How many pitches should a pitcher throw in a game?
In my opinion you have to consider several factors considering the following questions. Are all pitchers created equal? Do they have they have the same strength level, equal mechanics, mobility, agility, or are they all different? Are all innings pitched equally as stressful? This means if your team is winning 10-0 is that the same as if your team is winning 1-0. Does pitching in a close game change the intensity of the pitches? Lastly, are all pitch counts equal? If two pitchers both threw 60 pitches but one did it over 5 innings and another pitcher did it in 3 innings the stress of the innings are quite different.
The fact is pitching a baseball is stressful. This video is designed to get you to look at pitch counts deeper, in a more practical way.
Is it the total number of pitches that matter most, or the number of consecutive pitches? Also in this video I look at the difference between stressful innings vs. less stressful innings.
I also give you a easy system to follow that way you know when to take a pitcher out, and when it might be ok to leave him in.
Mike Ryan
Fastball USA