Stanford Pitcher Quinn Mathews,Who Threw Controversial 156-Pitch Complete Game Is An Expert On Tommy John Injury Risk
It is not uncommon for college baseball pitchers to go much deeper into games during the postseason than they would during the regular season, but Stanford, head coach David Esquer, and pitching coach Thomas Eager are getting some heat for how they managed ace Quinn Mathews on Sunday night. He threw 156 pitches.
At the end of the day, he knows more about the risk of Tommy John injury than his haters.
Mathews has been the ace for the Cardinal all year. The 6-foot-5, 188-pound senior is one of the most unique and interesting characters in the sport and boasts a team-leading 3.60 ERA with 152 strikeouts and 39 walks in 120 innings in 2023.
Stanford won 10 of his 17 starts and 38 games in total en route to earning the No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament. On Sunday, as the Cardinal faced a win-or-go-home situation, Mathews was on the bump. His performance was one for the ages.
Mathews struck out 16 (!!) batters over the course of nine innings and carried Stanford to an 8-3 victory over Texas to force a Super Regional Game 3 on Monday. He threw 156 pitches during a complete game.
With an increase of elbow injuries amongst pitchers in the last few decades, and Tommy John surgeries becoming more frequent, the debate about pitch count is deafening. At what point should a coach protect his pitcher from future issues down the road? Was 156 pitches too many?
Southern Miss' Tanner Hall was at the center of debate last weekend.
Johns Hopkins ace Gabe Romano shut down Keith Law on Thursday.
Now it is Stanford's ace.
Cardinal pitching coach Thomas Eager came out to discuss the situation with Mathews after he allowed a single on his 150th pitch on Sunday night.
"Let's have an adult conversation," Eager said.
"I'm getting this kid out," Mathews replied before walking away from Eager.
Sure enough, that's exactly what he did.
Mathews made it abundantly clear after the game that he was not going to come out.
As soon as the game ended, the controversy began. There was a lot of concern for, and plenty of jokes about Quinn Mathews' elbow.
Though most of the conversation was negative, there are arguments to be made on Mathews' behalf.
Quinn Mathews knows more than most.
Mathews attends Stanford University. He's a smart guy.
In fact, as the Cardinal prepared to host a Regional on June 2, Mathews gave a final presentation on "Alternatives to Tommy John Surgery." Later that day, he threw 114 pitches.
Three days later, Mathews wanted the ball in an elimination game. His head coach made him ask his parents if it was okay if their son pitched again. He ended up playing a crucial role in the win.
To give him proper rest after throwing on Monday, Esquer would not let his ace throw again in Game 1 of the Super Regional on Saturday. Even as his team started to give away a big lead.
Thus, it was Mathews who started Sunday. He threw 156 pitches in a win and said after the game that he could "get three more outs" on Monday.
All of this goes to say that Mathews throwing 156 pitches is a lot. There is a debate to be had about whether it was right or wrong.
However, if anyone knows about the potential consequences of throwing in that manner, it is probably the guy who studied Tommy John at Stanford. That would be Mathews.