The Pitching Injury Problem, Catching Targets, Altering Pitch Shapes & Slider/Sweeper Deep-Dive

Eno, Trevor, and DVR discuss Eno's co-authored story with Ken Rosenthal about the ongoing concern regarding pitcher injuries as velocity and breaking ball usage continues to increase. Plus, they examine the Rays' use of a relatively simple approach to maximize the effectiveness of their pitchers, and how some pitchers like the Cubs' Justin Steele alter the shape of a smaller arsenal to keep hitters off-balance. Finally, they wrap up the show with the deep dive into the slider and sweeper and a few listener/viewer questions. Rundown 0:58 The Neverending Quest to Reduce Pitcher Injuries (Related reading -- Eno's story with Ken Rosenthal ($) https://theathletic.com/5325032/) 17:24 Catcher Targets & How the Rays Simplify Their Pitching Plans (Related reading -- Chad Jennings' story on the Rays' pitching development ($) https://theathletic.com/5318763/) 28:22 Altering Pitch Shapes to Increase a Small Arsenal (Related reading -- Sahadev Sharma on Justin Steele's ability to change the shape of his 'two' main pitches ($) https://theathletic.com/5311112) 41:43 Deep Dive: Sliders & Sweepers 53:32 Viewer + Listener Q&A 58:01 Joey Votto Signs with the Blue Jays Follow Eno on Twitter: @enosarris Follow Trevor on Twitter: @IamTrevorMay Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper e-mail: ratesandbarrels@theathletic.com Join us on Fridays at 1p ET/10a PT for our livestream episodes! Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe Please fill out a quick survey to share your podcast habits with us by going to theathletic.com/survey24. Three lucky entries will win $100 worth of Amazon vouchers! Subscribe to The Athletic for just $2/month for the first year: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices