runs scored and it will be incredibly boring and nobody will play long enough to even appear on the hall of fame ballot anymore.

[@jackgreehan]

Unlike what I was told when I was young, the fastball is the most damaging pitch for your elbow. I was a tall power pitcher until i was 15 when i first hurt my elbow. My fastball was good that enough I didn't incorporate much offspeed or finesse. I got up there and threw the ball as hard as I could with good enough accuracy (mid 60s in little league and low 80s on JV). When I got Tommy John at 17 the surgeon said the ligament was like a frayed rope. Fortunately there were no surgical complications. I deeply regret not refining my delivery and offspeed

[@nobleska0]

"They just reconstructed my arm! Time to throw harder!!"... Bruh relax

[@ProfessorJM1]

I have a friend named Rich Harden…when he got to the MLB they told him to bring his fastball down a few mph…what a problem 😂 I’m pretty convinced that babying your arm with throwing limits is damaging, for a few reasons. But, I won’t bore everyone with that. Peace.

[@Entronicsable]

A long time ago I heard a orthopedic surgeon say; "The human arm was not designed to be used as a whip". That's what you're doing with every pitch. Take it from someone with a twice-reconstructed shoulder that he tore playing baseball. I'm not surprised by any of this.

[@ezralastname3853]

The bump up in Tommy John Surgery correlates to youth and h.s. ballplayers learning to take care of their shoulders. The shoulder was the weak point in the kinetic chain of elbow to lat. Amature Latin Players around this time lagged in implementing these exercises and why those injuries still happened to Latin pitchers well into the 2000 at a higher rate. Also, if the arm is throwing a fastball harder (and with more torque load on it), it also in most cases means the breaking pitches are thrown at a higher speed and with more torque than at slower speed. I don't see how the current way of measuring this problem takes into account most internal issues.

[@samuelchait1710]

Tom seaver was icing his shoulder after each start

[@s.henrlllpoklookout5069]

The injury cliff in the thumbnail looks a lot like Vermont

[@brucetowell3432]

Wouldn't it be the breaking pitches that ultimately cause the wear and rear? Maybe banned all the sliders, curves, ect?

[@christhetanman2639]

You would think there would be blood flow exercises and rehab regimens for guys to have to maintain the health of their tendons and ligaments.

[@a.j3798]

Factors that are leading to more pitching injuries like TJ? 1. Over emphasis on raw velocity and usage of too many offspeed pitches at a young age. 2. Lack of cross training/ lack of building up innings at a young age.

[@Mike-rs1sv]

Starting Pitchers shouldn’t be throwing more than 96-97 mph on a regular basis. Relief Pitchers shouldn’t be more than 97-98 on a regular basis and absolutely not 100+ mph even if they physically can. The human arm just isn’t meant to for that pressure. Pitchers should be aiming for a 95 mph average fastball with good-off speed stuff to balance it out, Relievers can maybe aim for an extra 2 mph. That would reduce many Arm Surgeries in Baseball.

[@badger14]

Eventually teams will realize that having a pitcher healthy all year that throws mid-low 90s is better than a pitcher who will eventually get TJ (maybe multiple) surgeries who throws 99+. Best ability is availability and longevity is everything. No point in pushing the human limit to get a few extra mph to get possible career altering injuries

[@EpicConspiracy]

Greg Maddux is what everyone should try to be

[@liguy181]

They have to change the rules somehow to make it so that a pitcher not throwing at 100% won't ruin his team's chances at winning. The issue is that a pitcher has to use max-effort on every single pitch, and if they don't, you know the major league batters on the other side of the plate will destroy them. Idk how they could do that (maybe bigger strike zone?), but a solution needs to be figured out sooner rather than later

[@johnofmalta]

Top five pitchers in da game: Dy-lan, Dy-lan, Dy-lan, Dy-lan, Dy-lan.

[@dorklyasmr6017]

"People crossed state lines to see Strasbourg pitch." Lol. I think th nearest state, Maryland, is what, 5 miles away?

[@jgagnier]

Who knew Baseball Historian was such a Duran Duran fan?

[@GeraldBacon-si5mx]

This epidemic of pitchers needing Tommy John isn't breaking news it's been a problem for many years.

[@andu1854]

Problem is the year long baseball teams some players play on, so they play a ton of games and this speeds up the miles on body… 19 years should not be getting. Tommy John surgery

[@Crazyjedi2]

Pitchers having access to better and better training regimens meaning more and more pitchers can throw harder and harder comes at the price of more and more arm injuries. That's just the way it's going to be. The human arm just isn't built to throw that hard that many times every single week. They would have to do something drastic like change the shape and weight of the ball to limit the speed at which pitchers are able to max out at to drastically reduce arm injuries which obviously isn't going to happen.

[@novidsatriosatriochannel3336]

0:31 That's Jordan Hicks, not Alex Reyes

[@xxSLAV33xx]

Strasburg also has thoracic outlet syndrome which is debatably harder to come back from than Tommy John. I would be amazed if he ever pitches again.

[@paulcunneen3519]

I really want baseball to go back to the old wisdom last embraced by the 1990s Atlanta Braves pitchers in focusing on the legs in pitching and using them to get a lot of your power. Look back at the top pitchers in the 1970s and you see multiple pitchers with long careers who through 250+ innings a year. They used a higher leg kick combined with gravity to get a lot of their power -and take pressure off their arms. the emphasis was on control more than just power. You can see in this video how few pitchers needed Tommie John surgery til around the year 2000. The old ways worked! The Mets had Bartolo Colon pitching for them less than a decade ago throwing about an 80MPH fastball with excellent control and great knowledge of how to pitch and he was very effective. Power isn't everything!

[@TheTEN24]

Never heard of that story before I feel horrible for that family and doctor for not thinking it was something more serious. I definitely agree guys throw so hard now Tommy John surgery is incredibly common.

[@paulweeldreyer7457]

In their defense, it hadn't happened before.

[@creolespanish34]

Social media is contributing to this epidemic by emphasizing throwing hard above everything else during the formative years of pitchers. All those videos of pitching academies and trainers who help youngsters throw above 90 MPH. There's more to pitching fundamentals than speed, and for so many out there, throwing heat is not on their genetics. Even when speed is a god-given skill, throwers need to master a lot of other resources for the sake of versatility and longevity on the mound. Also, speed training might not be the best idea for men under 20 years old, while they are still growing up physically, but money is pushing everyone to be a finished product before hitting college. Make it make sense

[@askmiller]

I can understand pitchers needing to throw harder, but for fielders, you'd think the actual speed of the ball is a relatively minor detail. For example, if De La Cruz made a more accurate throw to home that was 10mph slower, the tag probably would have been made sooner.

[@loduca16]

Surgery quite literally IS just another part of every game. Mainly because it’s also just a normal part of every day life as the medical field advances. 14:43

[@nathanakers45]

The combination of injuries and usage makes me wonder how Hall of Fame voters will handle the coming generations of starting pitchers. They're so focused on overall stats (rather than the actual talent) that we may see nobody voted in after the Verlander/Scherzer/Kershaw era.

[@philthornton1382]

Most of them rightly won’t, can’t be hall of fame if you’re coming out after 5 innings

[@OH_MY_DOGGG]

Perhaps it will be according to my original assumption. Championships get you in. Secondary to that. Being dominant in postseason defeat. Where the offense didn't produce.

[@nathanakers45]

@@philthornton1382 True, but if it becomes standard baseball, shouldn't they have to adjust? The criteria for the HOF mentions many things, but stats are not one of them. Guys like Billy Wagner and Dustin Pedroia are HOF-worthy talent, but their statlines are/will hold them back. I don't disagree with you, and there's no real answer yet. That's why I find it interesting.

[@mattjeter9027]

wrong on Alex Reyes at the beginning of the video. That's Jordan hicks

[@fourbz9428]

Ryan did it for 27 years and 5386 innings facing 22575 batters, and he could still bring that heat.

[@Parlimant_Strifey]

Pitching coaches just want you throwing hard as soon as possible. Seems like a simple job actually, they also promote only throwing every five days whether your a starter or reliever even. Huge pay days for as little work as possible seems to b the grift.

[@thehellsage]

Very simple solution to help save all these young kids' arms - stop prioritizing high heat over all else. They don't have to throw so damn hard.

[@mediocregameplays6612]

I’m glad I was always taught to never throw as hard as I could. Sure I never was a hard thrower but I never felt arm pain and still had a decent high school career.