Ex-Royals All-Star Blasts MLB Pitchers' Control Issues: 'It's Driving Me Nuts'

Strong words from a respected veteran...

May 9, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; A detailed view of Kansas City Royals hat and glove in the dugout during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Royals lost an All-Star contributor following the 2022 season, but that veteran remained in the league. Now, he's becoming a sounding board for Major League Baseball players everywhere.

Longtime Royals second baseman and three-time All-Star Whit Merrifield was hit in the back of the head with a 95-mile-per-hour fastball from the Colorado Rockies' Jeff Criswell on Tuesday night, causing him to leave the game in the seventh inning of the Braves' 3-0 win.

Merrifield cleared concussion protocol after the incident, but was left with a large welt behind his left ear. And after the game, he sounded off not only on Criswell for plunking him, but on the state of pitching across the sport of baseball as well.

“We lost Riley, we almost lost Mike, we almost lost d’Arnaud in a span of two or three weeks,” Merrifield said, per David O'Brien of The Athletic. “The way pitchers are throwing now, there’s no regard for throwing up and in. The guys are throwing as hard as they can, they don’t care where the ball goes. And it’s just … it’s bulls—-.”

Merrifield's issue also stemmed from the increased policing of "retaliation" in Major League Baseball, meaning that his Braves teammates couldn't stand up for their hitter by hitting one of the Rockies' batters in return.

“No repercussion on his part, and I mean, without being overly dramatic, that was my life on the line right there,” Merrifield said. “So, I’m sick of it, it’s happening way too much."

Merrifield also pointed out that in addition to his teammates, stars like Mookie Betts, Justin Turner, and Taylor Ward have suffered damaging injuries on high and tight pitches in the past two seasons.

It's a problem without a clear answer. Baseball follows a natural evolution, and part of pitchers evolving has been the emphasis on increased velocity. Everyone's chasing the numbers on the radar gun, and at times, control goes out the window as a result.

But when a respected veteran like Merrifield speaks up in such strong terms, it's bound to be heard by the game's higher-ups. Whether any tangible changes occur as a result is yet to be seen.

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