In today’s MLB, pitching is no longer exclusively for pitchers. When there’s a significant score difference, we occasionally see position players take the mound to show off their hidden talents. This year, veteran Dodgers catcher Russell Martin, who appeared in four games as a pitcher, sparked considerable discussion. Martin pitched a total of four innings, giving up no runs and only two hits so far. In all four appearances, he served as the “closer” in the ninth inning. With Kenley Jansen not performing with his usual dominance, many jokingly called Russell Martin the Dodgers’ true ace closer.

In fact, position players coming in to pitch, once a rare sight, has gradually become a common occurrence on the baseball field. According to USA SPORTS TODAY statistics, the number of games featuring position players pitching has risen from 9 in 2010 to 65 in 2018. As of August 21st this year (US time), there have already been 78 such games across MLB.

2010~2019野手逐年投球場次
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Position Players Pitching: A Growing Trend

The reason for the increasing frequency of position players pitching is not hard to imagine. In today’s MLB, bullpen pitchers specialize in specific roles and often exit after facing just a few batters, leading to a greater overall consumption of pitchers. Furthermore, starting pitchers are throwing fewer innings; in 2010, MLB starters averaged 6 innings, but this year it’s down to just 5.2 innings. If any pitcher struggles during a game, the bullpen’s resources can quickly be depleted.

2010~2019先發投手逐年投球局數

Shrinking Innings for Starters

On August 16th (US time) this year, the Yankees lost to the Cleveland Indians by a significant margin of 5-19. In that game, the Yankees used an opener, Chad Green, who was shelled for 5 runs in just 0.1 innings before being pulled. Subsequent relievers continued to be mercilessly pounded by the Indians. After the eighth inning, Yankees manager Aaron Boone sent rookie first baseman Mike Ford to pitch, and it took him 42 pitches to finally end the game. After the game, Aaron Boone said:

If the score is that lopsided by the 7th inning, there should be some kind of incentive system, something the league could consider. Because putting position players on the mound to pitch is not fun, even if I think Ford or others might find some enjoyment in pitching.

Aaron Boone proposed the idea of a “mercy rule” to reporters. He believes that in situations with a significant deficit and a nearly hopeless game, managers should be able to wave the white flag and surrender, allowing them to prepare earlier for the next day’s game. Moreover, for the leading team, having scored so many runs, they should also receive appropriate recognition.

Brewers manager Craig Counsell echoed Boone’s idea, saying:

I don’t think it’s a bad idea. Really. We’d have to define the rules clearly to make sure it works properly……But if it’s a 19-5 game, I think everyone would agree there’s no need to play the ninth inning.

Coincidentally, Counsell’s own player, Jeremy Jeffress, was an unexpected dissenter:

I don’t think we’re Little Leaguers (Little League Baseball also has a mercy rule). Play the whole game.

In fact, MLB is drafting new rules for next year. In addition to expanding the mid-season roster to 26 players, allowing coaching staffs to bring one more player to the big leagues, it will also restrict position players to pitching only in special situations such as garbage time or extra innings. Two-way players will have separate regulations. This new system might alleviate the pitching burden on position players.

In response to MLB’s rule changes and the “Ohtani phenomenon,” a trend of two-way players has subtly emerged across teams. Besides Shohei Ohtani, the Angels also have Kaleb Cowart, Jared Walsh, Bo Way, William English, and other two-way players currently in development. Additionally, Reds player Michael Lorenzen, who recently achieved the “pitching win, home run, and position player” triple-crown record, and Rays player Brandon McKay, are also expected to become the next Shohei Ohtani.

Why the Controversy?

But returning to Aaron Boone’s question, why does position player pitching cause such a big controversy?

A major reason is the concern about injuries. For instance, Orioles infielder Hanser Alberto once mentioned he was afraid of being hit directly by a line drive while pitching. Conversely, some are not particularly worried. On July 26th (US time) this year, Orioles outfielder Stevie Wilkerson quietly recorded the first save by a position player in MLB history. In July alone, he contributed three pitching appearances for his team, one of which was even two innings long. After the game on July 26th, he said:

I’ve never been sore from it. Throwing those 55 mph slow pitches doesn’t put too much strain on my body.

My Take

Given the current situation, with the rise of scientific baseball, the specialization of bullpen roles is unstoppable, and thus an increased rate of pitcher consumption is inevitable. Position players will increasingly be needed to pitch in special situations like garbage time or extra innings. The 26-man roster system that MLB plans to implement will indeed give coaching staffs more flexibility to use bullpen pitchers, but its effect will still be limited.

From a fan’s perspective, as long as it doesn’t compromise position players’ health, their pitching appearances could add some talking points. However, as position player pitching becomes more frequent, it will only garner significant attention if it’s a highly respected and fan-favorite player taking the mound. For example, the author’s most memorable position player pitching appearance was Ichiro Suzuki’s relief outing for the Marlins in 2015. At that time, Ichiro was already a future Hall of Famer, and pitching on an MLB mound had always been his dream. His strong arm was well-known, which made his pitching appearance highly anticipated. Although Ichiro gave up one run in his one inning of pitching, it was still a memorable story that a respected future Hall of Famer successfully fulfilled his dream.

Of course, pitching is not a position player’s routine job. Objectively, position players are indeed more prone to injuries while pitching due to improper mechanics or incorrect force application, which is certainly not something teams or fans want to see. Therefore, I hope MLB will gradually adjust its rules in the future, allowing position players to continue contributing to their teams’ victories under safe conditions!

Main References:

Gabe Lacques. Garbage time, all the time: MLB sees historic spike in position players pitching. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2019/08/21/position-players-pitching-mlb-baseball/2067266001/

Other References:

Baseball Reference

Alden Gonzalez. The rise of the two-way player: Is next Ohtani already out there? ESPN. https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/26299937/the-rise-two-way-player-next-ohtani-already-there

Pete Caldera. What if Aaron Boone had option to surrender game instead of forcing Mike Ford to pitch? NorthJersey. https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/mlb/yankees/2019/08/16/what-if-aaron-boone-could-forfeit-game-instead-mike-ford-pitching/2035565001/

Video Sources:

Youtube. MLB.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGHTr5wG5d0

Youtube. Kersh22 Forever https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XLf3NmbXzc

MLB Official Website

Cover Image Source:

MLB官網 https://www.mlb.com/news/russell-martin-makes-history-on-the-mound