Many in the baseball industry agree that the decreasing durability, and availability, of starting pitchers is a problem worth solving.
Few can reach consensus on the best solution.
Data published in May by The Athletic showed a dramatic decrease in the percentage of starts lasting six innings. In 2014, 63.5 percent of starts lasted six innings or longer. That percentage decreased each of the next five seasons, plummeted to 31.8 percent during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, then leveled off around 40 percent each of the last three years.
At the same time, the same report showed the percentage of innings thrown by starters never dipped below 65 percent until 2016. It hasn’t been above 65 percent since.
Speaking on a video call with the nonprofit Questions for Cancer, Manfred addressed why he feels this is a problem.
“The face that you see the most in a broadcast is the starting pitcher,” Manfred said on the video, published on Twitter/X by Foul Territory. “And the matchups of great starting pitchers historically have been important in terms of marketing the game, and I do think we need to get back to that.”
Manfred went on to suggest the best way to effect change is to restrict roster moves involving pitchers. Teams currently can — and do — send players back and forth between the minor leagues, or cut them from the major league roster entirely and expose them to free agency, in response to heavy workloads.
“I think we need to create incentives through things like roster rules, transaction rules, for clubs to develop pitchers who go deeper into games,” Manfred said, noting that he wouldn’t advocate a minimum-six-inning rule for pitchers.
Count one pitcher as skeptical of Manfred’s plan.
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman, a two-time All-Star, had a blunt response to the commissioner on his Twitter/X account Tuesday.
“Don’t believe a word this man says,” Gausman said. “Get ready for 6 innings you get to keep the DH, if not a fan hits in their spot.”
Gausman is obviously speaking in hyperbole, but his comments come on the heels of strenuous player objection to Manfred’s rules proposals.
A year ago, the four players on the Competition Committee objected to the latest round of rules changes — namely, reducing the pitch timer limit from 20 seconds to 18 seconds with runners on base. The players were outvoted and the changes went into effect.
It’s rare in any event for a player to speak that harshly about the commissioner, at least during a time of labor peace. Gausman, 33, likely feels he has more latitude to speak his mind than some of his peers. He’s a veteran of 12 seasons entering the fourth year of a five-year, $110 million contract with the Jays.
