More Tech, More Data… Yet More Tommy John Surgeries and Shoulder Surgeries?
We have access to more advanced technology, biomechanics, and data than ever before. Yet, pitchers are throwing fewer innings, and surgeries—especially Tommy John and shoulder procedures—continue to rise.
📉 Shouldn’t all this progress be making pitchers healthier, not sidelining them?
🔍 Here’s the issue: we’re applying data in a way that forces pitchers into rigid biomechanical models instead of optimizing their natural movement patterns. We analyze every inch of their delivery, then tweak it to fit an ideal that may not work for them.
I’m not anti-tech. Far from it.
But technology should reveal what makes each pitcher effective—not force them into a mold that puts them at risk.
✅ What if, instead of reshaping pitchers, we used data to enhance what already works for them?
✅ What if we built training programs around motor preferences to reduce stress and maximize efficiency?
We need to start working with the body, not against it. The future of pitching isn’t about chasing mechanical perfection—it’s about understanding and unlocking individual strengths.
Pitching coaches in the 1950’s and 1960’s were reluctant to change what pitchers naturally did. They also worked with the velocity and spin that pitchers brought naturally to shape strategies and tactics to getting hitters out. Coaches had far less biomechanical information then, but they had, perhaps, the wisdom to leave well-enough alone. I believe that the “modern” obsession with velocity over pitchability is the single biggest culprit in the disaster created from youth baseball through the MLB level. Tommy John won more games at 84 mph than he did at 96 mph. Whitey Ford, Stu Miller, Ron Peranoski, Johnny Padres and, more recently, Jamie Moyer drove MLB hitters out of their minds. Greg Maddox adjusted to older age to decrease velocity from the 94 mph of his twenties to the 86 mph of his dotage to continue his HOF success.
Hi Pete,
Thank you so much for your interest in Motor Preferences and my website! It’s always a pleasure to hear your insights, especially given your years of invaluable baseball coaching experience and knowledge. I truly appreciate the opportunity to connect with someone of your expertise.
Looking forward to further conversations!
Best regards,