Great article. Among other things, it says:
Rob Friedman, a.k.a. the Pitching Ninja . . . posted a compilation of every pitch in 2023 thrown over the middle of the plate that clocked 102 mph or above—27 in total. Only two resulted in hits. “It’s very hard to hit a very hard fastball, even if it’s right down the middle,” he told me. “That’s why pitchers do it, and I don’t think it’s going to change.” . . . .
Minor leaguers who throw 100 mph but can’t keep it over the plate are far more prized than prospects with elite control who top out at 93 mph. If playing in the big leagues requires pushing your elbow beyond its breaking point, plenty of people will make that deal. . . . .
Maybe it’s not just the speed of the pitches but also the shape of them. Today’s athletes are throwing pitches commonly referred to as “off-speed”—sliders, sinkers, sweepers, which break sideways like a broom—as hard as they can. “Guys are trying to sweep the ball, carry the ball, sink the ball, throw depthy curve balls, pronate changeups,” Zombro told me. “Would I say, ‘Are guys throwing too hard?’ No. Guys throwing hard and trying to manipulate the ball in a ton of different ways? That certainly could be a risk factor.”