How many pitches is too many? Pitch counts and rest days by age
Pitch Smart sets a daily maximum by age and the rest days required after each outing. The tables are below.
MLB and USA Baseball publish Pitch Smart guidelines for how many pitches a young pitcher should throw in a day and how much rest they need afterwards. Your league may have its own rules; follow whichever is stricter.
Daily maximum
| Age | Pitches per day |
|---|---|
| 7–8 | 50 |
| 9–10 | 75 |
| 11–12 | 85 |
| 13–14 | 95 |
| 15–16 | 95 |
| 17–18 | 105 |
Rest days required
| Rest days | Ages 7–14 | Ages 15–18 |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1–20 pitches | 1–30 pitches |
| 1 | 21–35 | 31–45 |
| 2 | 36–50 | 46–60 |
| 3 | 51–65 | 61–75 |
| 4 | 66 or more | 76 or more |
Beyond the count
- Pitch Smart also recommends at least four months a year off from competitive pitching.
- Pitches thrown in warm-ups and bullpens add to the arm’s workload even though they aren’t counted.
- A pitcher who complains of arm pain stops, regardless of the count. Pain is not something to throw through.
In pitching sessions, arm care comes first: a warm-up and throwing ramp before any intent work, and velocity tracked so effort is measured rather than guessed.