Merrifield seeks changes for hit-by-pitches

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ATLANTA -- Whit Merrifield’s phone was filled with texts from position players and pitchers from across the league who wanted to thank him for speaking about the lack of repercussions pitchers face when hitting opposing batters, especially above the shoulders.

Merrifield’s rant came after he was hit behind the left ear by reliever Jeff Criswell’s 94.5 mph fastball during Tuesday night’s game against the Rockies. He passed concussion tests and a CT scan was clean. But the veteran infielder is among the many concerned that we could see a much different result during this high-velocity era.

“Teams are bringing pitchers up that don’t know where the [heck] the ball is going,” Merrifield said. “They throw 100 miles an hour. So they’re like, ‘We’ll see if they can get the guys out. Just set up down the middle and throw it as hard as you can.’ It’s [crap], and it’s driving me nuts. I hate where the game is at right now with that.”

Criswell’s pitch was thrown with absolutely no intent to hit Merrifield. Nor did the Angels’ Jack Kochanowicz have any ill will when he threw the 97.1 mph fastball that fractured Austin Riley’s right hand on Aug. 18. Criswell was making his seventh career appearance on Tuesday and Kochanowicz was making his fourth career start.

Everybody must start somewhere. But there’s concern that the infatuation with velocity has led to too many pitchers coming up through the ranks without proving they have sufficient command and control.

“From our coaching and player development and at the big league level, our focus is primarily on taking that stuff and commanding and controlling the baseball,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “So I know that’s our first priority. But there’s no doubt that there’s pitchers throughout the league, in the Major Leagues and the Minor Leagues, who are turning the ball loose at times with ... I don’t want to say intent, but the focus is more on stuff over command.”

From the time we were kids, many of us have argued with an older relative about how current players are throwing harder than the guys of yesteryear. You might have had a few outliers, but we are a species that continues to become bigger, faster and stronger.

So it shouldn’t be surprising to see just how much an average fastball velocity has changed over the past 17 seasons.

MLB’s average four-seam velocity
2008: 91.9 mph
2014: 92.8 mph
2024: 94.2 mph

There has also been a 36 percent increase in HBP totals over the past 14 seasons.

MLB’s hit-by-pitch totals since 1980
1980: 657 (2,105 games, 0.31 per game)
1990: 861 (2,105 games, 0.41 per game)
2000: 1,572 (2,429 games, 0.65 per game)
2010: 1,549 (2,430 games, 0.64 per game
2023: 2,112 (2,430 games, 0.87 per game)

What might be a suitable repercussion for pitchers who hit a batter above the shoulders with a fastball? Merrifield is part of the rules committee (six owners, four players and one umpire) that will discuss this issue.