MLB Commissioner Manfred on Incentivizing Starters to Pitch Longer

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred recently discussed the league’s stance on implementing minimum inning requirements for starting pitchers during a podcast appearance on Chris O'Gorman's Questions for Cancer Research website. Manfred downplayed the possibility of such a rule, suggesting instead that MLB could incentivize teams to encourage their starters to pitch deeper into games by adjusting transaction rules.

Manfred emphasized that a blunt instrument like a minimum inning requirement wouldn't effectively address the issue. Instead, he pointed out that both the injury problem and the shift in pitching strategy are serious concerns. "Our physicians have studied this carefully and continue to believe that the focus on velocity and spin rate is a specific cause of the increase of injuries," Manfred noted.

He acknowledged the historical importance of starting pitchers in the game's narrative and marketing, which makes the league's desire for longer outings understandable. "The starting pitcher has always been the face of the game," Manfred remarked, adding that media coverage often focuses on starters.

One potential solution Manfred introduced involves changing the transaction rules. Currently, a pitcher who works multiple days in a row might be outrighted and replaced temporarily, allowing him rest. Manfred suggested creating incentives through roster and transaction rules to encourage the development of pitchers who can go deeper into games. "But I don't think it can be prescriptive: 'You have to go six innings.' It has to be a series of rules that create incentive for the clubs to develop pitchers of a certain type."

Over the years, MLB's innings-per-start rate has declined from 6.3 in 1984 to 5.2 in 2024, reflecting a trend towards greater reliance on bullpen usage. The league sees starting pitchers as a crucial element for both narrative and promotional purposes, which is why it prefers traditional deployment over using several relievers for shorter stints.

Various solutions have been proposed to address this trend. One idea is the "Double Hook" concept, experimented with in the independent Atlantic League, which ties a team's designated hitter slot to their starting pitcher's presence. However, Manfred indicated that focusing on roster rules is the preferred approach.