Protecting pitchers

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I made a separate thread for this so coaches and parents could find it later. Education is key to protecting pitchers, and we have good resources on this board.

Let's start with this:

MLB has a website called Pitch Smart (http://m.mlb.com/pitchsmart) with information regarding protecting youth pitchers of any age. It includes guidelines for pitchers of high school age (http://m.mlb.com/pitchsmart/pitching-guidelines-ages-15-to-18). MLB recommends the following:

• Players can begin using breaking pitches after developing consistent fastball and changeup
• Do not exceed 100 combined innings pitched in any 12 month period
• Take at least 4 months off from competitive pitching every year, including at least 2-3 continuous months off from all overhead throwing
• Make sure to properly warm up before pitching
• Set and follow pitch-count limits and required rest periods
• Avoid playing for multiple teams at the same time
• Avoid playing catcher while not pitching
• Avoid pitching in multiple games on the same day
• Make sure to follow guidelines across leagues, tournaments and showcases
• Monitor for other signs of fatigue
• A pitcher remaining in the game, but moving to a different position, can return as a pitcher anytime in the remainder of the game, but only once per game

That site also recommends a daily pitch limit of 95 pitches for pitchers age 15-16, and 105 for 17-18 year olds. It also has the following recommendations for rest after particular pitch counts:
1 day rest after 1-30 pitches; 2 days after 31-45; 3 days after 46-60; 4 days after 76+.

 

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