Do you ever ask yourself …
How many pitches should my son throw in a game? I’m worried that his coach is overusing him.
How many days of rest should I take before I pitch again? I’m not sure I’m getting enough recovery.
One of my missions is to extend the career of all pitchers. This mission is shared by the USA Baseball Medical and Safety Advisory Committee. Their objective is to provide guidelines that are scientifically-based to reduce the risk of injury and maximize the younger player’s ability to perform and advance to higher levels. Because research has shown that there is a direct relationship between the number of pitches thrown and the risk of shoulder and elbow pain (Lyman, 2002), the following numbers are recommended:
Maximum Number of Pitches
| Age | Maximum Pitches/Game | Maximum Games/Week |
| 8-10 | 50 | 2 |
| 11-12 | 65 | 2 |
| 13-14 | 75 | 2 |
| 15-16 | 90 | 2 |
| 17-18 | 105 | 2 |
Minimum Rest after Pitching
| Number of Pitches | ||||
| Age | 1 Day of Rest | 2 Days of Rest | 3 Days of Rest | 4 Days of Rest |
| 8-10 | 20 | 35 | 45 | 50 |
| 11-12 | 25 | 35 | 55 | 60 |
| 13-14 | 30 | 35 | 55 | 70 |
| 15-16 | 30 | 40 | 60 | 80 |
| 17-18 | 30 | 40 | 60 | 80 |
The actual answers to your questions, however, is more than the information that has been offered by the scientists and baseball professionals. In my work, the pitcher and his personal characteristics play and important part in answering there questions.