"Natural human body is not meant to throw 95, 96, 97" - Blue Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt is concerned with growing emphasis on pitch velocity

Toronto Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt recently expressed his concerns over the trend of MLB pitchers pushing themselves to throw harder.

During an episode of the 'Chris Rose Sports' podcast, Bassitt shared his worries about the number of young and veteran players getting injured during the mid-season due to this trend, which can often cost them multiple games or even the whole season.

“Of course, injuries are going to happen at an alarming rate because you have a natural human body that's not made to say throw 95, 96, 97,” Bassitt said.

“I just think we have to get back and I think we have to start setting the precedent in MLB where we care about pitching rather than throwing.”

As a nine-year major league veteran, Bassitt knows the risks that come with higher velocity, especially when it comes to pitches over 95 mph, which significantly increases the chance of affecting the player's health.

Earlier this month, Dr. Keith Meister, the head physician for the Texas Rangers, also shared his concerns about the deteriorating health among pitchers as teams primarily focus on their performances.

“These front offices, unfortunately, are living more in the moment than taking a longer, broader-term view,” Meister said (via The Athletic). “There is a way to manage this. What if a guy doesn’t have a WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) of 0.8. What if he has a WHIP of 1.1 but he’s able to play 162?”

Several pitchers are on the IL ahead of Opening Day

The regular season will begin on Wednesday, with the Los Angeles Dodgers taking on the San Diego Padres in the Seoul Series. Most of the teams have confirmed their Opening Day starter or are in the process of announcing it.

Players are more or less ready to start their 2024 season. However, some franchise players will not be able to participate due to injury, delaying their start by weeks.

That list includes the reigning Cy Young winner, Gerrit Cole. After his phenomenal 2.63 ERA season last year and winning his first Cy Young Award, Cole was expected to lead the Yankees’ rotation this season.

Especially in a situation where the New York front office missed out on Dylan Cease and Corbin Burnes deals, with no progress on Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery’s negotiations, Cole was a ray of hope for the Yanks fans until the MRI reports came. He is expected to miss the initial months due to an elbow issue.

Joining him on the injured list is the Houston Astros All-Star Justin Verlander, who will start his season on the IL list and the Boston Red Sox’s Lucas Giolito, who will also miss the Opening Day and potentially the entire season.