By Jonathan Massey –
In a world enamored with metrics like velocity, spin rate, induced vertical break, and countless other markers, let me give you some numbers that truly matter:
Of the 86 pitchers in the Hall of Fame, only two, John Smoltz and Billy Wagner, have ever undergone a UCL reconstruction, or “Tommy John surgery.” I fully expect that number to creep up as the years go on (Justin Verlander will be the third, in my opinion). But even among the sure-bet Hall of Famers of the 2010s, Verlander, Kershaw, and Scherzer, only one underwent Tommy John surgery.
Of those same 86 pitchers, only one, Bruce Sutter, required rotator cuff surgery. I’d be willing to accept that number could be three, since both Clemens and Schilling put up Hall of Fame numbers and had rotator cuff surgeries. However, as it stands, neither one is currently in the Hall of Fame.
Of the 86 pitchers, only one, Trevor Hoffman, ever had shoulder labrum surgery. In full transparency, Smoltz also had shoulder labrum surgery, but he never made it back to the big leagues afterward, and it effectively ended his career.
I understand why players are fascinated with trying to improve metrics like velocity or swing-and-miss percentage. These numbers can be barriers to entry to the next level.
At the end of the day, what these numbers should tell you is that greatness is built on a foundation of arm health and durability.
In closing, I often hear from young players that getting Tommy John surgery is no big deal and that they’ll “come back better than ever.” While it’s true that TJ surgery has about an 80% success rate, there’s still a meaningful chance that a player will not return to the same level of performance. There is also a mixed verdict on whether those who do come back are better than they were before surgery.
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Important TBR Updates
- Attention Catchers! Our annual Elite Catcher’s Boot Camp will be held December 11th – 13th. Registration is now open. CLICK HERE to learn more and reserve your spot. $500 Early Bird savings available.
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- Have you been considering attending one of our 3-Day Elite Pitchers Bootcamp but haven’t yet pulled the trigger? To help, we have a detailed mailing package entitled “What Makes This Boot Camp Different”. If you’d like to receive this package and start making plans for the summer, email Info@TexasBaseballRanch.com and request a copy.
- Coach Wolforth is hosting a special 90 minute webinar – “The Velocity Code: 3 Secrets to Improving Velocity and Staying Healthy” on Thursdays at 7pm CST. If you’d like to attend the next webinar, CLICK HERE to register.
