sports
Unhittable: are the modern era’s weightlifting, analytics-fueled pitchers too good?
A new book explores how technology and a host of maverick innovators have given rise to an exceptional crop of baseball players
TL;DR
- Pitching speed has increased dramatically, with major leaguers routinely exceeding 100 mph.
- Advancements in pitching analytics, utilizing technology like heat maps and AI, are key to this improvement.
- Individuals without traditional baseball backgrounds, like author Rob Friedman (PitchingNinja), are driving these innovations.
- The book 'Unhittable' details how technology and maverick innovators have created a new era of pitching dominance.
- Pitchers are developing new techniques like Seam-Shifted Wake and focusing on accuracy and multiple pitch types.
- Historically, pitchers like Nolan Ryan and Trevor Bauer embraced unconventional methods like weightlifting and analytics, paving the way for today's stars.
- While pitcher dominance is high, there are concerns about increased injuries due to extreme velocity.
- The article suggests that analytics provide more information, bridging the gap between traditionalists and modern methods.