Monthly Archives: November 2013

11.18.13
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Polarizing Pitch Counts (Condensed, Internet Version)

Pitch counts, for Michigan State University starting pitcher Mick VanVossen, are nothing new. All the controversy, strategical differences, and split ways of thinking that pitch counts are creating? Once again, nothing new for someone who has been throwing a baseball as long as it has been physically possible for his body to do so.

“The pitch count is different at all levels,” said VanVossen, a junior on MSU’s baseball team. “As you get older and more mature, the count doesn’t really have as much of an emphasis on the game.”

Michigan State University starting pitcher Mick VanVossen is no stranger to pitch counts.

Those that continue to play the game past high school will most likely notice an increase in concern for how many pitches their arms throw. Being one step closer to the ultimate goal of reaching Major League Baseball means taking care of your body is absolutely necessary.

“I have trained my body and arm to throw more pitches and go deep in games. With that said, I still won’t throw more than 110 pitches unless the game is real significant,” said VanVossen.

In 1998 there was 212 games in the MLB season in which a starting pitcher threw at least 125 pitches, according to FanGraphs.com. The number of pitchers who tossed at least 125 pitches sank to an all-time low of 14 in 2007, and has not exceeded 50 since.

Leaders in pitches thrown for the 2013 MLB season

We have known for a while that intermittent rest is critical to how long a pitcher can be effective, and thus the common “five man rotation” was born. However, it wasn’t until recent that we began to see pitch counts highlighted in almost every analyzation of a pitcher at the big league level. Some baseball fans see this as an impediment to the game.

“I think the pitch count can be just as detrimental to a team as it can be helpful,” said Austin Telling, a University of Michigan business major, and former high school player. “Managers would be wise to instead pay attention to form, velocity, and accuracy instead of an arbitrary pitch number.”

The Japanese pitcher who threw 160 pitches in a game – and still has MLB scouts drooling

Does this mean that the pitch count has been overemphasized in the mainstream sports media? There is no definitive answer, and you will only receive affirmation of this when asking someone who is fully immersed in the game of baseball.

“I don’t necessarily agree that the media overemphasizes the pitch count. There has always been general rules for pitching, and we are developing them even more with the information available today,” said VanVossen.