The game has changed dramatically since the 1970s. My favourite example is from 1979. In 1979, Phil Niekro lead the major leagues with 342 innings pitched. In

The game has changed dramatically since the 1970s. My favourite example is from 1979. In 1979, Phil Niekro lead the major leagues with 342 innings pitched. In 2025, Logan Webb lead the majors with 207 innings pitched. Modern pitchers throw about 2/3 the pitches that pre-80s pitchers threw. Part of this is player safety - baseball destroyed some amazing arms. And part of it is the fact that relievers today tend to throw 98+.