Velocity vs. Injury: Is a 10% Gain Worth a 25% Risk?
Velocity programs are everywhere in American baseball—but at what cost? In this Sore to Soaring Podcast episode, Coach Leo Young and Dr. Jason Zaremski (UF Health Sports Medicine) explore the growing obsession with throwing harder and contrast it with the Japanese baseball culture, where respect and long-term development still take priority. The question is simple: how much risk would you take for more speed? Velocity vs. Injury: Is a 10% Gain Worth a 25% Risk? Velocity sells. It’s how pitchers get noticed, move up levels, and get recruited. But it also comes with a price—sometimes a catastrophic one. Coach Leo Young and Dr. Jason Zaremski, MD, dive into the growing use of velocity and weighted ball programs in the U.S. and share why Japan’s top athletes aren’t even aware of them. If you could participate in a program that increased your velocity by 10%, but came with a 25% chance of catastrophic injury, would you do it? Drop your answer in the video comments—we want to hear your take.
INJURY PREVENTION & PERFORMANCE BUILDING STRONGER ATHLETES
Coach Leo Young
5/14/20252 min read
The Obsession With Speed
In the U.S., the development model for pitchers is clear: bigger, faster, stronger—no matter the risk.
Velocity programs and weighted ball routines are now the norm in high school, travel, and even youth baseball.
But as Dr. Zaremski points out, “Every doctor who treats throwing athletes in the U.S. is aware of these programs. In Japan? The physios had never even heard of them.”
He’s now working with colleagues to launch a study in Japan, surveying athletes at the equivalent of the U.S. high school level. The goal? To understand their awareness of velocity programs and whether they’d be willing to take the risk if it meant throwing harder.
Would you take a 25% risk of catastrophic injury to gain 10% velocity? Drop your response in the video comments, we'd love to hear from you.
That’s the deal many players are unknowingly signing.
In pursuit of speed, mechanics break down, recovery is ignored, and long-term development is sacrificed for short-term gains.
It’s performance panic—and it’s being sold as progress.
Key Takeaways for Players and Coaches
✅ Velocity gains are never free – Every MPH comes with a physical cost
✅ Injury risk increases dramatically with certain programs – Especially when unsupervised
✅ Many athletes would take high risks for short-term gains – Without fully understanding the consequences
✅ Smarter training balances performance with health – That’s the long game
How Sore to Soaring Approaches Velocity Training
At Sore to Soaring, we don’t chase speed at any cost.
Our programs are built around intelligent development, long-term mechanics, and athlete-first decision-making. We teach players how to build velocity the right way—safely, patiently, and with respect for their future.
Support our work at: www.SoreToSoaring.org
Disclaimer
The views shared in this article are for informational purposes only and do not represent an endorsement by Lupos Initiative Inc., DBA Sore to Soaring. Always consult a qualified professional before starting any training, recovery, or throwing program. No affiliation or compensation exists between Sore to Soaring and any for-profit entity mentioned.
To learn more about Dr. Jason Zaremski and UF Health Sports Medicine, visit:
https://ufhealth.org
Hashtags
#VelocityTraining #BaseballInjuries #WeightedBallPrograms #PitchingHealth
#SoreToSoaring #YouthBaseball #SmartThrowing #BaseballDevelopment
#ThrowingInjuries #LongTermAthleteDevelopment #TrainSmartThrowHard
