Quote:
Originally Posted by JPhillips
Apparently the research is pretty clear that UCL tears are simply a matter of too many throws at too high a velocity. If you throw 90 mph you have a much lower chance of a tear than if you throw 95 mph. So along with too many throws, the focus on velocity above all else is causing problems.
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I don't think it necessarily has to be one or the other. Velocity programs for pitchers start as early as 14. We've seen a rise pitchers throwing in the 90s as we've also seen a rise in year-round baseball and baseball training at younger ages. These are the programs those guys throwing 90+ are coming out of and they're type of pitcher that's also going to be abused before they're even drafted or head off to college. There was a study by U of Florida that linked the rise in pitching injuries to year-round baseball and I don't think it's at all stunning that we could also link pitching injuries to high velocities.