While presumptive first-overall pick left-hander Kade Anderson helped LSU win the College World Series, one analyst does not seem to take issue with his pitch count.
The act of pitching itself is not a natural one. No one grows up picking up a ball for the first time, making it spin, move, and dart, seemingly at will. It takes time and an extraordinary amount of work to become an MLB hurler.
Meanwhile, the prospect needs to throw at every level, including high school and, occasionally, college. Pitching that much can give a pitcher a lot of wear and tear.
In order to curb a pitcher getting injured while promoting arm health, teams and leagues promote pitch limits to save those valuable arms. At the same time, the old-school mentality emerges to shake their fist at modernity.
LHP Kade Anderson’s Pitch Count Draws Praise from MLB Analyst; Hopes for More
With the 2025 MLB Draft quickly approaching, prospects’ hopes begin to clear up. Anderson’s name usually surfaces as the presumptive No. 1 overall pick. The 6’2″, 179-pound ace from Slidell, Louisiana, led the Tigers to a national championship over Coastal Carolina. Going 16-3 with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.169 WHIP, the southpaw also struck out 239 batters and walked 55.
Featuring a mid-90s fastball along with a slider, change, and curveball, Anderson looks to keep batters guessing. On the strength of his 130-pitch closing-game outing, LSU claimed its eighth NCAA baseball title. While most around the sport winced at seeing Anderson throw that many pitches, MLB analyst and former All-Star catcher A.J. Pierzynski sees the matter completely different.
“Let the kid pitch, PLEASE.”@AJPierzynski12 is PRAYING the team that drafts Kade Anderson doesn’t strictly limit him after his 130-pitch outing for LSU. pic.twitter.com/oVWWxx2VwO
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) June 23, 2025
“This guy just dominated for 130,” Pierzynski said on “Foul Territory.” “And his last pitch was as hard as his first pitch. Let the kid pitch, please. When we get to the minor leagues, let this kid pitch. He can do it. Paul Skenes did it. They proved they can do it. Let him go”
In all honesty, what organization would draft a pitcher with the No. 1 overall pick and let him travel through the minors, wasting triple-digit outings in Single-A ball? No MLB executive might sign off on letting a million-dollar investment do something just because he can.
Also, Skenes pitched just 27 1/3 innings in the minors. He dominates because the Pittsburgh Pirates knew to rest his arm as he was either going to be the long-term ace or a commodity that they would fleece a contender with in a trade.
Pierzynski forgets the three-word phrase that pitchers fear: Tommy John surgery. According to injury analyst Jon Roegele, since the surgery’s namesake, former MLB pitcher Tommy John, underwent ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, 2,598 of those surgeries took place involving major/minor league players.
Meanwhile, Roegele states that another 17 players also could’ve undergone the procedure. Dr. Keith Meister, the Texas Rangers’ team physician, performed the last four Tommy John surgeries. Jake Cousins, a New York Yankees right-handed pitcher in A-ball, underwent the surgery on June 18.
Stating that Anderson needs to run through the minors throwing 100-plus pitches could get him hurt and executives fired. Baseball is a business, and athletes are brands. Front offices and players will not do anything to risk a future star. To suggest otherwise doesn’t make sense.