What MLB's Pitching Injury Report Means for High School Pitchers
In December 2024, Major League Baseball released a 62-page study on why pitchers keep getting hurt. It was based on interviews with more than 200 people, including surgeons, athletic trainers, biomechanists, players and coaches. It is the closest thing the sport has to an official answer, and it applies to amateur pitchers as much as professionals.
What it found
The study's central conclusion was that chasing velocity, shaping pitches for more "stuff," and throwing at maximum effort more often are the most likely causes of the rise in injuries. ESPN's summary singled out velocity as the top factor.
The scale of the problem is large. According to the Associated Press report, the trends reach down into high school and youth baseball, because young pitchers have the same incentive to light up a radar gun for scouts. The study also found no evidence that the pitch clock is to blame.
Other contributors it named include year-round training, early specialization, harder bullpen sessions and weighted-ball use.
What that does and does not mean
It does not mean velocity training is wrong. Velocity is still what gets a pitcher recruited, and the report acknowledges that pitchers know the risk and accept it because the reward is real.
It does mean the way velocity is pursued matters. The pattern the report describes is max effort all the time: in games, in bullpens, in the off-season, at showcases in November. That is the part a high school pitcher can change.
What to do with it
- Stop throwing every pitch at 100%. Bullpens and catch play should have planned intensity. Most days are not max days.
- Take real time off from throwing each year. See why your off-season needs a shutdown.
- Build the body first. Strength and mobility are what let an arm tolerate higher speeds.
- Follow pitch counts and rest days, including across multiple teams. Our Pitch Smart guide has the numbers.
- Be selective about showcases. Throwing max effort for a radar gun when you are not built up is the exact situation the report warns about.
- Treat pain as information. A history of injury predicts future injury. Get soreness that lingers checked before it becomes something bigger.
Training for velocity and protecting an arm are not opposites. They are the same plan when workload, strength and recovery are managed together.
This article is general information, not medical advice. See a doctor or physical therapist about pain or injury, and check with a qualified professional before starting a new training program.