Is this the year of the pitcher?

[QuinlansMinion]

I havent looked that in depth in all the stats but it seems like there are a ton of guys with era's below 3 this year.  And this year having an era in the 3.1 to 3.5 range doesnt seem that great or special.  The A's have 3 or 4 guys on ther rotation alone with era's well under 3.  Is hitting a lost art now?

[Brandon]

Year of the season ending injury for them.

[stevestevens]

The steroid era is coming to an end, power bullpens, shifts, and other things

[laagamer]

Haven't you noticed that 50 HR guys are harder to come by now...

[Hollyw00d]

Using steroids is becoming a lost art.

[QuinlansMinion]

Haven't you noticed that 50 HR guys are harder to come by now...

50 hrs?  Just an .800 OPS guy is hard to come by.  

[Angel Oracle]

Bullpens are definitely for the most part deeper than ever.

 

Detroit looks average there, compared to the other contenders. 

[Inside Pitch]

The increase in defensive shifts has probably impacted offense more than anything else..

[Ohtaniland]

Haven't you noticed that 50 HR guys are harder to come by now...

It's global warming. It has nothing to do with what Jack Clark has to say.

[Reveille1984]

They need to let 3 players per team take steroids.  Bring that Sosa/McGwire excitement back!

[mancini79]

I would go with 2012. 7 no-hitters thrown.

 

This year TJ casualties:
Sean Burnett

AJ Griffin

Jarrod Parker

Kris Medlen

Bronson Arroyo

Patrick Corbin

Jose Fernandez

Matt Moore

Tyler Chatwood

Luke Hochevar

Ivan Nova

[YouthofToday]

MLB needs to seriously consider lowering the mound. Not only would this increase offense it would reduce the stress pitchers, in aggregate, would be under physically.

[Inside Pitch]

MLB needs to seriously consider lowering the mound. Not only would this increase offense it would reduce the stress pitchers, in aggregate, would be under physically.

 

Lowering the mound would likely result in an increase in injuries, not a reduction.

 

The slider, long considered an arm killer was a seldom used pitch until the lowering of the mound.  With pitchers needing to try to keep the ball down and looking to create downforce more and more pitchers started to throw the slider and injuries started to skyrocket.   If MLB is really concerned about the lack of offense then maybe limiting defensive shifts might be a better option than lowering the mound even more.

 

I know people like slugfests and offense in general but I think baseball will adjust.   Hitters are still working with the mindset that Ks are no big deal.  My guess is that will start to change and that speed will continue to work it's way back into the game should pitching continue to dominate.

[Angel Oracle]

Personally, I like it the way it is now, minus the increasing TJ surgeries.

The 1965-1968 period had too little offense, and the 1994-2006 period had too much offense.

The 5-3, 4-3 type games attract my interest the most; where there's a balance between clutch hitting and pitching.

Obviously, having this bullpen makes me want to write bad checks.

[YouthofToday]

While more research needs to be done here is a good study that lowering the mound might reduce injuries -> science20.com/news_articles/lower_pitchers_mound_will_reduce_baseball_injuries_study

Eliminating shifts is a terrible idea.

[Inside Pitch]

While more research needs to be done here is a good study that lowering the mound might reduce injuries -> science20.com/news_articles/lower_pitchers_mound_will_reduce_baseball_injuries_study

Eliminating shifts is a terrible idea.

 

I'd rather they keep shit as is it.   I like the shifts, I like pitcher's duels, the whole lack of offense argument going around in the media and among fans leaves me cold.

 

I read that article (thanks for sharing that). I've read many others that show a distinct rise of injuries post 1968 in connection with the rise of sliders.  Here's a FG article on the impact of heavy use of breaking balls and injuries http://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/curve-ball-and-slider-pitchers-and-the-dl/   Here is another on sliders http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/too-many-sliders/   

 

 

I've never really tried throwing on flat ground off a rubber, just seems like it would require more effort to get the ball going as hard.  It would be neat to see MLB actually do some sort of test study using washout college pitchers over a legit length of time to see if anything tangible arises.  

[Hollyw00d]

Less offense = closer games = more important ABs = more excitement

there's nothing more boring in baseball than a blowout