Tvan wrote:
Man, that's too bad. The Nats just can't seem to catch a break. If his delivery is prone to injury, why didn't the pitching coaches start working on a change right away, instead of waiting until he was injured?
well, i think that particular arm motion is probably a reason why his fastball is heavy and why his breaking pitches break more. thats how i pitch too, and after about 10 sliders, i feel like my elbow is ready to fall off. or i wish it would.
heres some read:
The “Inverted W”: Lastly, but most importantly, are the mechanical questions in regards to his delivery. This is where Mark Prior’s name comes in. Prior, much like Strasburg, was one of the most highly touted pitching prospects of the past twenty years. However, these two pitchers share another alarming similarity, and it’s known as the “Inverted W.” It has been said that Strasburg’s delivery is heavily influenced by Prior’s as it is remarkably similar. The “Inverted W” is the way the arms appear in the form of a W while addressing the plate prior to the release of a pitch. While this isn’t necessarily a negative 100% of the time, it does result in extra pressure on the elbow and often causes a pitcher to rush his delivery. This makes Strasburg a high injury risk. This could also be the reasoning behind his tendency to elevate his fastball from time to time.
MLB prospects remain one of the most difficult to accurately project in all of sports, and the pitcher position is the toughest of all. There’s no telling what kind of career Strasburg will experience. Most believe he can have the immediate impact of someone such as David Price, others (such as myself) see his career following the path of a Mark Prior. Best-case scenario in my eyes is a John Smoltz type career, someone who is dominant when healthy, but will continually struggle with elbow/shoulder problems.
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