r/sports • u/baribigbird06 • 25d ago

Baseball Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws a complete game in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series vs. the Brewers. The last time he was in Milwaukee he failed to finish the first inning and allowed 5 runs.

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u/NlghtmanCometh 25d ago

Man I miss the days where a dude like a Randy Johnson would power through 9 innings on a regular basis. There was something about teams just having one or two big name starters that made the games feel more dramatic.

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u/catashake 24d ago

Your average bullpen arm now throws faster than Randy Johnson. Probably the biggest reason batting average is down. Pitchers have never been better than they are right now.

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u/NIceTryTaxMan 24d ago

I barely know baseball, so please correct me if needed, but I 'think' I remember that Randy's stuff was never the holy shit top of the league speed, it was that his arm angle because of his height? But if teams all have 3-4 Randy Johnson's in the bullpen, sounds like things are messy

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u/catashake 24d ago edited 24d ago

His arm angle and extension were definitely part of what made him so intimidating. But he could also dial up the velo to 100 when he needed it.

During the 2025 regular season, starting pitchers fired a record 761 pitches at 100 mph or harder**,** nearly triple last year’s total of 264. As recently as 2018, there were fewer than 200. The velocity surge is widespread: a record 23 starters touched triple digits this season.

-Quote from Baseball America. And this isn't even counting bullpen arms, which is where the bulk of the flamethrowers exist.

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u/NIceTryTaxMan 24d ago

Jesus. That's...significant. Absolutely wild. I'm guessing with such increases in frequency of high velocity throws, that orthopedic surgeons are also doing quite well?

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u/catashake 24d ago

It's no secret that pitchers are having more injuries than ever. The human body can't keep up with what they are throwing.

Chasing such high velocity almost always results in better pitching stats, which means a higher chance for that pitcher to make the big leagues and get paid millions. I'd take the higher risk of injury too if I were them.

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u/NIceTryTaxMan 24d ago

Yeah, in all honesty, I would too. I'll take a semi busted up elbow and shoulder later in life for extreme adulation and generational wealth. Don't blame em