MLB Launches 'Pitch Smart' Initiative to Prevent Overuse and Injuries for Youth

Coming off a 2014 season that was largely defined by injuries to pitchers, Major League Baseball has established a new "Pitch Smart" initiative to help prevent young people from getting hurt.

The thesis of the project, which can be found on MLB's website, is that there are tactics players, coaches, parents and others can follow that will help pitchers avoid overusing their arms, thus enabling them to perform at a high level throughout their careers.        

Included in the Pitch Smart release are pitching guidelines, risk factors and frequently asked questions about Tommy John surgery. The initiative was put together by a group of 12 experts, headlined by renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews, who often performs elbow reconstruction operations for baseball players. 

The most useful part of Pitch Smart is the pitching guidelines set forth. It includes a table for the maximum number of pitches per game for players at various ages, starting at seven years old and going through 18, and the amount of rest required depending on how many pitches were thrown. 

Age	Max Pitches
7-8	50
9-10	75
11-12	85
13-14	95
15-16	95
17-18	105

There is also an outline for these pitch counts and rest included on the website:

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Each organization—whether it be a league, travel team, showcase or tournament—should establish rules to ensure that players must follow the guidelines while playing in that league. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the parent and the athlete to ensure that the player follows the guidelines for his age group over the course of a year — given that he will oftentimes play in multiple leagues with different affiliations covering different times of the year.

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This chart follows a similar line to what the Little League World Series utilizes. Per LittleLeague.org, pitch counts are 75 for ages 9-10, 85 for ages 11-12 and 95 for ages 13-14. It also requires a certain number of days off depending on the number of pitches thrown. 

For instance, if a pitcher throws between 36-50 pitches in a game, he or she is required to take two consecutive days off. 

University of Missouri's baseball team doctor Aaron Gray tweeted out his support for MLB's new program:

It's a positive step for Major League Baseball to take, especially in light of all the high-profile pitchers we saw go under the knife over the last 12 months.

There's more work to be done, but at least MLB is being proactive about confronting injuries to hurlers, especially at the youth level.