Imagine one of those crime shows in which detectives have rigged a board with photos, names, mug shots, maps and sticky notes. A web of string wrapped around pushpins provides a visual connection between otherwise disparate clues.
Now try that exercise with pitching events in the past week. Stephen Strasburg retires. Johan Oviedo throws a 112-pitch complete game. Jordan Wicks makes his major league debut without ever having thrown 90 pitches in a professional game. Tony Gonsolin needs elbow surgery. Kyle Harrison becomes the youngest Giant to strike out 11 batters just two games into his big league career.
Stand back from the board, and this is what the web of string reveals: Teams keep asking for less and less work from young starting pitchers. And the strategy is not producing better results.
