Whit Merrifield Goes Off On Current State Of MLB Pitching After Scary HBP

Add Whit Merrifield to the list of Major League Baseball players who think pitching across the sport has gotten out of control.

Merrifield was struck in the back of the head by a 95 mph pitch during Tuesday night's Atlanta Braves win over the Colorado Rockies, leaving the game immediately afterward as a precaution. 

While he thankfully seemed to avoid significant injury, Merrifield spoke up after the game about what he believes is an epidemic in modern pitching. And the need to do something about it, in his view.

"It's bulls---; it's driving me nuts," Merrifield said after the game. "I hate where the game is at right now with that.

"It's just ridiculous," he said. "Where the game is at right now, it's just ridiculous. ... The way pitchers are throwing now, there's no remorse or regard for throwing up and in. Guys are throwing hard as they can and they don't care where the ball goes.

"It's bulls---. You can't hit a guy anymore back. There's no fear that, 'Oh if I hit this guy, then our guy is going to get hit.' That's not the game anymore. Pitchers don't have to hit anymore, so they don't have to stand in the box."

"Teams are bringing pitchers up that don't know where the hell the ball is going," he said. "They throw 100 miles an hour, so they're like, 'All right, we'll see if he can get the guys out. Just set up down the middle and throw it as hard as you can.' And it's bulls---."

ATLANTA - Atlanta Braves second baseman Whit Merrifield (15) is talked to by assistant athletic trainer Jeff Stevenson after being hit in the head with a pitch as Colorado Rockies catcher Jacob Stallings (25) looks on in the seventh inning at Truist Park on Sept. 3, 2024. PHOTO: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

As part of the player contingent on MLB's