Is velocity becoming a new obsession for pitchers? In today’s era of baseball, the radar gun is marking a regime. Even experienced veterans like Chris Sale, whose career has seen the highs and lows of pitching at the top level, has expressed worries, suggesting the risky balancing dance between speed and durability.
Speed has transformed the pitching landscape. Eager to stand out, young athletes push their bodies to the edge in the quest for speed. What was once reserved for elite pros, high schoolers are now aiming to reach the upper 90s. This unending quest for speed, though, has a price. Now, what’s the price? Injuries—especially to the elbow and shoulder—are growing disturbingly frequent, sidelining young pitchers before they can completely fulfill their potential.
Players are paying attention. In the candid conversation with Mookie Betts, Sale gave an unfiltered answer. He said, “It is very similar to pitcher arms, where it’s like when you are young, you are strong and you have that ability, you can do it for a little while. And you might even be able to do it for quite a while like, but eventually, like it’s going to stop, and then you’ve got problems.”
He didn’t stop there, adding that even after returning from injury, it takes time to regain form. Sale highlighted it, “You come back and then that’s you know, never say after that, yeah, and it’s tough to learn how to pitch you know seven years in your career, you know as opposed to learning how to pitch and then gaining arm speed after that.”
It’s not the first time someone has acknowledged that high velocity is concerning. Did you forget the Rob Manfred take on it? In an interview, when asked how often the injuries happen in the game, he said, “I think pitching injuries may be one of the most difficult problems we have confronted. First of all, the game is getting taught in a way that emphasizes velocity and spin rate so that by the time we get guys, they’re already damaged goods. We know that.”
The debate about whether this speed-centric age is good or harmful for baseball is still developing. Speed brings excitement to the mound, but the growing incidence of pitching injuries calls into question sustainability. It is important to strike a balance between optimizing speed and prioritizing long-term health and skill development.
Sale now pitches for the Atlanta Braves, and when a pitcher of his stature addresses these issues, it carries weight. And his latest performance on the mound aligns perfectly with what he was talking about.
Chris Sale’s masterclass at Coors
The Braves’ recent 2-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field was a game of opposites. The pitching staff showed depth and promise, but the offense faltered, failing to hit a home run throughout the three-game series—an uncommon event at the hitter-friendly venue. But there was some silver lining. Notably, rookie AJ Smith-Shawver delivered his most impressive start on Tuesday, offering a glimpse of the Braves’ future rotation strength.
But Wednesday’s true highlight was Sale. He struck out 10 batters without a walk, giving only two runs on five hits over seven innings. This performance was unprecedented; Sale became the first pitcher at Coors Field to record ten or more strikeouts with no walks and yet, lose. Of his 10 strikeouts, eight came on 18 swings and misses out of 27 swings, with his slider being especially effective. His fastball speed also averaged 93.4 mph, topping 96.8 mph, suggesting a comeback. This is exactly what Sale was talking about in the recent conversation. Make sense, right?
When asked about his pitching, Sale gave a straight answer. “So I’d probably say there are three or four cues that I need to do delivery-wise, and I just wasn’t doing those early on,” he said. “Over the last couple starts, we’ve looked at video, done some analytic things, and even just looking at the numbers that are presented after outings and things like that, and just making these minor tweaks to try to get back to being successful.”
From a broader perspective, Sale’s 2025 season numbers show possibilities and obstacles. Along with 46 strikeouts in 35.1 innings thrown, he has a 1-3 record with a 4.84 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP over seven starts.
Sale’s latest performance offers hope that he can stabilize the rotation as the Braves navigate the season-especially important given the team’s early pitching depth issues.
The post Chris Sale Backs MLB Commisioner’s “Damaged Goods” Outcry with Brutally Honest Truth appeared first on EssentiallySports.
