Paul Skenes threw 124 pitches on his way to a complete-game win in Louisiana State's regional opener. If you surveyed social media during the game, you might have thought LSU coach Jay Johnson and pitching coach Wes Johnson had taken a hacksaw to Skenes' elbow sometime during the ninth inning.
Skenes is universally viewed as the top pitching prospect in the 2023 draft. So what were Johnson and Johnson doing taking such a big risk by letting him work so deep in a game?
No MLB pitcher had thrown 124 pitches in a game this year. And only Miles Mikolas did it last year.
Case closed. The evidence is clear: LSU is playing with fire.
MLB teams have learned to never let a pitcher throw so many pitches, so why haven't colleges followed suit?
Actually, let's take a deeper look. I asked a biomechanist, a pro pitching coordinator and an MLB front office official how concerned they were about Skenes' outing. None of them was particularly worried. They noted that he was clearly stretched out, having worked 115-plus pitch outings multiple times in the weeks leading up to his 124pitch outing.
And they pointed out he was working on extra rest. Skenes had not pitched in eight days when he took the mound in the regional. He also was going to have eight days before he pitched again in LSU's super regional.
And the in-game markers of pitching fatigue, at least from what we have publicly, do not appear to have shown up. In the first three innings of his regional start, Skenes' fastball averaged 99.2 mph. In his final three innings it averaged 99.1. His velocity was unchanged.
LSU had additional information. Teams now look at extension and release points as more granular details to indicate when to pull a tiring pitcher. We don't have that info publicly, but Wes Johnson, the Twins' pitching coach before he came to LSU, did.
この記事は Baseball America の June - July 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Baseball America の June - July 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
NOBODY'S PERFECT
No. 1 prospect Jackson Holliday has one flaw in an otherwise airtight profile
ORGANIZATION REPORTS
At nearly every level of his professional career, outfielder Colton Cowser has taken time to acclimate. His major league debut last season was no different.
ORGANIZATION TALENT RANKINGS
For the second consecutive year, the Orioles enter the season with the best farm system in baseball.
WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN WITH NEW ROSTER LIMITS
No one can fully predict what will happen with the reduced 165-player minor league roster limits, but baseball officials weighed in with predictions for 2024, some of which we heard repeatedly.
NO MORE SLACK IN THE SYSTEM
The in domestic minor leagues creates consternation for farm directors
INTERNATIONAL TREASURES
Why MLB teams value foreign professionals more than ever
HIGH-FLYING BIRDS
Learning from past success and failure in Houston, Mike Elias and his united front office remade the Orioles into winners— and they got there ahead of schedule
ARIZONA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10
Early promotions of star prospects led to a bit of a down season for the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League.
FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10
Even before the Rookie-level Florida Complex League season began, scouts who saw extended spring training gushed over the Yankees' talent, starting with shortstop Roderick Arias and 6-foot7 pitchers Henry Lalane and Carlos Lagrange. Outfielder John Cruz mashed 10 home runs as a 17-year-old.
SALAS COULD BE SPECIAL
When Ethan Salas arrived in the California League on May 30, he immediately displayed talent well beyond his years.