An Examination of Major League Baseball Pitcher Arm Injuries in the Pitch Clock Era

Peacock Scholarship

Public Deposited

Abstract

This study aims to look at the amount of arm injuries to Major League Baseball pitchers from the seasons 2021 through 2024. It seems there has been a rise of arm injuries in the seasons following the introduction of the pitch clock in Major League Baseball. The pitch clock was introduced at the beginning of the 2023 season, which puts limits on the amount of time a pitcher can take to pitch the ball. Originally, it seemed as though there was an overall increase in arm injuries since the 2021 season, which turned out to be false. My focus changed to elbow and ulnar collateral ligament injuries, which have spiked the past few seasons. My original hypothesis was that the pitch clock was the main reason for the increase in serious arm injuries, but my focus later shifted to the increase in velocity and spin rates. An increase in velocity and spin rate will put more stress on the arm, which in turn causes more injuries, specifically to the elbow. Along with elbow injuries increasing, the amount of elbow surgeries is also increasing. Elbow surgery is one of the most detrimental arm injuries for a pitcher, as the recovery time is typically over a year. This study looks at the causes of the increase in elbow injuries and surgeries to Major League Baseball pitchers.

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