It’s actually kind of wild to look back at 2021 and compare it to now.
In 2021, Walker Buehler was the face of the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation.
He was a Cy Young contender, a guy you could absolutely trust to eat innings and strike people out. Now think about that for a second.
But if you ask me, he hasn’t really been the same guy since.
The velocity is gone.
The confidence seems shaky.
And honestly? The injuries are getting out of hand.
So, what actually happened to Walker Buehler? Did the mechanics give out, or was it just bad luck?
The Fall from Grace
Let’s be honest, most of us ignored the warning signs early on.
We saw the velocity drop in 2022, but we figured it was just a bad stretch.
It wasn’t.
From 2022 through 2023, Buehler wasn’t just struggling; he was falling apart.
The ERA ballooned to over 5.00.
The walks increased.
And then came the news that no pitcher wants to hear: Tommy John surgery. And this is where things get interesting.
It’s a tough pill to swallow when you’re 27 years old and supposed to be in your prime.
But here is the thing most people miss.
The surgery wasn’t the end of the road.
It was actually the easy part.
The hard part has been getting his arm healthy enough to pitch again without throwing it out of socket.
What Happened to His Stuff?
Most fans talk about the injury, but the real story is the loss of the heater.
Buehler used to sit comfortably in the low-to-mid 90s with a devastating slider.
Now? He’s lucky to see high 80s.
It makes you wonder if his mechanics have been fundamentally altered by the surgery or if he’s compensating for pain.
It’s hard to generate the same bite on the ball when you’re dropping your arm slot just to get the ball over the plate.
And that’s the scary part: we don’t know if the velocity is coming back because of health, or if his arm slot has permanently changed, making his best pitches less effective.
The Injury Plagued 2023 Season
2023 was a nightmare for him.
He didn’t even get to make a start for the Dodgers after the surgery.
Then he went to the Phillies on a rehab deal.
It looked promising for a second, right? He had a good stretch.
But then? Hip inflammation. And this is where things get interesting.
Again.
It feels like he’s always dealing with something.
Most people overlook how much this wears on you mentally.
If you know you’re going to be sore after every outing, it’s hard to repeat the mechanics that made you an ace in the first place.
- 2021: Cy Young-caliber season.
- 2022: Struggles begin, velocity drops.
- 2023: Tommy John surgery, then hip surgery.
- 2024: Attempting to return and prove people wrong.
Mechanics vs.
Health
I’ve watched a lot of tape on him, and his delivery is compact.
He uses his lower half really well when he’s healthy. Here’s the interesting part.
But after the surgery, it seems like he’s rushing everything.
He’s not letting his hips clear fully.
It’s like he’s afraid to let go. Oddly enough,
And that fear translates directly to the catcher’s mitt.
If you rush your delivery, you lose control.
If you lose control, you lose velocity.
It’s a vicious cycle that most pitchers never break out of once they’ve had Tommy John.
Oddly enough,
Is His Delivery the Problem?
Some analysts argue that his mechanics were flawed before the surgery. Here’s the interesting part.
He was landing on his front leg and twisting too much, which probably contributed to the elbow stress.
Did the surgery fix that? Probably not.
He’s still landing open. And this is where things get interesting.
It’s a constant battle between trying to be explosive and trying to be safe.
You can’t really do both at the same time.
Can He Come Back?
Okay, so here is the reality check.
The baseball world loves a redemption story.
We want Buehler to be the guy who comes back, dominates, and proves the critics wrong.
But the stats don’t lie.
Even if he regains his 95 MPH fastball, the command might never be exactly what it was.
And without the command, the stuff doesn’t matter as much.
From what I’ve seen in his rehab assignments, he looks human again.
He’s not the electric force of nature we saw in 2021. And this is where things get interesting.
He’s more like a guy who can give you six innings and keep you in the game, rather than a guy who can blow a 95 MPH fastball past anyone.
That’s not a bad thing, by the way.
That’s actually a solid major league starter.
But it’s not the Walker Buehler we grew up watching.
Tracking the Recovery
Oddly enough,
For those of you still holding onto fantasy teams or just checking the box score, keeping an eye on his workload is crucial.
He can’t be thrown into the fire right away.
He needs to build up his innings gradually.
If he can get through a full season with the Phillies or wherever he lands without getting hurt again, that’ll be a massive win.
It’s sad to see a pitcher fall this far, but sometimes injuries change the trajectory of a career.
Buehler might never be the ace he was.
But he can still be a really good number two starter.
We just have to be patient, or at least, try to be.
One thing is for sure though: the man has grit.
He’s not going to quit.
And if there is any way to get that velocity back, he’s going to find it. Oddly enough,
We just have to hope his body cooperates this time.
Now think about that for a second.
Final Thoughts
I think the biggest takeaway here is that we should stop expecting the past.
We want the 2021 version of Walker Buehler back.
But that player is gone.
He’s been replaced by a fighter who has to battle his own body every time he steps on the mound.
And honestly? That’s a more interesting story than just being the best pitcher in the league.
So, what do you guys think? Is it possible for a pitcher to come back from two surgeries and be as good as he was? Or is this the end of the elite era for Buehler? Let me know in the comments below.
Image source: pexels.com
Image source credit: pexels.com
