Work Horse

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Number 1 and Number 2 in the majors in pitches thrown during each regular season, 2009-2013:
2013 Justin Verlander 3,692, James Shields 3,657
2012 Justin Verlander 3,768, James Shields 3,617
2011 Justin Verlander 3,941, Dan Haren 3,774
2010 Dan Haren 3,749, Justin Verlander 3,745
2009 Justin Verlander 3,937, Felix Hernandez 3,633

Most regular season pitches thrown over the five years combined, 2009 through 2013:
1. Justin Verlander 19,083
2. Felix Hernandez 17,565
3. James Shields 17,529
4. C.C. Sabathia 17,138
5. Tim Lincecum 17,059

The size of the gap in pitches thrown between Verlander and Felix, #1 and #2 on the list above, is about 1,500 pitches. To find that size gap between Felix and a pitcher below him on this list, you would have to go down to #17 on the list.

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10 years ago

It’s funny to see Lincecum ahead of Matt Cain on the second list; Cain’s nickname is ‘The Horse’ after all. Cain comes in 10th over the same timeframe, with around 400 fewer pitches despite more innings pitched. I’m guessing Lincecum’s 200 odd extra strikeouts are a factor.

Paul E

10 years ago

Verlander is 3rd straight, plain old, OPS over the past five years amongst pitchers who have thrown 800 innings:

.573 Kershaw
.624 Felix Hernandez
.628 Verlander

It will be interesting to see if he was off his game last year due to the workload or he possibly recovers this year and goes back to a 140 ERA+ pitcher. But, still one of the “strongest” arms (in the Bob Feller kind of sense) over the last 50 years.

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birtelcom

10 years ago

BTW, Verlander has also thrown 1,181 post-season pitches over the 2009-2013 period. Sabathia has thrown 1,367 post-season pitches over that period, and Cliff Lee 1,233. I’m pretty sure no one else is over 1,000 post-season pitches over that period.

Editor

Doug

10 years ago

Reply to birtelcom

Despite being a workhorse, Cliff Lee was pretty efficient, especially for the post-season, with 15.0 pitches per IP, the same as Andy Pettitte over the same 5 years.

Sabathia and Verlander are both over 1.5 pitches more per IP, at 16.9 and 16.5 respectively. But, still a good deal more efficient than (for example) C.J. Wilson at 17.9 pitches per IP over 51 post-season IP since 2009.

Disco

10 years ago

A quick google search did not yield the answer to this: what is the record for most pitches thrown in a season?

10 years ago

Reply to Disco

According to the Play Index it’s 4076 by Randy Johnson in 2001 (data only goes back to 2000). Johnson has three of the top four seasons. Johnson, Verlander and Livan Hernandez have eight of the top nine seasons.

Brent

10 years ago

Reply to RJ

We can guess, however, that Rapid Robert’s 1946 season when he not only pitched a record 371.1 innings, but also walked 153 batters and struck out 348 had to have an incredible numbers of pitches. Also in the mix would be his 1941 season (343 innings, 194 walks, 260 Ks) as well Nolan Ryan’s 1973 and 1974 seasons (326 and 332.2 innings, 162 and 202 walks, 383 and 367 Ks)

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birtelcom

10 years ago

Reply to Brent

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_pitch_count_estimator

James Smyth

10 years ago

Reply to Brent

Using Tango’s Pitch Count Estimator, here are the top ten since 1901 by pitchers with 200 K and 100 BB (all four years you mentioned are here):

Pitcher Est. Pitches
Vic Willis 1902 6179.6
Bob Feller 1946 5951.49
Bob Feller 1941 5789.9
Bobo Newsom 1938 5756.28
Bill Donovan 1901 5719.1
Nolan Ryan 1974 5679.58
Christy Mathewson 1903 5634.19
Pete Alexander 1911 5623.8
Phil Niekro 1977 5602.49
Nolan Ryan 1973 5478.3

Obviously these are just estimates based on a formula, but it gives a ballpark number.

Richard Chester

10 years ago

Reply to James Smyth

1904 Jack Chesbro with 1720 BF, 239 SO and 88 BB calculates to 6228 pitches.

Lawrence Azrin

10 years ago

Reply to Disco

@4/Disco,

It’s just conjecture, but it’s probably some 19th century super-workhorse, from the days when foul balls didn’t count as strikes, and it took a lot more than four balls for a walk.

For instance:
– Will White/1879 (680 IP)
– Jim McCormick/1880 (657 IP)

Radbourn and Hecker both have more IP in 1884 than McCormick, but by then only six balls were required for a walk, as opposed to nine in 1879.

Jimbo

10 years ago

Reply to Lawrence Azrin

Wow, I had never heard of the walk taking more than 4 balls before. I knew that Radbourne season well but had no idea he got 6 balls instead of 4. Always something new to learn.

robbs

10 years ago

If the Red Sox played the A’s today and it took 9 balls for a walk, would the game get over in 24 hours?

mosc

10 years ago

Reply to robbs

It would help the pitcher, not the hitter. Drawing a walk would be virtually impossible. It might actually speed up the game since working the walk would be so rare. You’re not really eating more pitches from the pitcher unless you can foul off forever (most can’t). If in the previous system he’d give up a walk and the next guy would come up he’s basically got another 2 strikes to give away. You know, a lot of these BA and sacrifice focused guys should actually get together and recommend adding balls before a walk. It would make the actual… Read more »

oneblankspace

10 years ago

Reply to mosc

Also, back in those days, a foul ball caught on the first bounce was an out.

robbs

10 years ago

Reply to mosc

Mosc You could be right but they would have to impose a limit a the number of times a batter could step out of the box and the pitcher steps off the rubber. I played ball through pony leagues and can’t recall calling “time out” as pitcher or hitter, though I may have made a quick “sign of the cross” when checking with the 3rd base coach.

Paul E

10 years ago

Reply to robbs

You couldn’t have made more “sign of the cross’ gestures than Tony Taylor, second baseman of the 60’s and 70’s. He led his league every year…

oneblankspace

10 years ago

Reply to mosc

In NAIA baseball (small colleges), to intentionally walk a batter all you have to do is announce that you are doing so — you don’t have to pitch. If the balls for a walk were increased, that rule change might be a good idea.

Editor

John Autin

10 years ago

Out of curiosity, I did a quick study based on 2008-12 pitch totals and 2013 performance. First, I formed two groups: Group 1 (high-pitch) — The pitchers who had any single season of 3,400+ pitches in 2008-12. There were 76 such seasons (about 15 per year), by 39 different pitchers. — Those seasons averaged 4.63 WAR and 223 IP. Group 2 — The pitchers who had both (a) NO season of 3,400+ pitches in 2008-12, and (b) any season worth 4.5 WAR or greater. There were 30 such 4.5-WAR seasons, by 26 different pitchers. — Those seasons averaged 5.53 WAR… Read more »

mosc

10 years ago

Reply to John Autin

Injury prevention has swamped the value proposition. The cost-benefit of inning limits and pitch counts against their proposed savings in injury prevention is off. There’s also a “one size fits all” fallacy with starting pitchers. Different mechanics and body types should be given different limits.

Author

birtelcom

10 years ago

A starting pitcher’s effectiveness tends to decline significantly each additional time he goes through the batting order in a game. That was true in the 1950s and it’s still true today. Even if one worried not at all about “pitch counts” from an injury point of view, there are good reasons to limit a starter’s innings if you’ve got decent talent in the bullpen.

mosc

10 years ago

Reply to birtelcom

That would at it’s logical conclusion give you pitchers targeting about 2IP give or take, more like running a team with nothing but relievers. Most guys who pitch an average of 9 batters a game are good for about half a season’s worth of appearances. Say 81 games, 162 IP. More opportunity, that doesn’t sound too terribly unreasonable. 9 guys like that would give you a season’s worth of innings. A typical pitching staff of 12 (except all long relievers), with your usual minor league fill-ins, would not change the offensive side of baseball much at all to try something… Read more »