"Due to the ubiquity of pitching injury, the number of durable starters is dwindling: In 2015, 66 starters made at least 30 starts, 28 completed at least 200 innings, and the top 150ish starters by innings had at least 80ish innings. In 2025, 53 starters made at least 30 starts, but only three completed at least 200 innings, and the top 150ish starters included over a dozen with fewer than 80 frames completed."
"In addition to injury, teams are trying to be proactive with load management (extra rest), and loading up rotations in a way that tries to avoid regular season wear-and-tear in favor of boosts down the stretch and in the playoffs. There are also various headwinds-esque things like recognition of the times through the order penalty, the will-they-won't-they flirtation with openers and bulk guys,"
Durable starting pitchers are becoming rarer as injuries and workload management reduce individual innings totals and complete starts. Comparative data from 2015 to 2025 shows fewer pitchers reaching traditional thresholds like 30 starts or 200 innings, and many top starters now log under 80 innings. Teams proactively rest pitchers, expand rotations, and prioritize postseason availability over regular-season wear. Tactical shifts such as openers, bulk relievers, and attention to times-through-the-order effects alter starter usage. Front offices cycle speculative arms based on competitive odds, while league proposals to enforce traditional starter roles would clash with current health and strategy incentives.
Read at Battery Power
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]