SURPRISE, Ariz. – Max Scherzer pitched for at least 179 innings in 10 of his first 16 major league campaigns. And the three-time Cy Young Award winner has learned some important lessons from spending a lot of time on the mound in a game.
That’s one of the reasons why the Texas Rangers right-hander believes Major League Baseball must go much further than limiting the number of positions in a lineup if it wants to see starting pitchers shine again.
“I became a better pitcher after facing the full batting role three times, and having trouble facing the full batting role for the third time,” said the 39-year-old veteran. This is the main issue for young pitchers; learning to face the role of opposing hitters three times… We are so afraid of seeing our pitchers fail these days. »
The starting pitcher situation is monopolizing the attention of Major League Commissioner Rob Manfred, who declared in October that Major League Baseball was considering lowering the maximum number of active pitchers per team from 13 to 12, starting with the 2025 season. with the obvious objective of forcing clubs to place emphasis on their starting pitchers.
Major League starting pitchers averaged 15.4 outs and 85.1 pitches per game last year, according to Sportradarand 15.6 putouts and 84.9 pitches per game in 2022. These numbers were 17.4 putouts and 93.1 pitches in 2015, and 17.8 and 98.6 respectively in 2000.
“I grew up loving the game, and my dad and I would choose which (Houston) Astros games to go to based on whether or not Roy Oswalt was on the mound,” Chicago Cubs right-hander Jameson said. Taillon. We were watching the pitchers’ duel, that’s what interested us. Today, I feel like it’s not as meaningful as it was then. »
Major League Baseball wants these duels to come back to the forefront, but it won’t be easy, because the issue is complex.
Prospects on the mound are closely followed in their ascent to the Major Leagues, and the slightest slip on an organization’s plan could jeopardize the careers of many minor league managers and instructors. Additionally, the major league bullpen has never been as crowded with talent as it is now, and mountains of data have already illustrated the risks associated with leaving a pitcher on the mound too long.
“From a fan’s point of view, yeah, seeing a guy go seven, eight innings on the mound, it’s great. I understand that, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. It doesn’t necessarily help you win games, and unfortunately my job depends on my ability to win baseball games. »
If a possible 12-pitcher limit is adopted to encourage teams to keep their starting pitchers on the mound longer, then some pressure will be felt in the bullpen. Major League Baseball teams could also decide to assign more of their long relief specialists to the minor leagues, regardless of their performance.
The long answer to this issue likely lies in the minor league system, and how baseball wants to develop its next generation of starting pitchers.
“It all starts with training in the minor leagues,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. This is where it all begins. It’s difficult to correct the situation while the guys are in the gears. They’re not trained to do that. You would now ask them to spend many innings in a game on the mound, which increases the risk of injury. We will therefore have to adopt a cautious approach in this matter. »
2024-02-28 16:16:23
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