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Expansion has watered down the talent far more than 5-man rotations.
In Japan pitchers pitch once/week. I don't know if they have fewer injuries or not.
Whether it's a 5-man rotation or a 6-man rotation, I hope MLB teams eventually reject "openers" and stick with some sort of starting rotation.
Hardly. There is not a finite number of potential MLB pitchers.
The era of expansion began in 1961 with the addition of the Los Angeles Angels and the (new) Washington Senators in the American League. Prior to that, there had been 16 teams for six decades. The 1960 Census showed an American population of 179 million. Today, there are 30 teams (88% more) and the American population is 327 million (82% more). So while there are more pitching jobs in MLB today than there were almost 60 years ago when the majors began expanding, the primary talent pool for MLB - the United States - has nearly kept pace in growth.
But wait - it goes beyond that. The modern talent pool has expanded far beyond American borders. As recently as the 1980s, foreign-born players constituted less than 10% of MLB rosters. 2019's Opening Day saw more than 28% of roster spots held by foreign-born players. The top foreign sources are the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, Japan and Canada. Those six countries alone comprise a talent pool larger than the United States itself.
The rise of video and telecommunications has increased scouting efficacy. No longer does a scout have to trudge out to Nowhere, Montana, to watch some high school senior throw for initial evaluation. Furthermore, modern travel makes the eventual evaluation of those who make the preliminary cut more convenient and efficient, and vastly increasing revenues make it financially worthwhile to do a much deeper dive into potential talent. So it is less likely today than it was in the past that an amateur player with big league capabilities will be overlooked by the majors.
Finally, modern advances in physiology and conditioning have enabled the maximizing of ability of individuals. No longer do even the minimum-wage players have to hold an offseason job. Instead, they condition. They can all afford personal trainers and dieticians.
Far from the talent being watered down, these advances (numbers, technology, knowledge, economics) have resulted in rosters that represent an even more select cream of the crop than in the past.
Hardly. There is not a finite number of potential MLB pitchers.
The era of expansion began in 1961 with the addition of the Los Angeles Angels and the (new) Washington Senators in the American League. Prior to that, there had been 16 teams for six decades. The 1960 Census showed an American population of 179 million. Today, there are 30 teams (88% more) and the American population is 327 million (82% more). So while there are more pitching jobs in MLB today than there were almost 60 years ago when the majors began expanding, the primary talent pool for MLB - the United States - has nearly kept pace in growth.
But wait - it goes beyond that. The modern talent pool has expanded far beyond American borders. As recently as the 1980s, foreign-born players constituted less than 10% of MLB rosters. 2019's Opening Day saw more than 28% of roster spots held by foreign-born players. The top foreign sources are the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, Japan and Canada. Those six countries alone comprise a talent pool larger than the United States itself.
The rise of video and telecommunications has increased scouting efficacy. No longer does a scout have to trudge out to Nowhere, Montana, to watch some high school senior throw for initial evaluation. Furthermore, modern travel makes the eventual evaluation of those who make the preliminary cut more convenient and efficient, and vastly increasing revenues make it financially worthwhile to do a much deeper dive into potential talent. So it is less likely today than it was in the past that an amateur player with big league capabilities will be overlooked by the majors.
Finally, modern advances in physiology and conditioning have enabled the maximizing of ability of individuals. No longer do even the minimum-wage players have to hold an offseason job. Instead, they condition. They can all afford personal trainers and dieticians.
Far from the talent being watered down, these advances (numbers, technology, knowledge, economics) have resulted in rosters that represent an even more select cream of the crop than in the past.
I can't stand it when people refer to modern day pitchers as weak or watered down. The goal is for the team to win the game, not to get the starter through seven innings or to give the best reliever a meaningless save. It's almost like Scott Boras is managing the teams to pad his clients' stats.
Earlier in the year, before trades and injuries, the Rays had four pitchers who threw over 100mph. Three were bullpen guys and none was a closer. Better yet, their combined salaries were a fraction of the average #2 starter's yearly pay. Loading up on stud bullpen guys to open and relieve games has been proven to be effective.
On the flip side, the "take pitches to get to their bullpen" strategy is officially outdated. Why? Because the first reliever will always be better than who he is replacing. Why would you want to see him sooner?? Batting averages always go up after the second AB. The smart managers will stop letting opposing hitters ever get a third look at a pitcher in a single game.
I can't stand it when people refer to modern day pitchers as weak or watered down. The goal is for the team to win the game, not to get the starter through seven innings or to give the best reliever a meaningless save. It's almost like Scott Boras is managing the teams to pad his clients' stats.
Earlier in the year, before trades and injuries, the Rays had four pitchers who threw over 100mph. Three were bullpen guys and none was a closer. Better yet, their combined salaries were a fraction of the average #2 starter's yearly pay. Loading up on stud bullpen guys to open and relieve games has been proven to be effective.
On the flip side, the "take pitches to get to their bullpen" strategy is officially outdated. Why? Because the first reliever will always be better than who he is replacing. Why would you want to see him sooner?? Batting averages always go up after the second AB. The smart managers will stop letting opposing hitters ever get a third look at a pitcher in a single game.
True, but for me, it makes for a boring brand of baseball. That's all that matters.
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