Since 2020, Major League Baseball has made numerous changes to their rulebook. Be it the pitching clock, the universal designated hitter or increased base sizes, these changes have all met mixed reception. However, a recent proposal might be the most divisive one yet.
On Aug. 15, 2024, reports came out that MLB officials were considering a minimum inning requirement for starting pitchers. Since then, it has actually gained some momentum from important figures like Hall of Famer John Smoltz. The proposal establishes that every starting pitcher must play at least six innings before a reliever can enter the game. There are a couple of exceptions where a pitcher would be allowed to exit early, such as when they have already allowed four earned runs or have thrown at least 100 pitches, but in general, this rule would mean most pitchers would have longer outings.
One goal of this change is to limit the number of injuries by incentivizing decreased pitch velocity. There is plenty of merit to this concern. Pitchers are getting injured at an all-time rate, including some very big names. Spencer Strider, Shohei Ohtani and Jacob DeGrom, three all-star pitchers who rely heavily on their strong arms, each injured their UCL within the past year and a half. The UCL is a ligament in the elbow meant to support arm motion, but throwing a baseball at mid to high 90s mph is far beyond its original purpose. Implementing a minimum inning requirement would encourage pitching staffs to train differently, focusing more on goading ground balls rather than swing and misses. That means less velocity and more settling for balls in play.
However, the solution is not that simple. As calculated in an article by FanGraphs, MLB starting pitchers have averaged 86.2 pitches and 5.24 innings played per start this season. Instating the proposed minimum would cause both of these numbers to inflate significantly. High velocity might be damaging, but an increased workload could very well be worse.
The proposal also intends to protect an old-school style of baseball with heavy workload pitchers, but it is worth considering that high velocity may just be the natural progression of the sport. There is a reason pitchers are willing to risk injury for greater velocity: it works. The five MLB pitchers with the lowest estimated run averages (ERA) this season all have average fastball velocities of at least 94 mph. Among players who do not qualify for the ERA list is Paul Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie who would lead the MLB with his ERA of 2.13 and averages a whopping 99 mph on his four-seam fastball. An inning minimum acts against the progression of the sport, not letting the newer style of pitching flourish.
The MLB has considered less radical options too, such as the “double-hook DH,” which would similarly incentivize workhorse pitching but without setting any restrictions. Either way, though, the MLB should be careful. They have been relatively successful with their recent rule changes, but they would be wise not to break their hit streak with a swing on the pitcher inning minimum.
Lonnie Davis • Sep 6, 2024 at 5:10 pm
Instead of adding a new rule there is one they should do away with. It is the craziest thing I have ever seen and does wreck the integrity of the game. There are going to keep screwing around and kill baseball. That rule that most go is the ghost runner in the 10th inning. We all know that idiot commissioner is trying to make a Name for himself but he is hurting baseball.