Unhittable: The New Era of Baseball Pitching Dominance
Rob Friedman, widely known as PitchingNinja, believes Nolan McLean represents one of the most talented young pitchers in baseball today. This perspective comes from Friedman's deep analysis of the sport's evolution, detailed in his new book Unhittable: How Technology, Mavericks and Innovators Engineered Baseball's New Era of Pitching Dominance. The work explores how technological advances and unconventional thinkers have fundamentally changed pitching, making today's hurlers more dominant than ever before.
From Bob Feller to Modern Velocity Standards
In 1940, Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller participated in a publicity stunt that pitted his fastball against a motorcycle. Feller's pitch won decisively, demonstrating what was then considered remarkable speed. Today, however, Feller's once-extraordinary velocity has become commonplace as major league pitchers routinely surpass triple digits on radar guns. This dramatic shift represents more than just stronger athletes; it reflects a fundamental transformation in how pitchers develop their skills through analytics and technology.
The modern pitching revolution tracks performance through sophisticated methods including heat maps, slow-motion cameras, and artificial intelligence. Analysts now use previously unheard-of terminology like "Seam-Shifted Wake" to describe pitching phenomena that defy traditional understanding. Statistics gurus seek to quantify not just velocity but the precise accuracy of how pitchers deliver the ball to the plate.
The Analytics Revolution in Player Development
"It's really changed through the years," Friedman explains. "Baseball used to be more focused on guys who were farm-strong but never lifted weights. There was this idea that you could not teach people how to throw hard—you were either born with it or you couldn't do it." Today, he emphasizes that "technology brings out the best in everybody," democratizing pitching excellence beyond natural talent alone.
Pitchers who have embraced this analytical approach include last year's National League Cy Young winner, Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Friedman is particularly enthusiastic about another emerging star, Nolan McLean of the New York Mets. "My favorite guy to watch is lesser-known," Friedman says of McLean. "His stuff is absolutely nasty. I was happy that in the World Baseball Classic, the world got to see the movement of his stuff. He's extraordinary, off-the-charts."
Historical Context and Modern Implications
The book raises important questions about whether today's pitching dominance represents a return to 1968, when Denny McLain achieved a remarkable 31-4 record for the world champion Detroit Tigers, and Carl Yastrzemski led the American League with a .301 batting average. Friedman addresses whether the current game has become too pitcher-friendly, though he acknowledges his bias as PitchingNinja. "I love nasty pitching," he admits, describing baseball as "the only sport in which the guy with the ball is technically on defense. The pitcher really is on offense. Guys will be reacting to what the pitchers do."
In the modern game, Friedman observes, "I do think pitchers have a big advantage. The question is, do fans want it the way it is?" This advantage comes with physical costs, as illustrated by Hall of Famer Bob Gibson's description of throwing 100 mph: "Everything hurts. Even your ass hurts. I see pictures of my face and say, 'Holy shit,' but that's the strain you feel when you throw."
Injury Concerns and Alternative Approaches
With pitcher injuries on the rise, Friedman considers whether the emphasis on maximum velocity contributes to these problems. While acknowledging there's "no agreement on why injuries happen," he compares pitching to driving a race car: "You drive fast enough, you lose control. At some point, things break." He notes that even elite pitchers like Paul Skenes have adjusted their approach, lowering velocity from 102 mph to 99 mph while maintaining effectiveness.
Beyond pure velocity, Friedman emphasizes that pitchers can develop their arsenal through techniques like tunneling—creating multiple pitches that begin similarly before breaking in different directions. This strategic approach represents the sophisticated thinking that characterizes modern pitching development.
Unconventional Paths to Baseball Influence
Friedman's own journey illustrates how non-traditional backgrounds can impact baseball. Before becoming PitchingNinja, he practiced law. His social media account gained such traction that he once interrupted dinner with his wife to respond to a direct message from five-time All-Star Yu Darvish. Similarly, Daren Willman first shared pitching analytics while working in software at a district attorney's office in Texas before creating Baseball Savant and eventually working for MLB and the Texas Rangers.
"You don't have to formally be in baseball or be a great baseball player to have an impact on the sport," Friedman notes, highlighting how outsider perspectives have driven innovation.
Historical Pioneers and Modern Case Studies
The book credits Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan with pioneering weight training when most pitchers considered it detrimental. "I don't think he gets enough credit," Friedman says, noting that Ryan "was one of the first to take to it, lifting throughout the season, which was maybe unique." Ryan's career coincided with the beginning of baseball's technological revolution, as computers enabled the digitization of pitching data.
Friedman identifies Trevor Bauer as a more recent catalyst for analytics-minded pitching, despite Bauer's off-field controversies. "He was not naturally talented," Friedman observes. "He was the poster child for that time period. He engineered himself into being a baseball player using available technology. I think he's a good case study, a bridge to what we see today."
Bridging the Analytics-Tradition Divide
Reflecting on the ongoing tension between analytics and traditional baseball knowledge, Friedman recognizes valid perspectives on both sides. "Players with no formal engineering background, who always played and were good, might ask, 'Why are these weenies who can't even pitch trying to tell me how to pitch, play, coach?'" he acknowledges. "It goes both ways. Sometimes really smart people criticize players for not being open-minded. I don't know if either side's right. There needs to be a bridge to talk to everyone. All analytics are is more information."
This balanced perspective captures the essence of baseball's pitching revolution—a transformation driven by technology and unconventional thinkers that has created unprecedented pitching dominance while raising important questions about the sport's future direction and fan experience.
