Young pitchers across the Kansas City area are tearing elbow ligaments at alarming rates, and two local experts say the culprit is a culture that prizes velocity over development.

Gonzalo Gonzalez, pitching coordinator at Precision Baseball Academy in Olathe, told FOX4 that Tommy John surgeries and related injuries among youth athletes have risen 170% nationally. Gonzalez works with dozens of players from age 9 through college and consults remotely with minor- and major-league athletes on strength and conditioning.

"A lot of times it's underdevelopment, whether we're talking about strength, mobility, or we're talking about players chasing the velocity before having the actual strength aspect put in place," Gonzalez said.

FOX4 published the experts' warning Aug. 17, the same day Kansas fall sports practices officially began under KSHSAA rules. For families in Overland Park, Olathe and surrounding communities whose kids pitch year-round on travel teams, the report arrives as those athletes ramp up fall activity.

Dr. Wes Frevert, an orthopedic surgeon at Rockhill Orthopaedic Specialists who specializes in sports medicine, identified two key drivers: kids playing baseball 12 months a year and throwing fastballs at higher rates than previous generations. He called the national trend "alarming" and said the Kansas City area mirrors it.

Frevert recommends parents monitor pitch counts and ensure young arms get several months off each year. More than 70% of athletes who undergo the surgery can return to play at the same level, he said, but prevention remains the priority.

Tommy John surgery reconstructs the ulnar collateral ligament on the inside of the elbow. The procedure is named for former MLB pitcher Tommy John, who became the first player to undergo it in 1974. John died Aug. 16 at age 83 at his home in Bradenton, Florida, according to ESPN.

John himself had grown troubled by the surgery's spread to younger athletes. "I am sick my name is attached to a surgery happening in kids more than pros," he wrote on social media in July 2018, NPR reported.

The American Medical Association estimated in 2024 that roughly 35% of active major league pitchers had undergone the procedure. The concern is how far down the age ladder it has reached.

Gonzalez urged parents and coaches to resist the pressure to chase radar-gun numbers before a young pitcher's body is ready. Proper mechanics, strength training and patience, he said, will produce velocity without destroying elbows.

Kansas fall practices began Aug. 17. Gonzalez said he is working with players as young as 9 at his Olathe facility to build strength before chasing speed.