Raising Aces: All Abou... (05/18)
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May 25, 2012 Raising AcesStras WarsThe Washington Nationals have cornered the phenom market in recent drafts, and 2012 is set up for outfielder Bryce Harper and pitcher Stephen Strasburg to begin their hostile takeover of the National League East. Harper made his D.C. debut four weeks ago and has impressed with his fearsome swing, cannon arm, and competitive moxie. Strasburg, on the other hand, is trying to recapture the success that he enjoyed in his own debut two years ago, when he pounced on the scene with such utter domination that he immediately vaulted to Ace status. The former no. 1 pick's $15.1 million contract shattered Mark Prior's previous record for a bonus baby, not long Strasburg stole the title of “The Greatest College Pitcher of All Time” from the former Cub. The Strasburg hype machine was on overdrive during the summer of 2010—his final minor-league start was nationally televised, and the baseball used for the first pitch of his major-league career was put aside for the Hall of Fame museum. I was floored by Strasburg's inaugural MLB start, watching major-league hitters flail at devastating heat that jumped out of the rookie's hand as he struck out 14 Pirates. Stras showed impeccable consistency, poise, and preternatural command of one of the filthiest arsenals these eyes have ever seen. Having already spent a year on the shelf recovering from the snapped UCL heard 'round the world, Strasburg is trying to avoid the injury-prone tag that tailed Prior his entire career. Stras underwent Tommy John surgery after just a dozen starts for the Nats, while carrying some of the same mechanical precursors that hindsight analysts have myopically blamed for Prior's woes. Bridge to the present, where Strasburg has reassumed his position above the rest of baseball’s young hurlers. He is sitting on the second-highest strikeout total in the National League, trailing teammate Gio Gonzalez by five punchouts and 0.5 K's per nine innings. Stras had his work cut out for him in interleague action last weekend, looking to rebound from his shortest outing of the season against a Baltimore club that is, shockingly, fronting baseball’s toughest division. The first inning of Sunday's game was a struggle for Strasburg as he battled the timing of his delivery and the location of his pitches. Pitch command is typically the last thing to come back following Tommy John surgery, but Strasburg's elbow had little to do with his inability to hit targets. On the first several pitches. Stras over-rotated the shoulders past his optimal release point, missing low and/or to the glove-side with a barrage of fastballs. He started 3-0 to Xavier Avery before the leadoff man singled on a full-count fastball.
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Weekly Planner: Week Nine
Surprise Me!
Doug,
We have talked before about how teams vary on their philosophies on pitching mechanics.
What do you think is on the horizon as far as how seriously teams connect pitching mechanics to injuries? Will there be a time when teams are staying away from drafting pitchers with personal signatures that are more prone to injuries?
Also, what is your take on pitchers like Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, and Randy Johnson? What was different about their mechanics that led to such long and successful careers? What is done differently nowadays that seemingly keeps the current game from developing pitchers of that stature and durability?
Many teams are waiting for someone else to do the heavy-lifting with injury research, especially as it relates to mechanics. They are unwilling to invest the resources necessary to do the job in-house, which makes sense given the time-frames and dollar signs involved in the research. Then again, MLB teams have huge incentive to create their own mechanical models and to lead the era of discovery, given the potential ROI of such a system and the baseball acumen it requires to design an effective model.
I am a huge fan of all three of those pitchers' deliveries, and what is striking is what they have in common. All three pitchers had outstanding marks in the categories that I grade on the mechanics report card, and the one thing that really set them apart (as a group) was excellent momentum and incredible stride that produced astounding depth at release point. Another tie that binds all three of those guys was their pursuit of greatness (#want), as they were three of the hardest-working players in the game. I'm convinced that Nolan has thrown more baseballs in his lifetime than any human being before or since, and Clemens had a hyper-competitive outlook that he will never be out-worked or out-prepared by another pitcher. Every player works hard to get better, but not every pitcher displays a relentless obsession to improve.
In regards to your first paragraph. Is it also possible that teams are unwilling to invest in this because the lack of job security that front office personnel tend to have? I'd imagine a study of this kind would take a lot of $$$ and even more time, and would be hard to follow through on?
However, this certainly seems like something Theo would (should?) do as his reign atop of the Cubs organization is still in its infancy.
Certainly would be cool if the Orioles' FO jumped on this with Rick Peterson involved.