MLB Pitchers Prioritize Velocity, Leading to Curveball Decline

Major League Baseball is going through a real shake-up in pitching philosophy. One of the most iconic pitches—the curveball—is paying the price.

This pitch used to be a marquee weapon for pitchers everywhere. Now, teams and coaches seem to care more about velocity and analytics than tradition.

In the past few years, pitchers have thrown the curveball over 20,000 times less each season. That’s not a small drop; it’s a sign of baseball’s relentless evolution, where power pitching keeps squeezing out finesse.

The Decline of the Curveball in Modern Baseball

The curveball, with its dramatic break and flair, used to be a staple for pitchers. But these days, you just don’t see it as much—especially with younger pitchers.

They’re all about fastballs and sliders now. There’s a reason for it: data shows that high-velocity pitches are a nightmare for hitters to track and hit.

Sure, the curveball can still make a hitter look silly. But in a sport obsessed with analytics, it just doesn’t compete with pitches that consistently force weak contact.

Why Analytics Favor Velocity Over Variety

Baseball’s modern era is ruled by data-driven decisions, especially when it comes to pitching. Coaches push pitchers to throw harder, convinced that a 98 MPH fastball does more damage than a beautifully placed curve.

Sliders, too, have become the go-to partner for those heaters. Their sharp, horizontal movement throws hitters off, in ways the curveball just can’t match anymore.

• Strikeouts Are King: Analytics have made strikeouts the gold standard, way more valuable than just getting a ground ball or a pop fly.
• Weak Contact as a Focus: Fastballs and sliders are great at making hitters mis-hit the ball, which just cements their place in the modern game.
• Pitch Design Training: Teams pour resources into tech to help pitchers fine-tune their fastballs and sliders, often leaving other pitches behind.

Impact on Player Development

This trend has a big impact on how teams train pitchers. Young athletes coming up through the ranks get told to chase velocity above everything else.

Instead of working on the curveball’s tricky grip, wrist snap, and timing, they spend their time building power. The end result? Pitchers rely more on fastball-slider combos, and you just don’t see the same variety that older generations brought to the mound.

How Veteran Players View the Curveball’s Diminished Role

Some folks love the efficiency of power pitching. But a lot of veteran players and coaches feel real disappointment about the curveball’s fading role.

To them, it’s more than just a pitch—it’s an art form, a symbol of baseball’s creativity and strategy. Legends like Sandy Koufax and Bert Blyleven made their names with the curveball. It’s tough for traditionalists to watch that legacy fade.

Still, when you look at how obsessed the league is with technology and data, it’s no surprise that even the game’s oldest traditions get questioned—or tossed aside. Change seems inevitable, but it’s bittersweet for those who loved watching a perfect curveball drop out of the sky.

Where Does Baseball Go From Here?

The curveball isn’t extinct. It’s still a weapon for pitchers who know how to use it well.

But you can’t ignore how its role has shrunk. Baseball keeps changing, chasing efficiency and effectiveness at every turn.

Teams now lean into advanced metrics. Pitching velocity dominates scouting reports, and the debate about tradition versus progress only gets louder.

So, what’s next? Maybe someone will try to bring the curveball back with fresh data showing off its quirks.

Or maybe it’ll just stay a relic of the past, tucked away in highlight reels. Baseball never really stops evolving, does it?

Fans and players keep wrestling with how much to hold onto tradition and when to let it go. The curveball’s fading spotlight? It’s just one more reminder that nothing in this game stands still for long.

 
Here is the source article for this story: As pitchers chase higher velocity, the curveball is disappearing from MLB