Pitch Count

Overview

Pitch count is the total number of pitches thrown in a game, serving as the most fundamental metric for managing pitcher fatigue and injury risk. In NPB, an increasing number of teams set starter pitch limits around 100, a dramatic shift from the former complete-game ethos. Kazuhisa Inao's 404 innings in 1961 would be unthinkable today. While pitch limits have proven effective in preventing injuries, they create a side effect of increased bullpen workload from earlier starter exits. High school baseball introduced a 500-pitch weekly limit in 2019, institutionalizing pitcher health management. Pitches per inning serves as an efficiency metric, with 15 or fewer considered efficient.