The Most Dangerous Drug in Baseball: Numb-ers
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You can spot athletes who are hooked on them by their vacant stare—a thousand-yard gaze that makes you wonder if anyone’s home. They're the ones who are addicted to the latest trend, the newest form of control. What’s the drug causing this mental fog? Numbers. With prescriptions being handed out more than ever before—often without a proper dose—we’re seeing a troubling decline in a pitcher’s ability to actually pitch.
Numbers, as their name suggests, are designed to numb. They reduce the spirit, dull the drive, and cloud the mind. When abused—especially in high doses or mixed with other analytical terms—the results can be disastrous, both for the athlete and the team. Once a player gets hooked on numbers, they go searching for external fixes—weighted balls, tubing, cuff weights, shoulder rods, and any new gadget promising to add more “units” to their ever-growing tally.
Numbers don’t just affect physical training—they can alter the mental software that guides a pitcher’s approach to the game. It’s not that numbers don’t have value—small doses can help some players. The problem arises when pitchers rely on offseason number-chasing in the heat of competition. That’s when the addiction takes hold and begins to spread. It turns toxic, not only for the individual but for the team too. When a player prioritizes numbers over the game itself, they’re deep into the grip of addiction.
The rise of analytics has made controlling the prescription of numbers more difficult than ever. Players are bombarded with more data than they can process, leading many to overdose on metrics like velocity and spin rate. The result? An obsession with numbers that overshadows actual pitch development. Athletes become more focused on satisfying their number cravings than honing their craft, making them less reliable in competition.
Each year brings a new cocktail of numb-ers, often formulated by large organizations, forcing players to buy into the hype once they’re inside. While numbers can reveal an athlete’s strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies, they’re not a one-size-fits-all solution. The side effects of too much data can include, but are not limited to: lack of competitive fire, mental fatigue, loss of feel, emotional outbursts, and inconsistent performances.
If you or someone you know is experiencing these symptoms, it’s time to stop taking the numbers and seek professional help. If the person prescribing the numbers is the same one who’s causing the problem, it’s time for a second opinion.