Most Valuable Agent with Matt Hannaford

Episode: The Arm Injury Crisis: How to Counter Rising Arm Injuries with Proven Mechanics

Guest: Justin Orenduff (Former MLB First Round Pick, Pitching Researcher, Founder of DVS)
Date: February 20, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the rising epidemic of arm injuries among baseball pitchers—at all levels—and explores solutions grounded in proven pitching mechanics and data. Host Matt Hannaford interviews Justin Orenduff, a former first-round MLB draft pick whose personal journey through injury and research led him to found DVS (Delivery Value System). Together, they unpack why so many promising arms break down, what’s missing in current development models, and practical ways players, parents, and coaches can safeguard careers with smarter training and self-awareness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Justin Orenduff’s Journey: From Prospect to Pitching Pioneer

• Background & Injury (00:12–06:33)
  • Orenduff, academically-minded and disciplined, rose through VCU and Team USA, eventually becoming a first-round draft pick.
  • In 2006, while pitching well in Double-A, he suffered a significant shoulder injury:

    "At the end of the game, I had felt something pretty deep in my shoulder ... The next morning I woke up and I literally could not lift my arm." (02:56–03:12, Justin Orenduff)

  • After surgery, the surgeon told him:

    "I don't know if you got 6,606 innings left, but I do know the way that you threw the baseball led to this type of injury and surgery." (04:00–04:14, quoting his surgeon)

  • This prompted his deep search for the root causes of pitching injuries.
  • He chose to research pitching mechanics over coaching or scouting, despite opportunities in both.

The Arm Injury Crisis: Data-Driven Reality

• Major Findings from Orenduff’s Study (08:00–11:36)
  • Orenduff analyzed 1,100 pitchers: the top three drafted/signed arms per MLB team each year since 2013.

    "75% of pitchers don't make it to the big leagues... only about 6% get to 200 MLB innings... and only 2% become everyday top three starters." (09:16–09:45, Justin Orenduff)

  • The root issues:
    • Young pitchers are pushed to higher performance earlier, on foundational mechanics that haven't matured.
    • Injury rates are high: “Almost 50% of the data set has had an arm injury.” (10:38–11:26, Justin Orenduff)
  • The focus must shift from simply ‘making it’ to ‘sustaining it’ if players want long careers and earnings.

Why Are Injuries on the Rise?

• Short-Term Mindset & Industry Misalignment (11:36–15:25)
  • The allure of signing bonuses and velocity benchmarks prioritize short-term gains over sustainable development.

    "Everything is short-sighted ... all these programs fit the business model—the training program—to validate results, but not necessarily stack up to what the player needs for his journey, for his career." (13:17–13:45, Justin Orenduff)

  • Orenduff reveals he threw harder at 35, post-injury, after fully understanding efficient movement—not just force.

Building Safer, Better Pitchers: Lessons from Baseball’s Past and Abroad

• Mechanical Patterns, Mentorship, and Culture (15:26–20:35)
  • Emphasizes learning from the deliveries of historic, durable pitchers—Greg Maddux, Mariano Rivera, Cliff Lee, Warren Spahn.
  • Players mimic what they see; young pitchers often lack exposure to sound, efficient mechanics.

    "I basically educate through understanding the game, using examples ... Because I used to think that, oh, the human body at 10 years old can't do this. Well, I was definitely wrong." (16:44–17:10, Justin Orenduff)

  • Cultural comparisons: Japanese pitching culture prioritizes repetition, timing, and discipline leading to better outcomes, as seen in Little League World Series.

Major League Incentives vs. Player Development

• Industry Incentives & Resistance to Change (20:36–24:40)
  • MLB teams maximize value over short windows; long-term player health is rarely prioritized.

    "The incentive for Major League Baseball is really, it's not aligned with what's best for the players." (31:24–31:25, Matt Hannaford)

  • Orenduff’s proposals to MLB organizations to test his methods fall on deaf ears:

    "Meetings go great. Nothing ever happens." (24:40–24:54, Justin Orenduff)

  • In contrast, the United Shore Professional Baseball League (USPBL) offers him a true developmental environment.

The USPBL: A Model for True Player Development

• Structure, Approach, and Successes (25:09–30:20)
  • The league is structured for player growth, not simply wins:
    • Four teams, one stadium, three-to-four games/week, rest dedicated to skill work.
    • 52 players signed by MLB orgs since 2016, seven big leaguers.
    • Data and adjustments drive the developmental plan—individualized and monitored for recovery, not just velocity or stats.

    "We all believe it. If you don't believe it as a staff member, you can't be on the staff." (27:00–27:09, Justin Orenduff)

The DVS System: Quantifying and Teaching Sustainable Mechanics

• Delivery Value System (DVS): Method & Impact (35:57–42:15)
  • DVS assigns a simple 0–24 score to a pitcher’s delivery based on efficiency and injury risk.

    "The average DVS score of an MLB pitcher is around 14. The higher the score, the better—less risk throw-to-throw on the joint." (39:47–40:04, Justin Orenduff)

  • Highest-ever score: Warren Spahn (22/24); MLB average: 14; Orenduff pre-injury: 7; post-rehab: 17–20.
  • Now available to youth levels via affordable camera kits, empowering coaches and organizations to diagnose early and intervene before breakdowns.

    "There's no reason any 12, 13, 14-year-old pitcher should be paying $500 for biomechanical analysis—just ludicrous." (37:40–37:50) "We want a community of people who want to do right by the pitchers." (42:01–42:15)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Incentives in the Game

  "The incentive for Major League Baseball is really... not aligned with what's best for the players."
  — Matt Hannaford (31:24)

• On Why the Injury Crisis Persists

  "Short term, organizations would have to pay [if pitchers have longer careers], but you'd still get more out of them... But it's philosophical. It's hard to disrupt an ecosystem so saturated with one way of doing things."
  — Justin Orenduff (22:51–23:24)

• On the Value of True Education

  "If you go to Little League and never see higher level movement, how would you know it exists?"
  — Justin Orenduff (16:05–16:18)

• A Pitching Coach’s Conundrum

  "You have a player and... a pitching coach saying, 'I can make you throw a hundred,' and a guy saying, 'I can keep you healthy.' That player is probably saying, I'm going to go to the guy that's going to help me throw 100. And that's part of the problem."
  — Matt Hannaford (48:34–48:54)

• On DVS and Youth Access

  "Go in your community. To be able to go to your Little League that offers this [DVS scoring] is huge. ... We see this as a necessary first step if you're going to start advertising some high performance pitching program."
  — Justin Orenduff (41:45–43:18)

Important Timestamps

• Justin’s Injury Experience & Motivation: 00:12–06:33
• Pitching Injury Dataset & Percentages: 08:00–11:36
• Problems with Modern Development Models: 13:17–14:53
• Comparing American vs. Japanese Culture: 15:26–20:09
• MLB Incentives vs. Player Health: 21:41–24:40
• How USPBL Develops and Tracks Pitchers: 25:16–30:20
• The DVS System, Scores, and Tools: 35:57–43:18

Resources & How to Connect

• DVS Website: dvsbaseball.com

  • For player diagnostics, organizations, and educational tools.
  • Community kits (GoPros, software) available for Little Leagues, high schools, travel organizations, and facilities.

• Justin Orenduff on Twitter:

  • @justin-orgas

Episode Takeaways

• The arm injury crisis in baseball is driven by a broken development culture, incentives misaligned with career longevity, and lack of education about sustainable, efficient pitching mechanics.
• Orenduff brings hard data: only ~2% of top-drafted arms become established MLB starters, with nearly half suffering arm injuries.
• True change requires cultural shifts at every level—from the way we educate young pitchers to how independent developmental leagues (like the USPBL) prioritize the long game over short-term results.
• The DVS system is making high-quality pitching analysis accessible to all, offering hope for a new generation of healthier, more successful pitchers.